CHENNAI: A large section of promotee officers in Indian Railways are facing prolonged career stagnation, with some officers waiting 16-17 years for induction into Group A services. Several cadres are stuck in delayed promotion cycles, and some posts effectively falling under ‘deemed abolition’, according to discussions at the Executive Committee Meeting of the Indian Railways Promotee Officers Federation (IRPOF) in Chennai.
The federation, which represents promotee Group B officers across railway zones and production units, said disparities in promotions, pay structure and career progression between direct recruit Group A officers and promotee officers have persisted for years despite repeated representations before the Railway Board.
According to IRPOF, officers in 5 of the 8 organised railway services face severe stagnation, with induction into Group A taking up to 16-17 years in some departments, while officers in certain other services reportedly get inducted within 7-8 years. “We enter Group B after years of service in Group C roles and departmental examinations, but continue to face slower career progression and lower entry pay,” said Amit Jain, secretary general, IRPOF. “Cadre restructuring promised around 2016 has not been implemented for several promotee cadres.”
The federation also claimed that there are over 1,000 vacancies in Group A, and around 600 promotee officers with more than 10 years of Group B service could be inducted through Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) procedures: the formal process through which promotions are cleared in government services. Promotion delays and cadre-related disparities formed a major focus of discussions at the federation’s executive meeting, where representatives from different railway zones reviewed department-wise promotion status and pending DPCs.
IRPOF said that the Railway Board had recently restored Senior Scale promotions for promotee officers after six years in Group B service, a move expected to benefit around 900 officers, particularly in stagnated departments, following nearly four years of representations. However, the federation said broader structural issues remain unresolved.
Among the demands raised before Railway Board officials and the 8th Central Pay Commission are a ‘One Time Special DPC’ for stagnated departments, additional Senior Scale and Junior Administrative Grade (JAG) posts, time-bound career progression, and parity in pay progression with direct recruits. A department-wise review presented at the meeting showed sharp disparities in promotion movement across railway services.
While organised Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) streams such as Civil, Personnel, Stores, Mechanical, Electrical and Accounts have largely completed DPC processes up to 2025, delays continue in Traffic – Commercial and Signal – Telecom (S-T) services due to pending seniority and administrative issues.
The federation said that the situation was more severe in several miscellaneous cadres, where promotions were processed only when vacancies arise instead of through annual DPC cycles. One of the sharpest examples cited was the Education Department, where the last DPC for principal-level Group A and Senior Scale posts was held in 1982.
IRPOF also flagged shrinking and stagnant cadres across departments. It described Printing – Stationery as a ‘dying cadre’ with no existing Group B officers, while vacant posts in the EDP and CMT cadres have reportedly fallen under ‘deemed abolition’, with restructuring proposals still pending before authorities.
In other departments such as Physiotherapy and Psycho-tech, restructuring delays and lack of vacancies have further slowed promotion movement, with the next Psycho-tech DPC reportedly due only in 2031.
The federation said it has submitted representations and memorandums on these issues to the Railway Board and the 8th Central Pay Commission.