CHENNAI: Hundreds of job aspirants from Tamil Nadu, appearing for the Computer-Based Test (CBT) for the Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) examination on March 19, have been assigned test centres 600 to 1,000 km away, in cities like Tirupati, Guntur, Kakinada and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and Karimnagar, Hyderabad, Warangal and Secunderabad in Telangana.
Widespread confusion ensued among the candidates due to the Railway Recruitment Board’s (RRB’s) decision to prioritise assigning venues within the same city for candidates appearing for both the ALP exam and RPF constable exam, the latter is scheduled a day before on March 18. A few candidates also flagged that the issue is not limited to Tamil Nadu, as aspirants from Patna have been assigned centres in Dehradun, and those from Kannur in Kerala have been assigned venues in Karnataka and Telangana.
A total of 6,315 candidates qualified for CBT 2 under RRB Chennai, which is recruiting for 493 ALP positions. The RRB in Thiruvananthapuram, which is filling 233 posts, has also assigned centres in other states for the candidates. In total, Indian Railways aims to fill 18,799 ALP positions through this recruitment drive.
Although OBC, SC and ST candidates were provided free sleeper-class travel passes from their nearest railway station, the candidates said they would have to bear additional travel expenses of Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 which is a huge financial burden given their distressing condition. Some applicants said that women candidates, who are often accompanied by a friend or family member, are particularly more affected by the additional expenses.
Speaking on behalf of the RRB, a Southern Railway spokesperson said only 20% of Tamil Nadu candidates were assigned examination centres in other states, unlike claims on social media alleging it was 80-90%. However, the official remained tight-lipped on the exact number of students redirected to other states and the capacity of CBT exam centres in the state.
A few candidates from Vriddachalam and Salem — who were assigned centres in Guntur and Karimnagar — expressed concerns over the difficulty of securing confirmed train tickets at the last minute and potential train delays.
Railway officials said about 15,000 candidates, who had qualified for the ALP CBT 1 exam on March 19, are also appearing for the RPF constable exam on March 18. To facilitate smooth travel, they were assigned centres in the same city, which resulted in others, especially those from Tamil Nadu, being assigned test centres in neighbouring states. As CBT 2 does not follow a normalisation process, all candidates must take the exam in the same shift, leading to the current allocation challenges, added the official.
An aspirant from Salem said, “If there weren’t enough exam centres in Tamil Nadu, the RRB should have rescheduled either the RPF or the ALP examination. Now, candidates will have to take whatever train available, arrive at odd hours, and, if they cannot afford lodging, many will be forced to sleep at the station or outside the examination centre.”
