Guidelines to conduct the selection under rule 72 to the post of Sub-Inspector: Railway Board

Guidelines to conduct the selection under rule 72 to the post of Sub-Inspector: Railway Board Order dated 14.01.2022

भारत सरकार (GOVERNMENT OF INDIA)
रेल मंत्रालय (MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS)
रेलवे बोर्ड (RAILWAY BOARD)

No. 2021/Sec(E)/PM-3/13

New Delhi, dated 14.01.2022

Principal Chief Security Commissioner(s)/RPF,
All Zonal Railways, RPSF, ICF, CLW, RCF, RDSO, CORE, KRCL

IG (Con)- ECoR/NR,

Director,
JR RPF Academy, Lucknow, RPF TC/MLY and ZTI/KGP

Sub: Guidelines to conduct the selection under rule 72 to the post of Sub-Inspector.

Please find enclosed herewith a copy of guidelines issued by the DG/RPF regarding selection to the post of Sub-Inspector (Executive) under rule 72 of RPF Rules, 1987.

Provisions of the Guidelines may be meticulously followed in the forthcoming selection and wide publicity amongst members of the Force should be ensured.

This is for your kind information.

DA: As above.

DIG/Establishment
Railway Board

Copy to:
1. SO/Sec(Spl) for uploading on the official website.
2. SO/Sec(E) for incorporating in new edition of RPF Establishment Manual.

URGENT

भारत सरकार
रेल मंत्रालय (रेलवे बोर्ड)
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(RAILWAY BOARD)
***

No. 2021/Sec(E)/PM-3/13

New Delhi, dated: /3.01.2022

Principal Chief Security Commissioner/RPF
All Zonal Railways, RPSF, ICF, CLW, RCF, KRCL, CORE, RDSO
IG (Con)-ECoR/NR
Director,
JR RPF Academy, TC/MLY & ZTI/KGP

Sub: Guidelines to conduct the selection under rule 72 to the post of Sub-Inspector.

****

In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 21 of the RPF Act, 1957, RPF (Amendment) Rules, 2021 have been notified and circulated to all concerned vide Railway Board’s letter No. 2018/Sec(E)/PM/3/24 Pt. 1 dated 03.08.2021.

Amended sub-rule (1) of rule 72 of RPF Rules, 1987 (as amended in 2021) provides for selection to the post of Sub-Inspector (Executive). Amended Schedule-IV provides for filling up of vacancy up to 20% of the sanctioned strength of Sub-Inspector (Executive) in accordance with provision of Rules72 of RPF Rules, 1987.

Guidelines for the conduct of Selection test for the post of Sub-Inspector (Executive) under rule 72 are as under:

1. Eligibility Criteria:

(a) Constables, Head Constables and Assistant Sub-Inspectors who have put in 12 years of total service (including initial training period) in executive cadre of the Force.

(b) The candidates are not more than 45 years of age on the date of notification.

2. Nomination of Nodal PCSC/IG:

(a) DG/RPF shall nominate a Nodal PCSC/IG who will supervise the entire selection process and co-ordinate with other PCSCs in order to ensure timely, transparent and smooth conduct of selection.

(b) Nodal PCSC/IG shall fix a common date for issuing notification by all Zones.

3. Appointment of Departmental Promotion Committees (DPC): Nodal PCSC/IG shall nominate members of the committee to conduct the selection for promotion to the rank of Sub-Inspector (Executive) on the basis of suggestion received from DG/RPF.

i. One of the members of the DPC should belong to SC/ST community.

ii. None of the members of the DPC should be directly subordinate to another member of the said committee.

iii. The senior most member of the DPC shall act as the Chairperson. However, the responsibility will devolve on all members of the Departmental Promotion Committee jointly and severally.

iv. In every DPC at least one of the members should have working knowledge of Hindi/ Rajbhasha.

v. Nodal PCSC/IG may nominate suitable officers as Members of the DPC from any Zone/RPSF in consultation with concerned PCSC.

vi. Members of the Departmental Promotion Committee shall record a certificate that none of their close relation is under consideration for promotion neither do they have any interest in any of the candidates. Close relation in this context would mean parents, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and nephews/nieces, aunts/uncles, cousins & relative by marriage of the first order.

4. Assessment of vacancies:

(a) Separate roster shall be prepared for the posts of Sub-Inspector (Executive) limited to the percentage specified in Schedule IV.

