New Delhi: In good news for the railway job aspirants who had protested against irregularities in the Railway Recruitment Board Level-1 and NTPC examinations, the national transporter agreed to all their demands on Thursday.

The decision that came soon after the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) poll victory in four of the five states was taken after a high-level committee submitted its report to the Railway Board. In a major reversal of its policy to hold the Level-1 exams to recruit Group-D employees through two computer-based tests (CBTs), the Indian Railways has now agreed to conduct only a single test.

The recruitment drive for the Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPCs) for 35,281 vacant posts in various categories ranging from junior clerk, train assistant, guard, time-keeper to station master was at the centre of widespread protests in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand earlier this month.

The aspirants alleged that while over seven lakh "applications" were shortlisted, the actual number of candidates was around 3.84 lakh, as the same person might have been shortlisted for more than one post. The railways on Thursday said the number of "unique candidates" shortlisted pay level wise will be 20 times higher than that of vacant posts for the second-stage computer-based test (CBT) for the NTPCs.

It also said the candidates who are already qualified will continue to remain qualified and the list of the additional candidates getting shortlisted will be notified at each pay level. The railways also said the revised results of all the pay levels will be declared by the first week of April, the second-stage CBT for pay level 6 will be held in May and the second-stage CBT for the other pay levels will be conducted after a reasonable gap.

"It has been decided to follow revised methodology with special conditions for conduct of CBT for Level-1 due to elimination of 2nd stage CBT etc. "This will involve mobilizing of additional infrastructure and logistics to conduct CBT for Level-1 with significant increase in per shift requirement. Efforts will be made to have the exam conducting agency (ECA) on board to conduct the CBT for Level-1 as early as possible. Hence, CBT for Level-1 is planned to be held tentatively from July 2022 onwards," the railways said in a statement.

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