Government reverts to old recruitment system for railways, ends Unified IRMS Process
New Delhi: The Union Government has decided to revert to the pre-December 2019 recruitment system for the Indian Railways, scrapping the unified Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) process. Starting this year, railway officers will once again be recruited through two separate exams – the Civil Services Examination (CSE) and the Engineering Services Examination (ESE), both conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The Centre's Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) gave its approval to the Railway Ministry’s proposal on Saturday. This marks a major departure from the government’s earlier reform that merged eight railway services into a single entity, the IRMS. The 2019 reform aimed at eliminating departmentalism within Indian Railways and streamlining recruitment by bringing both technical and non-technical officers under one unified exam.
However, over the last two years, the ministry struggled to recruit enough technical personnel through the IRMS process, prompting this reversal. Officials said that the decision reflects the unique requirement of having both technical and non-technical expertise in the railways.
The Railway Ministry has requested the recruitment of 225 engineers through the upcoming Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025, with applications to be invited soon. This new approach will allow for specialized recruitment, addressing the specific needs of the railways for both technical and managerial roles.
Earlier, under the IRMS system, candidates from different backgrounds were assessed through a single examination, but the shift back to two separate exams will now enable more focused hiring.
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DGCA advisory to airlines on potential rudder system issue in Boeing 737 planes
New Delhi, Oct 7: Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday issued an advisory to Indian airlines operating Boeing 737 planes regarding the potential risk of a jammed rudder control system.
The move follows the recent probe report by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that highlighted safety concerns involving Boeing 737 aircraft lanes equipped with Collins Aerospace SVO-730 Rudder Rollout Guidance Actuators.
Against the backdrop of the potential risk of a jammed or restricted rudder control system, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued safety recommendations to the Indian carriers.
Currently, Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet operate Boeing 737 planes.
In August, Boeing informed affected operators of 737 planes about the potential condition with the rudder rollout guidance actuator.
A SpiceJet spokesperson said none of its Boeing 737 NG aircraft are impacted.
DGCA said all flight crews are to be informed through a circular/advisory regarding the possibility of a jammed or restricted rudder control system.
"Appropriate mitigations must be communicated to help crews identify and handle such a situation," it added.
Further, all operators have been asked to conduct a safety risk assessment for aircraft to evaluate and mitigate the risk associated with the rudder control system.
The regulator also said that all Category III B approach, landing, and rollout operations, including practice or actual autoland, must be discontinued for these planes until further notice. Category III B pertains to operations in low visibility conditions.
Among other measures, airlines have been asked to mandatorily include discussion about potential rudder control system issues as a mandatory topic in recurrent training sessions.
It will also be included in the Instrument Rating/Proficiency Checks (IR/PPC) during pre-simulator briefings.
"Operators have been instructed to include specific exercises in Recurrent Training and IR/PPC that simulate scenarios involving a jammed or restricted rudder control system, including rollout procedures.
"Appropriate flight crew responses and mitigations should be practised during these exercises," the regulator said in a release.
DGCA also said the interim measures aim to enhance safety and ensure that flight crews are well-prepared to handle potential rudder control issues effectively.
The rudder rollout guidance actuator is designed to control the rudder's movement during Category III B approach, landing and rollout operations.
On September 27, Boeing in a statement had said that in August, it had informed affected 737 operators of a potential condition with the rudder rollout guidance actuator, which is part of an option autoland system.
"The autoland system includes layers of redundancy and we are working with our supplier to develop additional guidance to address the potential condition," it had said.
