Revival of Senior Scale ad-hoc promotion to Group B officers on Indian Railways upto 2028: Railway Board Order dated 27.01.2026
भारत सरकार GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
रेल मंत्रालय MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(रेलवे बोर्ड RAILWAY BOARD)
No. 2025E(GC)16-8
New Delhi, dt. 27.01.2026
The General Managers/Chief Administrative Officers/Director Generals,
All Indian Railways/Production Units/Training Institutes.
Sub: Revival of Senior Scale ad-hoc promotion to Group B officers on Indian Railways
Ref: (i) Board’s letter No. E(GP)2016/1/9 dated 11.08.2016.
(ii) Cadre restructuring orders of 08 organized services dated 09.03.2019, 10.03.2019 and 11.03.2019.
Reference above, the scheme of grant of ad-hoc promotion of Group ‘B’ officer to Senior Scale posts was advised to be discontinued beyond 31.12.2019.
2. It is now observed that over the years, vacancies in the Senior Scale have risen significantly which is adversely affecting operational and safety aspects of Indian Railways. Accordingly, the need for revival of the scheme of Senior Scale ad-hoc promotion to Group ‘B’ officers was deliberated upon in Board’s office in consultation with the concerned Department and it has been decided to temporarily restore the above scheme subject to the following conditions:-
(i) The priority for filling Senior Scale vacancies shall be as under:-
(a) Vacancies arising in Senior Scale should be filled by Group ‘A’/Junior Scale officers with 4 years of service (for regular promotion to STS) (as prescribed in Service Rules of IRMS), who are eligible for regular promotion to Senior Scale;
(b) Failing (a) above, if Junior Scale officers with a minimum of 3 years of service in Junior Scale and those who have completed the probation successfully, are available, they should be considered for officiating promotion in Senior Scale.
(c) Failing (a) & (b) above, the feasibility of filling STS vacancies on an ad-hoс basis may be examined, as a one-time basis, by considering Group ‘B’ officers who have completed six years or more of service in Level-8/Level-9.
(ii) Such ad-hoc arrangements, as in 2(i)(c) above, should be limited to a maximum period of one year at a time and subject to all other applicable conditions, including the stipulation that, upon availability of eligible JTS officers with four or three years of service, the vacancies shall be made available for their consideration.
(iii) This arrangement should not adversely impact IRMS Group ‘A’ officers.
(iv) All Railway Units may please note that any further extension of this temporary arrangement shall be reviewed in consultation with the concerned Ministry subsequently after one year by Railway Board.
(v) In any case, this arrangement should not exceed beyond 03 years (i.e. upto 2028).
This issues with the approval of the competent authority.
(Pallavi Goswami)
Director, Estt.(Gaz. Cadre)
Railway Board
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