(b) The number of vacancies, for which selection is to be made shall be calculated in accordance with rule 70.4 of RPF Rules, 1987 and will be based on roster points in the register earmarked for this purpose.

(c) The candidates on deputation shall also be eligible for selection subject to conditions specified in the Rules and this Directive/guidelines.

(d) Vacancies are to be assessed correctly. Inflation of vacancies would invite disciplinary action.

5. Mode of selection: Selection to the post of Sub-Inspector under rule 72 of RPF Rules, 1987 shall be made on the basis of a Computer based Test (CBT) and assessment of Service record. Candidates qualifying the CBT shall be considered for assessment of Service Record. CBT will be conducted by an agency hired for this purpose.

6. Engagement of Agency to conduct CBT:

i) Nodal PCSC/IG in consultation with Chairman DPC shall engage a reputed agency for conducting CBT, having past experience of working with Government departments/RRB/RRC. Due process as mentioned in Railway Board’s letter No. 2021/Sec(E)/PM-01/1 dated 21.10.2021 may be followed for finalization of agency. Chairman DPC shall finalize modalities of terms & conditions and procedure with the nominated/selected agency and make an agreement accordingly. If any doubt arises about fairness of hired agency, it will be black listed if allegations are established after proper enquiry.

ii) Financial implication for holding CBT and other activities regarding selection shall be processed and arranged by the Nodal PCSC/IG. The finance of Nodal PCSC/IG will be deemed as the associated finance for this purpose. The expenditure incurred on CBT and other process shall be shared by all zones proportionately in accordance to the vacancies of the zone.

7. Application by the Candidates:

a) Before applying, candidates shall assess their suitability for the subject selection in accordance to the extant Rules.

b) The mode of application shall either be offline or online as notified.

8. Centre of CBT: Chairperson DPC shall ensure that at least one CBT centre is available in each zone.

9. Identity of candidates: The list of applicants, who are found eligible to appear for selection under rule 72 for Sub-Inspector (Executive), shall be prepared by the Zonal Railways and forwarded to the Chairperson DPC.

The Chairperson shall consolidate the list and forward to the agency for allotment of Roll Numbers. List of candidates, on a proforma prescribed by Chairperson DPC, shall be circulated by concerned PCSCs at Post level and shall also be uploaded on zonal railway’s website. The list of candidates should have column for Name and UIN of the candidate, date of appointment, date of enlistment, zone and other relevant information like number of chances availed till date, etc. All candidates shall bring their official photo identity card, in addition to the command certificates, bearing their signature for identification, to prevent impersonation. It shall be the responsibility of concerned PCSC to ensure that all candidates are provided with official photo identity cards in addition to command certificates bearing their signature authentication when they come for CBT.

10. Computer Based Test (CBT):

a) The CBT examination shall be of 90 minutes duration. Date and timing of CBT in all zonal railways shall be same. If in any zone, number of candidates cannot be accommodated in one CBT centre, two or more CBT centers should be engaged.

b) Venue and timing of the CBT shall be fixed in consultation with the hired agency depending upon the number of candidates.

c) The hired agency shall make all the logistic arrangements including CCTV recordings.

d) The Nodal PCSCAG shall nominate RPF officers not below the rank of Sr. Scale to act as Observer at CBT centre. The Observers may take one Group ‘C’ ministerial staff of his choice as Supervisor to assist him during CBT.

(e) All the officers nominated as Observer as well as Supervisors shall submit a certificate that none of their family members/close relations are appearing for the said selection and that they have no interest in any of the candidates.

(f) An attendance sheet for all the candidates appearing in the CBT shall be prepared which shall carry the signature of the candidates and the invigilators. Attendance taken will be shared with PCSCs concerned in due course.

(g) The entire sequence of the events in the CBT shall be video graphed/recorded on CCTV cameras as evidence for future record.

(h) The Observer shall ensure that the candidates do not take any book, paper or electronic device which may be used as an unfair means into the examination hall.

(i) Any candidate, invigilator or any other personnel of RPF found using / helping anyone to use unfair means or indulging in any other misconduct shall be dealt under the Discipline and Appeal Rules.

(j) No candidate will be allowed to enter the examination hall beyond the stipulated time notified by DPC.

11. Documentation: All the examination related works should be done with proper documentation, avoiding verbal orders at any stage of the selection process. Confidentiality must be maintained in the entire process.

