Substitutes: RBE No.03/2001 – Engagement of

No.E(NG)II-2001/SB/2, dated 04.01.2001

Sub: Engagement of Substitutes on Railways – need for exercising control – guidelines regarding.

1. The Railway Board have issued detailed instructions on the subject of engagement of Substitutes from time to time. Consolidated instructions were reiterated to the Railways vide Board’s letter No.E(NG)II/90/SB/10/Master Circular, dated 29.01.1991 (i.e. Master Circular No.20/1991) as modified vide letter of even number dated 04.11.1992 (RBE No.185/1992).

2. “Substitutes” refer to persons engaged in Railway Establishments against posts falling vacant because of absence on leave or otherwise of Railway servants which cannot be kept vacant.

3. Ordinarily, occasions should not arise for engagement of substitutes, as adequate leave reserves have been provided in practically all categories of Railway servants. Situations may, however, arise at times, when owing to abnormally high rate of absenteeism, the leave reserve posts become inadequate or ineffective due to heavy sickness etc., or where it is not possible to provide leave reserve, like at a way side station. In such situations, it may temporarily become necessary to engage substitutes for short duration, as Railway services may otherwise get adversely affected.

4. Instructions have been issued by the Ministry of Railways from time to time that the occasion to engage substitutes should be few and far between.

5. In the year 1992, the matter was further reviewed and a need was felt to have a strict control on engagement of substitutes and therefore, instructions were issued vide letter No.E(NG)IIU90/SB/10/MC, dated 04.11.1992 (RBE No.185/1992) which stipulate as under:-

(i) Any new face substitute should be appointed only with the prior personal approval of the General Manager, even where such practice is not already in vogue;

(ii) Strict control should be exercised on the number of substitutes engaged and a serious attempt should be made to bring down their numbers drastically;

(iii) Strict control on maintenance of leave records and absenteeism should be enforced.

5.1   However, General Managers do not have unfettered discretion to engage Substitutes. The discretion to engage Substitutes may be exercised with caution only in the following circumstances:-

(i)    To fill regular vacancies of unskilled and other categories of Group ‘D’ staff requiring replacement, for which arrangements cannot be made from within the existing leave reserve posts;

(ii)    To fill a chain vacancy in the lower category of Group ‘D’ staff, arising because of the incumbent in a higher Group ‘D’ category being on leave, where it is not possible to fill the post from within the existing leave reserve and where otherwise Railway services shall get affected;

(iii)   For engaging substitute School Teachers on ad hoc basis on the Railways for short periods. Adequate panel has to be maintained to fill regular vacancies of teachers and adequate waiting list for appointing substitute teachers therefrom, so that the tail end of the panel can be treated as a waiting list for the purpose. Therefore, there should be no separate panel (waiting list) for substitute teachers. In cases, where due to any compelling reasons a waiting list is not available or the wait listed candidate is not forthcoming and the post cannot be left unfilled till a regular incumbent is available, the post may be temporarily manned by recruiting a substitute, who should be selected through a procedure of calling for applications locally and making a selection from out of these applications. Such an arrangement should not be extended beyond six months within which time a regular panel for appointing teachers on regular basis should be formed;

(iv) To fill vacancies arising on account of the Railway Territorial Army Unit personnel being called up by the Army for training or for military duty in emergency of 30 days duration or more;

(v) Against vacancies in any other circumstances, as specified by the Ministry of Railways from time to time.

6. It needs to be emphasized that engagement of substitutes, if at all required, may be made only by way of exception and that too purely on functional considerations. It must be clearly understood that there is a need to ensure that all such engagements are linked to the posts which cannot be kept vacant until regular persons become available.

Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.03/2001

Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.144/2005, RBE No.137/2010,