The government has decided to recruit as many as 150 personnel for IRMS Group ‘A’ through this year’s civil services examination. Out of the 150 vacancies in IRMS, six vacancies have been reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disability (PWBD).

Therefore, the tentative number of vacancies for the civil services exam will now be 1,011 instead of 861 as indicated earlier. The last time, UPSC announced vacancies above 1,000 was in 2016. At that time, 1,079 job posts were released.

After that, in 2017, it was 980 in 2017, 782 in 2018 and 896 in 2019, 796 in 2020, and 712 in 2021. Candidates can go through the official notification at upsc.gov.in. Almost 10 lakh candidates register each year for the UPSC examinations.

According to an official addendum, the Department of Personnel and Training issued a notification on Thursday affecting the inclusion of the IRMS, Group ‘A’ in the list of services for recruitment through the civil services exam.

“With reference to Notice no 05.2022, published on the Union Public Service Commission’s website on February 2, 2022, inviting applications from the aspirants of the Civil Services Examination, 2022, it is informed that the government has decided to recruit 150 personnel in the Indian Railway Management Service, Group ‘A’ through the Civil Services Examination, 2022,” it said.

Earlier, the Centre had discontinued the inclusion of IRMS in civil services in 2019. The IRMS exam used to be held through the engineering services exam.

And, in December 2019, the Ministry of Railways announced the unification of eight existing services of IRMS at all levels i.e. from junior scale to HAG+.

As per the UPSC’s latest announcement, eligibility conditions for recruitment to the IRMS, Group ‘A’ will be the same as indicated in the UPSC notice. Therefore, those who have already applied for the same are not required to apply afresh.

Meanwhile, the applications for the UPSC preliminary examination have begun at upsconline.nic.in. Candidates can apply until February 22, 6 PM. The UPSC CSE preliminary exam is scheduled to be held on June 5.