With online exams, Railways has replaced 310 crore A4 sheets, helped save 4 lakh trees
Railways has saved about 310 crore A4 size sheets by going online
By taking the recruitment process online, the Railways is estimated to have saved 310 crore A4 paper sheets, or the equivalent of 4 lakh trees, in yet another step towards its commitment for a greener tomorrow.
The national transporter has replaced almost all its bulky and multi-lingual question booklets with online tests for its recruitment process for various positions, ranging from assistant loco pilot to technician, trackman, gateman and pointsman.
Till now, over 2.37 crore have applied for the 88,000 posts vacant in Railways.
“There are 62,000 posts involving track inspection crews and others related to improving safety, while more than 26,000 posts relate to engine drivers and technicians; for these, more than two crore people have applied,” a senior official involved with the recruitment process told IANS.
The examination will be conducted online at about 300 centres, for which the Railways is working on the details.
“Replacement of paper applications, duplicate OMR sheets and bulky multilingual question booklets with online applications and computer-based tests for written as well as aptitude/psycho test has made a significant contribution towards the betterment of the environment,” it said in a release.
According to officials, one applicant generally requires three-four paper sheets of A4 size to write the examination. With the exercise going online, Railways has helped save over 4 lakh trees over the last four examinations alone.
“Railways has saved about 310 crore A4 size sheets, which means a saving of about 4 lakh trees from cutting, in last four examinations alone,” the release said.
Apart from environmental factors, the online process will help save time and resources, while bringing transparency in the recruitment process.
Meanwhile, a fee of Rs 500 and Rs 250 has been kept to deter absentees. For general candidates, the examination fee is Rs 500, of which Rs 400 will be returned to the candidate after he or she appears in the examination.
As for SC/ST, women and physically challenged applicants, a fee of Rs 250 will be applicable. The entire amount will be returned to candidates after appearing in the exam. Overall, Railways expects 5-10 percent applicants to remain absent.
The Indian Railways, which already employes 1.3 million people, has also made adequate arrangements to ensure that its website does not crash while the recruitment drive is underway.
