RBE No. 184/1985: Appointment on Compassionate Grounds

No.E(NG)II-84/RC1/174, dated 25.06.1985

Sub: Appointment on compassionate grounds.

1. In the meeting of the Departmental Council of the J.C.M. held in December 1984, the Staff Side pointed out that instructions issued by this Ministry in regard to appointment on compassionate grounds are not being observed by the Railways in their proper spirit. In particular, they mentioned the following types of difficulties faced by the Railway employees or their families in the matter of appointment on compassionate grounds in accordance with the instructions issued by the Ministry, from time to time:

(i) The written test held for adjudging for suitability of a candidate’s appointment, is of an unduly high standard. The test should be consistent with the spirit of Board’s instructions of appointment on compassionate grounds.
(ii) If a ward is not found suitable for Group ‘C’ post, he is offered appointment in Group ‘D’ posts, instead of considering him for appointment to another Group ‘C’ post.
(iii) Appointments are not made within a short time as envisaged in the instructions.
(iv) Wards of Group ‘D’ staff are offered appointment only in Group ‘D’ posts even though they have the requisite qualifications for and are suitable for appointment in Group ‘C’ posts.

2. In this connection, attention of the Railway Administrations is invited to this Ministry’s letter No.E(NG)II-83/RC1/73, dated 18.01.1984 in which the Railways etc. were advised to consider requests for appointment on compassionate grounds sympathetically and within the framework of instructions issued by this Ministry from time to time. In so far as aforementioned points raised by the staff side are concerned, attention is invited in particular to the following:-

(i) As clarified in this Ministry’s letter No.E(NG)III/79/RC-1/62, dated 05.03.1982, while a suitability test is to be held for judging the suitability of an applicant for compassionate appointment, the standards for the same need not be rigid. It was added that it has only to be ensured that the persons concerned would be in a position to discharge the duties of the post being offered to him and as the test in designed to assess the aptitude of the person for the particular job.
(ii) If the ward possesses the prescribed minimum educational qualification, he should be considered for appointment in Group ‘C’ post for which he may be suitable and eligible. If however, he is found unsuitable for one Group ‘C’ post, he should be considered for an alternative Group ‘C’ post for which he is eligible and suitable.
(iii) Railways should endeavour to make compassionate appointments as early as possible.
(iv) It is not necessary that the ward of a Group ‘D’ employee should be appointed in a Group ‘D’ post only. If such a ward is eligible for compassionate appointment and possesses the qualification, prescribed for a Group ‘C’ post in which compassionate appointment is permissible, his case for such appointment should be considered.

3. The Ministry of Railways desire that these instructions should be adhered to in their proper spirit.

Download Railway Board Circular RBE No. 184/1985

Forward reference⇒RBE No.