The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) will conduct the first stage computer-based test (CBT) for the Group C, D Assistant Loco Pilots (ALPs) and Technicians recruitment from today, August 9. Many candidates have applied for over 90,000 vacancies, and a few of them are given exam centres to nearby centres. In a bid to conduct the examination peacefully for what is stated as the largest recruitment drive, the Indian Railways have arranged two special trains for students travelling to other parts to write the first stage CBT examinations. These trains were operated from Patna, Bihar to Indore, Madhya Pradesh; Danapur to Secunderabad, Telangana and Darbhanga to Secunderabad. Indian Railways Justifies Why ALP & Technician Candidates Are Allotted Centres Outside Their States. 

The statement was released by the Indian Railways on August 8. Lakhs of RRB aspirants are travelling from their to state to appear in the ALP and Technician examinations. The South-Central Railway (SCR) informed that these special trains would be travelling back and forth throughout the exams which are scheduled to begin from today August 9 till August 31 to avoid the rush of the examinees. After receiving 2.5 crore applications, about 47 lakh candidates will be appearing in the examination for RRB ALP and Technician posts. Out of the total number, RRB in a statement released that 34 lakh candidates have been allotted centres within 200 km, 99 per cent of the total women and PwD candidates are allocated centres within 200 km.

In total, 40 lakh candidates have been assigned centres in 500 km; the remaining six lakhs are allotted centres 200-500 km away from their states to sit for the first stage CBT. 7 lakh candidates are travelling more than 500 km from their state to write the examination. Many aspirants were disappointed with RRB, knowing that they will have to travel farther for the examinations. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, Tehashwi Yadav earlier wrote to the Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, asking him to reconsider the exam process and allot centres to candidates from Bihar near their hometowns. As many of them belong to low-income families and may not be able to bear such expenses.

However, no response related to this matter was received from Indian Railways. The admit cards for RRB first stage online CBT, were released from August 5, which the candidates can download till their exam date. It is an important document, and they must carry a print out of the same; otherwise, they will be barred from appearing in the examination. The CBT will be an online test for 90 minutes comprising 100 multiple choice questions from Math, General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Science and General Awareness.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 09, 2018 09:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).