RRB NTPC CBT 1 Result 2021 Row: Railways Ministry issues fresh clarification, says result as per exam notification

In view of the ongoing controversy and protest over RRB NTPC CBT 1 result, the Ministry of Railways on January 18 has issued a fresh clarification. After RRB NTPC CBT 1 result was announced on January 14, several students have raised concerns over the process of shortlisting candidates for the second stage CBT of RRB NTPC exam. A day after the result was announced, the Railways had clarified that the procedure for shortlisting candidates for the second stage CBT had been given already in the exam notification (released on February 28, 2019).

Again, the Ministry of Railways has come up with a fresh clarification under various segments addressing the concerns of students.

Addressing the concern raised by students on level-wise and post-wise result declaration, the Ministry of Railways said that the procedure for shortlisting candidates has been done as per the notification wherein 13 categories were advertised for graduate and undergraduate posts. These thirteen categories were segregated into five groups based on 7th CPC pay-scale levels (viz., Levels 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6). Every candidate was free to opt for all or any of these thirteen categories subject to conditions of eligibility. The result has been announced strictly as per the provision laid down in notification.

Candidates have also raised concern that shortlisting should be done for seven lakh candidates, not seven lakh roll numbers. One candidate has been selected for multiple categories. The Railways said, “Nowhere was it mentioned that seven lakh distinct candidates will get shortlisted for second stage CBT. Since a second stage consists of CBT of five different levels and a candidate can be shortlisted for more than one level as per eligibility, merit and option, the lists of seven lakh roll numbers will have some names appearing on more than one list. Since each level will have separate second stage CBT with graded difficultly, a candidate who has been shortlisted for the higher-level post cannot be debarred from appearing in CBT of lower-level if the candidate is otherwise coming in merit.”

To the concern expressed over RRBs have shortlisted candidates only four to five times of notified vacancies and CBT 1 is the qualifying exam, the Railway Ministry said, “The shortlisting has been done level/post wise at the rate of 20 times notified vacancies. The lists contain about seven lakh roll numbers, which are 20 times notified vacancies of about 35,000.”

Check the notice issued by Ministry of Railways-https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1790672

“While the first stage CBT was a common examination for all the candidates and the notification clearly states that in the second stage CBT there would be a separate examination for each group (viz., Levels 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) with different graded levels of difficulty. Accordingly, all posts falling within the same level shall have a common second stage CBT. Therefore, if a candidate is eligible and has opted for more than one level (as per educational qualification), he/she will have to appear in the corresponding second stage CBT for each level since the standard (difficulty level) for each group of posts will be different,” the Railway Ministry further added.

Candidates have also raised that ten candidates used to fight for one post and now one will fight for 10 posts. To this, Railways said that about 35,000 candidates will be selected and one candidate will be appointed against only one post depending upon merit and preference and no post will remain vacant.

Addressing the concern of higher cutoff marks, Railways have said that the cutoffs have been prepared on the basis of normalized marks that are normally higher than raw scores. Also, cut-off depends upon the number of vacancies notified of that level/post. Since about 10,500 vacancies have been notified for 10+2 candidates across 21 RRBs as against about 35,000 where graduate candidates are eligible, cut-offs for 10+2 have been higher than graduate candidates based on normalized scores.

Candidates have also raised that graduate candidates are getting the undue benefit of becoming eligible for both graduate and 10+2 level posts. Had there been different notifications for graduate and 10+2 level posts as it used to be done earlier, they would have to succeed in two different exams. Regarding this Railway said, “The integration of recruitments for Graduate and 10+2 level posts have been done to save time and energy. In addition, standards of CBT 1 have been kept at the Class 12 level so as to not to put a disadvantage on Class 12 level students. It is only in CBT 2 that standards will be different across levels.”

Read More:

• Over 7 lakh candidates qualify RRB NTPC 2021 CBT 1 exam; RRBs issues clarification against result

• RRB NTPC 2021 result & cutoff for CBT 1 declared