RBE No.112/2018: GDCE – Consolidated instructions

No.E(NG)I/2018/PM 1/22, dated 02.08.2018

Sub: General Departmental Competitive Examination – Consolidated instructions – reg.

1. The scheme of GDCE for filling up 25% of the Direct Recruitment quota vacancies in certain Group ‘C’ categories which have direct recruitment quota of 25% or more (except the categories of Law Assistants, Catering Supervisors & Accounts Department) was introduced vide Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/92/PM 2/16, dated 20.08.1993 (RBE No.129/1993), initially for a period of one year. The currency of the scheme has been extended from time to time and was last extended upto 31.03.2020 [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/2011/PM 1/2, dated 10.04.2018] (RBE No.57/2018). A number of instructions on the subject have been issued from time to time, which have been consolidated and summarized as under:
2. General Instructions:
Power have been delegated to GMs to increase the percentage of GDCE from 25% to 50% of Direct Recruitment quota vacancies in individual cases as per need. [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/2001/PM 02/12, dated 21.01.2002] (RBE No.09/2002).
2.5 All regular employees possessing prescribed educational qualification for Direct Recruitment working in grades lower than the grades/ pay scales for which GDCE is being conducted are eligible to appear in GDCE selection for all the categories. [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/2008/PM 1/6 Pt., dated 24.07.2017] (RBE No.72/2017) and [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/1992/PM 2/16, dated 20.08.1993] (RBE No.129/1993)
2.6 All regular employees possessing prescribed educational qualification for Direct Recruitment working in same grade/ pay scale for which GDCE is being conducted are eligible to appear in selection for GDCE from Non- safety to Safety category post as well as Safety to Safety category posts. [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/2008/PM 1/6 Pt., 24.07.2017] RBE No.72/2017) and [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/1992/PM 2/16, dated 20.08.1993] RBE No.129/1993).
2.7 Reservation quota prescribed for SC/ST will be applicable for GDCE. [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/1992/PM 2/16, dated 20.08.1993] (RBE No.129/1993).
2.8 Maximum age limit for General candidates is 40 years and for SC/ST it is 45 years. [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/1992/PM 2/16, dated 20.08.1993] RBE No.129/1993).
2.5 Regular Group ‘C’ and Group ‘D’ staff of the Production Units who fulfill the stipulated eligibility conditions are also permitted to appear in GDCE whenever conducted by the Zonal Railways for filling up the vacancies in different Group ‘C’ categories. The Zonal Railways should therefore, ensure that copies of notification of selection under GDCE whenever issued by them are invariably endorsed to all the Production Units, so as to enable the employees of the Production Units also to apply for such selections, through proper channel, along with eligible employees of the Zonal Railway concerned. [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/2001/PM 02/12, dated 21.01.2002] (RBE No.09/2002)
3. Examination Process:
Examination for all posts is to be conducted in single stage only in view of small number of Railway employees appearing against the same [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/2008/PM 01/6, dated 10.06.2015] (RBE No.60/2015). GDCE will comprise of a written test followed by viva-voce and the panel will be formed strictly in the order of merit.
(* Viva-voce stands deleted vide the Board’s letter Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/2001/PM 1/41, dated 07.08.2003, RBE No.137/2003, ACS No.150 to Para 215 & 219 of IREM, Vol-I).
3.1 The standard of examination shall be like that of Direct Recruitment to avoid any dilution of the cadre. If suitable candidates do not become available in adequate number as a result of GDCE, the shortfall will be made good by direct recruitment through Railway Recruitment Board.
3.2 The GDCE examination is to be conducted by the RRCs.
3.3 The date for GDCE is to be fixed by Railway Recruitment Cells (RRCs) of the Railway in consultation with CPOs and Chairman of respective RRBs.
3.4 Question Paper for GDCE is to be provided by respective RRBs, but evaluation shall be done by RRCs on the basis of answer keys provided by the former. However, instead of 3 sets of Question Papers, only one set of the same will be provided by RRBs to RRCs for GDCE. All other recruitment related activities will be performed by Chairman of respective RRCs. [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/2008/PM 1/6, dated 20.10.2014] (RBE No.113/2014)
3.5 Zone of consideration for GDCE will encompass staff belonging to all the Departments/ Branches in a Division/ Workshop/ Headquarter-Office/ Extra Divisional Office/ Production Unit as the case may be subject to their applying through proper channel in response to the notification for GDC E. [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/1992/PM 2/16, dated 20.08.1993] (RBE No.129/1993).
4. Whenever, the vacancies remain unfilled in Promotion Quota, the same may be carried forward to LDCE/ GDC E, if any, and unfilled vacancies of LDCE/ GDCE may be carried forward to direct recruitment quota for the next year/ next selection. In case there is no LDCE/ GDCE for that post, the unfilled vacancies may be diverted to director recruitment quota of the upcoming year. [Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/2010/PM 1/6, dated 10.09.2014] (RBE No.97/2014).
5. The channel of GDCE and LDCE can be availed by the young, talented and qualified staff working in lower grades for fast track progression to higher grades.
6. It has been noticed that a large number of vacancies in the Railways remain unfilled and the Railways are not making timely use of the scheme of GDCE and LDCE for filling up vacancies, which is adversely affecting the motivation of the employees.
7. It is reiterated that Railway should ensure making use of these schemes liberally to fill up the vacancies timely by chalking out suitable action plan for the same.

Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.112/2018

Forward reference⇒Dated 19.09.2018, RBE No. 77/2019