12. Consideration of members under suspension or against whom departmental criminal proceedings are pending: The members of the Force who are under suspension, against whom a charge sheet for major penalty has been issued and disciplinary proceedings are pending and those against whom prosecution under criminal charge is pending, shall also be called for selection and their suitability for promotion should be assessed as in the ordinary course. In this regard procedure and guidelines provided in Rly Bd’s letter No: E (D&A) 92 RG 6-149(A) Dtd. 27/01/1993 may be followed.

13. Questions for CBT:

(i) All questions will be ‘Objective Multiple Choice Type’ with four alternative responses (answers). All questions will be in both Hindi and English. All questions shall carry equal marks i.e 1 (one) mark each.

(ii) Questions shall appear on the screen of the computer in such a way that each candidate gets the same set of Questions and has same four options for answers but both the Questions and the Answers are differently serial numbered. This will ensure that no two candidates will have the same sequence of Questions. Not only this, sequence of four options for answers shall be different for different candidates. This arrangement will leave no scope for candidates for copying with each other.

(iii) Question paper shall consist of 80 questions and candidates should be asked to attempt all questions. Questions shall be of following nature:

(a) 8 questions will be on official language policy and rules.

(b) 10 questions will be aimed at testing the candidate’s general awareness of the environment around him and its application to society; to test knowledge of current events and such matters of everyday observation and experience as may be expected of any educated person. The test will also include questions related to Indian History, Art & Culture, Geography, Economics, General Polity, Indian Constitution, Sports, General Science, etc.

(c) 10 questions will be aimed at testing the candidate’s basic knowledge of Mathematics. These questions shall include Arithmetic Questions on Number systems, whole numbers, decimal and fractions and relationships between numbers, fundamental arithmetical operations, percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, interest, profit and loss, discount, use of table and graphs, time and distance, ratio and proportion etc.

(d) 10 questions will be on General Intelligence & reasoning, Questions on analogies, Similarities and differences spatial visualization, spatial orientation, problem solving analysis, judgment, decision making, visual memory, discriminating observation, relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning. verbal and figure classification, arithmetic number series. non-verbal series. coding and decoding, statement conclusion. syllogistic reasoning, etc.

(e) Remaining questions i.e. 42 questions should be aimed at testing professional knowledge of the candidate. Questions on IPC, Cr.PC, IEA, RP (UP), Railway ACT, All Major/Minor Acts & Constitution, Human Rights, JJ Act-2015, NDPS Act, RTI Act, etc., Crime on Railways, General Organization including RPF Act 1957, RPF Rules 1987 , Standing Orders/Directives, Disaster Management and Fire Fighting , First Aid, Explosives and IEDs (FFIED), Railway Service Conduct Rule 1966, Working of Commercial and other Railway departments, RSMS, Integrated Security System, Handling and operation of Modern security gadgets etc., Man power planning & management, Social Psychology, Soft skill Management or any other relevant topic etc. should be asked.

(iv) In accordance with the instructions and guidelines, Chairperson DPC shall set question papers based on the topics mentioned as above.

(v) Candidates shall be awarded 01 (one) mark for each correct answer. 1/3 mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer (negative marking). No mark shall be awarded or deducted for questions not attempted.

14. Evaluation :

(a) Evaluation shall be done by the hired agency.

(b) After the completion of CBT, Agency shall make provision so that a candidate can download the answers attempted by him/her by logging in their user ID and password provided by agency to candidate on their mobile No. and e-mail ID before commencement of CBT.

15. Records of Service:

(i) Within 15 days of circulation of list of eligible candidates, concerned PCSCs shall forward APAR records of preceding 05 years of all the candidates of their zone to DPC.

(ii) As provided under Rule 71.2 of RPF Rules 1987, a maximum of 20 marks is allotted to assessment of record of service.

(iii) PCSCs shall supply attested photo copies of APARs to the selection committee. PCSC shall further certify that all copies of supplied APARs have been provided to the staff concerned and their representations, if any, have been disposed off.

(iv) The record of service shall be assessed by taking into consideration the APARs or the annual assessment entries in the CSR of preceding 5 years of those candidates who qualify CBT. Marks shall be allotted for the APAR grading as per following norm:

Grading	Marks Allotted
Outstanding	04
Very Good	3.5
Good	03
Average	2.5
Below average	00

v) When one or more APARS have not been written for any reason during the relevant period, the DPC should consider the APARs of years preceding the period in question. If, in any case, even these are not available, the DPC should take the APARs of lower grade in to account to complete the number of APARs required to be considered. If this is also not possible, all the available APARs should be taken in to account.

