EDP Centres: RBE No.99/2004 – Selection to Group ‘B’ Posts
No.E(GP)2003/2/41, dated 20.05.2004
Sub: Syllabus for selection from Group ‘C’ to Group ‘B’ ‘ posts in EDP centres of Railways/ Production Units.
Ref: Railway Board’s letter No.85/ACII(CC)3712 dated 08.11.1993.
1. A revised syllabus for selection from Group ‘C’ to Group ‘B’ posts in EDP centres of Railways/ Production Units is enclosed for guidance. This may be given wide publicity and circulated amongst the eligible candidates.
2. The revised syllabus will be effective from the date of issue of this letter However, selections which have already been finalised or have been initiated otherwise than in accordance with the enclosed syllabus, need not be disturbed.
3. Please acknowledge receipt.
Syllabus for selection from Group ‘C’ to Group ‘B’ posts in EDP centres of Railways/ Production Units
- The candidates are expected to supplement their experience by a few hours of study on each topic. Suggested reading materials are indicated, along with the approximate hours of self-study expected against each topic.
- The syllabus requires self-study of about 120 hours (15 days) by the candidate, out of which about 52 hours (7 days) is expected to be covered during the course of his routine work.
1. Basics of Computing and Information Processing:-
1.1. Business Data Processing:
1.1.1 Basic features of off-line systems, transaction processing systems, management information systems, decision support system, Graphical user interfaces and presentation of information: 4 hours.
1.1.2 Full familiarity with word processor, spreadsheet package, presentation package, email client and web-browser. Basics of data storage in a database management system: 12 hours.
(Recommended books: V. Rajaram “Fundamentals of Computers”; P. K, Sinha and P. Sinha, “Foundations of Computing”; Turban, Rainier, Potter, “Introduction to Information Technology”; any intermediate level book on Microsoft Windows and Office).
1.2 Computer Organization and Data structures:
1.2.1 Fundamentals of digital logic circuits, binary number system, registers and counters, microprocessor architecture, memory and input/ output devices, basics of assembly language: 12 hours.
1.2.2 Data types, stacks, queues, linked lists and other basic data structures, searching and sorting algorithms, and basic idea of complexity: 12 hours
1.2.3 Basic features of PCs and servers, printers, backup devices: 4 hours
(Recommended books: M. Morris Mano, “Computer System Architecture”; William Stallings, “Computer Organisation and Architecture”; any book on PC hardware; PC Quest and Digit magazines; E Harowitz, Sartaj Sahni, “Fundamentals of data structures”; Schaum series books on Data Structures”)
2. Operating system, DBMS and networking concepts: (Candidates are expected to specialize in any one area out of Operating Systems, DBMS, or Networking, with a basic idea of all three areas)
2.1 Basics of operating systems (proficiency in one Unix flavour or one Windows Server version is expected)
2.1.1 The file system, process management, memory management, system administration concepts, networking tools in operating systems, OS level backup and archival, retrieval and disaster management: 12 hours.
2.1.2 Unix flavours, the vi editor, shell programming, basics of grep and awk, user management, security features in Unix, Linux: 12 hours.
