The Ministry of Railways has issued a fresh clarification on how service tenure will be counted for promotions from Group C to Group B posts. The directive, released by the Railway Board on 23 April, 2026, addresses cases involving employees who were medically de-categorised but retained within the same department.
The clarification was sent in response to a query raised by Southern Railway. It builds on earlier instructions issued in 2024, which dealt with employees moved to different departments after medical de-categorisation. In those cases, service rules had to be aligned with recruitment norms for specific Group ‘B’ roles.
However, the latest communication draws a distinction. It focuses on employees who were reassigned to alternative posts within the same department rather than being transferred elsewhere. The Board noted that both the original and reassigned roles in such cases fall under feeder categories for promotion.
Based on this, the Board has advised that service rendered in both positions should be counted together when determining eligibility for promotion. This means employees will not lose the benefit of their earlier service simply because they were moved to another role due to medical reasons.
The move is expected to bring clarity and consistency in handling promotion cases across railway zones. It also ensures that medically- affected employees are not placed at a disadvantage in career progression, as long as they continue within eligible roles in the same department.
