Amrish Manish Shukla, Prayagraj. There is a big news for thousands of railway workers who are dreaming of becoming gazetted officers from non-gazetted category in Indian Railways. Railway Board has currently postponed the ‘Group B 30 percent LDCE’ Central CBT examination to be held on March 8.

In this regard, Railway Board’s Joint Director (Establishment) Aarti Singh Lal has issued an official letter to the General Managers of all Zonal Railways including North Central Railway late on the night of February 5. This decision has come as a shock to those employees who were preparing for the exam for a long time, however for some candidates it is also being considered as another opportunity for preparation.

Why was the exam postponed? This is the real reason
Railway Board in its letter has stated that the logic behind postponing the examination is very practical. According to the board, the month of March is the last month of the current financial year (2025-26). During this period, there is immense pressure on the Railways to meet operational, budget expenditure and administrative targets. Feedback was received from various zonal railways that in this busy time, it would not be possible to give leave to thousands of employees simultaneously for the examination. There was a danger of railway operations being affected due to this. Many production units and zonal headquarters had requested the Board to conduct the examination after March so that the employees can take the examination with concentration.

What is Group B LDCE quota and why is it special?
This examination is like a ‘shortcut’ to fly higher in career in Railways. This is mainly for those Group C employees who are working in pay level-6 or above posts. Those employees who have completed at least five years of regular service in their department can join. Through this 30 percent quota, eligible employees can directly reach officer rank on the basis of their ability without waiting long for seniority.

What next? The board gave important instructions
Even though the examination has been postponed, the Railway Board has made it clear that preparations should not be relaxed. The Board has instructed all the zones that the pre-selection training of the candidates should be completed on time under all circumstances. New dates can be announced any time after March. There are indications that very short notice will be given for the new dates, so candidates should continue their studies.

Candidates now have better chance
Experts believe that this postponement will benefit those railway employees who could not complete the syllabus due to duty pressure. Now they have got extra time for revision. After this news, there is a stir in zonal centers across the country including the headquarters of North Central Railway, Prayagraj. This decision of the Railways has been taken keeping in mind the ease of operations. Now everyone’s eyes are fixed on the new dates coming in April or May. CPRO Shashikant Tripathi said that the new date of examination will be released soon.