16. Preparation of Selection Proceedings and Panel:

a) The selection proceedings should be drawn up as soon as the examination of record of service is over. There should be no delay in drawing up the proceedings. Drawing of the proceeding should not be left to someone who is not a member of the Departmental Promotion Committee.

b) A Broad sheet containing marks of CBT and records of service should be prepared. All three members of the DPC shall prepare and affix their signature on the Broad sheet and the selection proceedings, which shall outline the entire selection process and the manner in which selection was conducted, the position of SC/ST reservations, etc. duly drawing up a panel from amongst the successful candidates on the basis of vacancies and in compliance of the provisions laid down under rules 70 and 71 of the RPF Rules, 1987 and extant rules regarding reservation policy.

c) In case two or more candidates secure equal marks out of total 100 marks (80 marks for written examination + 20 marks for record of service) seniority may be taken into consideration in such cases. Thus, the candidate/candidates higher in the seniority shall be placed above his junior in the panel.

d) There should be no cutting and overwriting in the proceedings.

e) Strict compliance of the guidelines issued from time to time in respect of reservation in promotion should be adhered to while preparing the promotion panel.

17. Approval of the Panel:

a) The recommended panel along with selection proceedings, broad sheets, the sample question paper and correct answers and attendance sheet shall be sent by the Chairman of the DPC to the authority nominating the DPC for approval of the panel in accordance with Rule 70.7 of RPF Rules, 1987.Once the competent authority approves the panel, it should be notified immediately for information of all concerned.

b) In the event of the empanelled successful candidate being found facing disciplinary proceedings or punishment or criminal proceeding, his/her case should be made into a “sealed cover case” in which procedure as given in Rly Bd’s letter No. E(D&A) 92 RG 6-149(A) dated 21.01.1993 be followed. The same will be decided on completion of the disciplinary proceedings or punishment or the said criminal proceeding.

c) A panel drawn in accordance with the Rules shall remain operative for a period of one year from the date of its approval or till it is exhausted, whichever is earlier. In working out the period of one year as the maximum life of the panel, the period covered by stay Order of the Court, if any, should be excluded.

d) The retention of the name of a member of the Force on a panel will be subject to his/her continued suitability for the post in question. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the removal of the name of the member of the Force from the panel would require specific approval of the authority next above the one which initially approved the panel.
(Ref: Rly Bd’s letter No. E(D&A) 92 RG 6-149(A) dated 21.01.1993).

e) A panel once approved should not, normally, be cancelled or amended. If it is subsequently found out that there were procedural irregularities or other defects, which may necessitate amending or canceling the panel, then this should be done after obtaining the approval of the authority next higher than the one that approved the panel.

f) Before ordering actual promotion, the concerned authorities will have to obtain D&AR and Vigilance clearance for those empanelled candidates who are selected for promotion.

18. General:

a) Whenever a DPC is constituted, the Nodal PCSC/IG shall make available all relevant guidelines and concerned circulars of DOP&T and Ministry of Railways (Rly. Board) to DPC well in advance.

b) The DPC shall be collectively and severally responsible for the fair and smooth selection process.

c) A checklist, of the events/steps to be followed during the selection process, shall be prepared by the DPC in order to ensure that no step in selection procedure is left out.

d) Any representation, from any of the candidates about the selection not done properly, shall be forwarded to the Chairperson of the DPC who will take necessary action to dispose off the representation.

e) Every effort shall be made by the concerned PCSCs, Nodal PCSC/IG and DPC to ensure timely selection and promotion of enrolled members of the Force as well as filling up the vacancies In time.

f) Based on attendance sheet of CBT, a remark on physical/digital service record of the concerned RPF staff shall be made that he/she had availed first/second/third chance for the selection under rule 72 to the rank of Sub-Inspector on date mentioned.

g) The Nodal PCSC/IG will nominate one officer under him as the custodian of documents generated during the selection process who will be responsible for their safe custody.

h) The extant retention schedule will be followed for weeding out the documents of selection after expiry of prescribed retention period unless the results are needed for any DAR/vigilance/Criminal case or any ongoing court case.

i) DG/RPF may modify/alter any of the above instructions to meet circumstantial exigencies.

(Sanjay Chander)
Director General/RPF

Click here to view/download the pdf