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The Government of India on Thursday issued an order to grant a railway concession to the awardees of the Sena, Nau Sena, and Vayu Sena Medal gallantry awards. As per the order, these awardees, along with their spouses (widows/widowers until remarriage) and the parents of unmarried posthumous awardees, are entitled to complimentary lifetime travel in First Class, 2 AC, and AC Chair Car, with one companion, on Indian Railways.
In addition to this framework, several ongoing initiatives by the Government of India are focused on enhancing the welfare and integration of ex-servicemen and ex-Agniveers into civilian life, providing them with various opportunities for professional growth and development. In a significant step towards deepening institutional collaboration, Indian Railways and the Indian Army have introduced a "Framework of Cooperation" aimed at expanding post-retirement employment opportunities for Agniveers and serving Army personnel transitioning to civilian life. Spearheaded by senior leadership from the Army and the Ministry of Railways, the initiative is designed to ensure a smoother shift from military to civilian careers. It will also increase awareness about job prospects within the Railways and create a dedicated support system to assist retiring personnel, accorfing to the Ministry of Railways. This collaborative framework underscores a shared commitment to providing veterans with meaningful second-career pathways while supporting broader national development goals. Welfare and resettlement of retired armed forces personnel form an important component of Indian Railways' policy framework. To provide employment avenues for ex-servicemen and ex-Agniveers, a 10% horizontal reservation in Level-2/above posts and 20% in Level-1 posts has been provisioned for ex-servicemen. Additionally, 5% reservation in Level-2/above posts and 10% in Level-1 posts has been earmarked for ex-Agniveers. In the years 2024 and 2025, a total of 14,788 posts were reserved for ex-servicemen in railway vacancy notifications, including 6,485 posts in Level-1 and 8,303 posts in Level-2/above. Recruitment to Level-1 (erstwhile Group D) and Level-2/above posts is conducted through Railway Recruitment Centres (RRCs) and Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), respectively, via competitive examinations. To promote faster engagement of ex-servicemen and address existing vacancies, the Ministry of Railways has decided to recruit ex-servicemen as 'Pointsmen' across Indian Railways on a contract basis until regular recruitment processes are completed. More than 5,000 Level-1 posts are currently being processed at the Zonal and Divisional levels. So far, 9 Divisions have entered into MoUs with concerned Army organizations for hiring of Pointsmen. The collaborative framework also calls upon Army recruiting organizations to proactively engage with Railway Divisions to expedite the filling of these posts. Indian Railways and Indian Army share valuable skills, discipline, technical competence and leadership qualities developed during service, contributing significantly to nation building. A substantial number of soldiers retire at a comparatively young age with rich operational and managerial experience, along with strong discipline and national fervour. The cooperation between Indian Railways and Indian Army plays a vital role in logistics and personnel movement. Strategic infrastructure projects such as the Dedicated Freight Corridors and the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link have enhanced rapid deployment capabilities for troops and equipment. Skill-sharing initiatives are also being promoted through Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya. The framework promotes structured engagement of ex-servicemen and ex-Agniveers within the existing recruitment system and strengthens long-term collaboration. The initiative underscores the Government's commitment to leveraging the experience and discipline of armed forces veterans while strengthening national infrastructure and security coordination. (ANI)
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