2.1.3 The Windows operating system, including basics of Windows server; file management, FAT, FAT32 and NTFS, user management, the active directory, the Windows registry: 12 hours
(Recommended books: J. Paterson and A Sliberschatz, “Operating System Concepts”; Unix, Linux, and Windows manuals and intermediate level books)
2.2 Basics of DBMSs
2.2.1 The relational model, ER model, database normalization concepts: 4 hours
2.2.2 Basics of SQL, simple queries, joins, nested queries, grouping; query parsing, indexing concepts: 12 hours
2.2.3 Database administration, tuning concepts, locking and concurrency control, transaction roll-back and roll forward, database backup and archival: 12 hours
2.2.4 Proficiency in any one DBMS out of Oracle, Sybase, SQL Server, covering the concepts given above: 12 hours
(Recommended books: Henry F Korth and A Silberschatz, “Database System Concepts”; Oracle, Sybase or SQL Server manuals, intermediate level books from Oracle Press and Microsoft Press)
2.3 Networking and data communication concepts:
2.3.1 Basics of data communication, transmission media, network topologies, the OSI seven layer model, TCP/IP concepts: 12 hours
2.3.2 LANs and LAN devices, concepts of IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.11b, LAN media, switching, basics of LAN design: 12 hours
2.3.3 WANs and WAN devices, concepts of routing, switched and packet networks, signal multiplexing methods, network management: 12 hours
2.3.4 Basics of network security, the Internet, internet security, intrusion viruses, worms and malicious code, intrusion detection: 4 hours
(Recommended books: Andrew S Tanenbaum, “Computer Networks”; W Stallings, “Data Communication”; manuals of different network devices)
3. Software development:
3.1 Basics of systems analysis and design:
3.1.1 Modular application design; methods elicit user requirements; DFDs, ERDs and process mapping methodologies; screen, report and menu design: 12 hours
3.1.2 Basic idea of component based design, interface design directory services, web services, object orientation: 4 hours
(Recommended books: J Hoffer, “Modem Systems Analysis and Design”)
3.2 Application development (proficiency is expected in any one GUI tool, 3GL, or COBOL, with a basic idea of all three)
3.2.1 Using GUI front-end tools, screen building, connecting to back-end databases, and report-writing (any one of VB, D2K/iDS, Power Builder, or other standard GUI tool): 12 hours
3.2.2 Application development in a structured 3 GL (C, Java, C++, C#), program constructs in 3 GLs, data types, memory management, working with files, working with databases, using standard libraries; the JVM and CLR: 12 hours
3.2.3 Application development in COBOL, COBOL data structures, file handling in COBOL, sorting and merging, managing databases using COBOL, reporting and screen development: 12 hours
(Recommended books: intermediate level books in the packages mentioned; H Schildt “Java2 – the complete reference”; Mullish Cooper, “The Spirit of C”; Kernighan and Ritchie, “The C Programming language”)
3.3 Software engineering concepts:
3.3.1 Software development cycle, basics of software sizing and estimation, software project management, project risk management (basic idea), system audit and security, disaster management strategies: 4 hours
3.3.2 Basics of software testing and quality assurance, test plans, black box and white box testing, module and integration testing, verification, validation and inspection: 4 hours
3.3.3 Basics of information security, encryption, digital signatures, PKI: 4hours
(Recommended books: Roger S Pressman, “Software Engineering, a Practitioner’s Approach”)
4. Other topics in IT (for persons operating in specialized areas)
4.1 Basics of CAD/ CAM:
4.1.1 Graphic devices, 2-D geometry and display algorithms, graphic operations, 3-D rendering, animation, graphic standards: 4 hours
4.1.2 CAD basics, 2-D drafting, surfacing, 3-D solid modeling (proficiency in using a CAD package): 12 hours
4.1.3 FEA, part program generation (proficiency in using FEA and part program generation tools): 12 hours
(Recommended books: D Hearn and Pauline Baker “Computer Graphics”; concerned manuals)
4.2 Basics of embedded software:
4.2.1 Firmware devices, coding and burning, embedded OS, embedded application software, basics of PLCs, ladder logic, using PLC program development tools, data loggers etc: 12 hours
(Recommended books: Concerned manuals)
5. EDP centers in Indian Railways:
5.1 Data center basics:
5.1.1 Data center basic design features, secure areas and access control, workspace planning; air-conditioning and humidity control; rack-mounted servers and other devices, structured cabling, clean power supply and earthing, UPS basics
5.1.2 Data centre operations manual, backup strategies, disaster management, basic housekeeping and filing of records
5.2 IT applications in Indian Railways (as per area of working of the candidate):
5.2.1 FMIS, Payroll, Workshop system, Inventory control system, Traffic accounts system: detailed knowledge of processes
5.2.2 SDT applications: PRIME/ AFRES, PMIS, MMIS, PAS, FAS, OSS: knowledge of processes
5.2.3 PRS, UTS, NTES, FOIS: basic working
5.2.4 Locally developed applications: for example STORMS, PURSYS, PINS, EASY, PLANS, FACT in RCF; Stores, finance and workshop applications in RWF, DLW, ICF etc.
5.2.5 Other developments on Railways: MIS applications, IR websites, Internet ticketing, IVRS.
Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.99/2004
Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.15/2017,