Master Circular No.43: Trade Test For Promotion in Technician Categories

No.E(NG)I/2019/PM1/6 Master Circular/TT, dated 24.07.2019

Sub: Trade Test for promotion in Artisan categories – Master Circular.

1. The Master Circular No.43 on “Trade Test” was issued vide Railway Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/91/PM 1/6, dated 09.01.1992, based on instructions on the subject, issued till then. The Master Circular has been updated incorporating the provision of the instructions issued from 1992 till date as below for information and guidance.

2. A Trade Test is given to employees belonging to artisan category on the Railways at the time of promotion to skilled (re-designated as Technician) Grade II & III and also promotion to ESM/ MSM in S&T Department. Promotion from Khalasi to Khalasi Helper should be on the basis of suitable Aptitude Test evolved locally, except for promotion from Khalasi to Khalasi Helper in the following erstwhile Semi-skilled trades which will continue on the basis of trade test presented:-

(i) Border feeder
(ii) Ferro-printer (Non-Artisan)
(iii) Paper-counter (Printing Press)

(Board’s letter No.PC-III/93/CRC/10, dated 29.04.1999)

2.1 Promotion from Technician Gr. II to Gr.I, while other conditions remain the same, would be on the basis of ACRs. Assessment should be done by a Departmental Committee of three officers of home two will be technical officers not lower than Senior Scale and a Personnel Officer who can be one rank lower but nevertheless an equal member of the Departmental Committee.

2.2 Trade Test should comprise both oral and practical and may include written test wherever considered necessary.

2.3 Qualifying Marks in the Trade Test would be as follows:-

	Total Marks	Qualifying Marks
Practical	60	36
Oral	40	15
Total	100	51

Note: A SC/ST candidate will be required to secure 30 marks out of 60 in the practical test and 11 marks out of 40 in the oral test, as against 36 marks out of 60 in the practical test and 15 marks out of 40 in the oral test prescribed for other community candidates, to qualify in a Trade Test in the categories other than safety categories.

[No.E(SCT)70/CM/15/6, dated 31.08.1971]

2.4 The syllabus and rules of Trade Test for each category are contained in the Trade Test manual available on the Railways.

2.5 (i) The employees equal to the number of vacancies should be called for trade test. If sufficient number of suitable candidates is not available, further candidates to meet the shortfall may be called up in continuation and so on, but the whole process should be completed within six months. If this period is exceeded, it will be treated as a fresh trade test. Those who failed in the earlier trade test should be eligible to appear in trade test held after expiry of six months period. The period of six months is to be reckoned from the date of announcement of the results.

2.5 (ii) In case of promotion to the post of ESMs/ MSMs Grade-II and I in the S&T Department, employees equal to twice the number of vacancies may be issued notices for consideration for trade test so that an equal number remains in readiness for appearing in the subsequent trade test held in continuation, in case some candidates are not found suitable in the trade test, necessitating other candidates in order of seniority being called at short notice. Fresh notice need not be issued for the standby candidates. The same procedure to be followed in other cases also where vacancies are required to be filled expeditiously.

2.6 If an employee fails in a trade test but passes subsequent trade test, he should be given preference for promotion over his juniors who had passed the trade test held earlier but is still waiting to be promoted for want of a vacancy.

[No.E(NG)I/66/PM1/98, dated 18.02.1967]

2.7 Pending the holding of Trade Test, an employee may be promoted to officiate on ad hoc basis for a period of six weeks without passing a trade test.

[No.E(NG)I/79/PM1/139, dated 27.10.1979]

3. The assessment of vacancies for the trade test should be made as under:-
“Existing vacancies plus those anticipated to arise (as defined below) during the next one year.”

[No.E(NG)I/2018/PM1/65, dated 07.12.2018 (RBE No.190/2018)]

3.1 The concept of anticipated vacancies should be deemed to connote the following:-

(a) Vacancies on account of normal wastage, viz. retirement on superannuation;
(b) Vacancies likely to be caused as a result of staff having given notice for voluntary retirement, provided the same are likely to be accepted;
(c) Vacancies in higher grades in the channel, the filling of which will result in the need to make consequent appointments from the proposed panel;
(d) Vacancies likely to be caused due to staff approved to go on deputation to other units;
(e) Number of staff already empanelled for ex-cadre posts;
(f) Vacancies likely to arise due to creation of additional post in higher grades and in the same grade. This may include only those proposals which have been concurred in by the Accounts and approved by the competent authority; and
(g) The vacancies arising out of cases where staff are likely to go out on transfer to other Railways/ Divisions during the period under consideration.

4. Approval of Trade Test Assessment:
4.1 The actual trade test will be arranged by an Assistant Officer according to the specified trade tests. He will assess the results of the trade test, which must be supervised by a Supervisor not below the rank of Assistant Foremen or equivalent status. In Workshops and other places where large concentration of skilled categories exist, it will be desirable to employ a whole time trade testing Supervisor to assist in arranging and conducting the trade test.
Results of trade test may be approved in the divisions by the respective Administrative Grade Officer of the Department concerned. Where there are no Administrative Grade Officers in position in a division, the trade test results may be approved by DRM or ADRM.

4.2 In regard to Workshops and other non-divisional units headed by a Senior Scale Officer, trade test result should be approved by the Dy. HOD of the department concerned at Head Quarters office who will work as Chairman of the Trade Test Panel. The Trade Test Panel consists of three officers namely (i) Foremen/ Assistant Foremen or Inspector Supervising Trade Test, (ii) Assistant Officer concerned, and (iii) JA Grade Officer of the department who acts as Chairman, Trade Test Panel and approves the results.

4.3 In the event of an appeal over any approved Trade Test, the appeal will lie to the Chairman, Trade Test Panel i.e. the Administrative Grade Officer who approved the trade test results, will function as an Appellate Authority.

4.4 The Trade Test accepting officers are advised to scrutinize the results of the Trade Test properly to ensure that there is no over-writing/ alteration before accepting them, so that manipulations, if any, can be detected and prevented.

5. Employees who have already qualified in a Trade Test for non-selection posts in R.E. or Construction Projects need not be subjected to such tests on open line and they may be promoted on the basis of seniority as and when due in turn. This is, however, applicable in comparable Trades only in which the lien of the individual is kept on the open line and is applicable only to the next higher grade than the one in which the lien is kept.

6. General:

(a) While referring to this circular, the original letters referred to herein should be read for a proper appreciation. This circular is only a consolidation of the instructions issued so far and should not be treated as a substitution to the originals. In case of doubt, the original circulars should be relied upon as authority.
(b) The instructions contained in the original circulars referred to have only prospective effect from the date of issue unless specifically indicated otherwise in the concerned circular. For dealing with old cases, the instructions in force at the relevant time should be referred to; and
(c) If any circular on the subject, which has not been superseded, has not been taken into consideration while preparing this consolidated letter, the old circular which has been missed through oversight should be treated as valid and operative, such a missing circular, if any, may be brought to the notice of the Railway Board.

Download Master Circular No.43

Forward reference RBE No.