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After a long wait, the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) released the exam dates for RRB NTPC and RRB Group D examinations 2019 on Saturday. Over 2.40 crore applications have been registered for the RRB NTPC, Group D and other exams. In all, RRBs had notified a total of 1.40 lakh such vacancies for NTPC categories, Level-1 Posts and isolated and miscellaneous categories. The Indian Railways said it is going to begin computer-based tests for 3 types of vacancies from December 15, which, it said, was deferred due to COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdown which was imposed throughout the country. The Railways said the scrutiny of the applications had been completed but the process of further examination had got delayed due to COVID-19 related restrictions. The exam notification was released by the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and announced by minister Piyush Goyal on Twitter.
RRB NTPC: Number of vacancies
35,208 for RRB NTPC, non technical popular categories like guards, office clerks, commercial clerks etc.
RRB: Other vacancies
1663 for isolated and ministerial categories (Steno and Teaches etc).
103769 for Level 1 vacancies (track maintainers, pointsman etc).
RRB SOPs
The Railways said that the RRBs are committed to hold the CBT for all the notified vacancies and have been actively assessing the ground situation imposed due to the pandemic. "Now that experience of conducting examination or the JEE for IITs and NEET is there, it was felt that Railways too can start the process which had to be stopped due to COVID-19 pandemic."
Meanwhile, SOPs for conduct of examination of this magnitude are being framed. Norms of social distancing and other protocols prescribed by the various Central and State authorities need to be followed which are essential in the interest of safety of candidates, the Railways said.
