IRTS Exam

What is IRTS Exam?

The Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) is civil service or a competitive exam in India conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) India. The exam is held for the recruitment of Department of Indian Railways.

The Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) is an organized Group 'A' service of the Government of India. The central service is responsible for managing the Transportation Operations and Commercial wings - of the Indian Railways.

Traffic Department comprises two branches -

• Operations
• Commercial
  

Eligibility Criteria

1. Nationality:

   (a) a citizen of India, or
   (b) a subject of Nepal, or
   (c) a subject of Bhutan, or
   (d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or (e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India. Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall be a person in whose favor a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.
   

2. Educational Qualification:

   Candidates applying for the exam should have to fulfill the following requirements:

   • The candidate must hold a Bachelor's Degree from any of the recognised Universities.
   • Candidates who have appeared or to appear for the qualifying examination and are awaiting for results are also eligible to appear for the Preliminary Examination. Such candidates have to produce proof of having passed the said examination along with the application for the Main Examination.
   • Candidates with professional and technical qualifications recognised by the Government or its equivalent can also apply
   • Candidates who have passed the final year of MBBS or any Medical Examination but are yet to complete the internship can also appear for the Main Examination. However they must submit along with their Main Examination application, a certificate from the concerned the University  they have passed the final professional medical examination.

3. Age Limit :

   Candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 32 years on the 1st of August, 2015.

   The upper age limit is relaxable for the candidates belonging to the following category:

   • 5 years - SC/ST
   • 3 years - Other Backward Classes
   • 5 years if a candidate had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period from the 1st January, 1980 to the 31st December, 1989.
   • 3 years-Defence Services personnel
   • 5 years-ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on 1st August, 2015
   • 5 years in the case of ECOs/SSCOs
   • 10 years- Blind, deaf-mute and orthopedically handicapped persons

4. Number of attempts:

   The maximum number of attempts restriction is effective from the examination held in 1984. In case other eligibility conditions apply:

   • General candidates: 6 attempts.
   • Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates: No restriction.
   • Other Backward Classes: 9 attempts.
   • Physically handicapped- 9 attempts for general and OBC, while unlimited for SC/ST
     

Roles and Responsibilities

There are two main streams of Traffic Department, Operations and Commercial, where these officers are posted.

Roles

• coordinates the production and sale of transportation output
• manages the customer interface of railways

Responsibilities

• ensure smooth and fast transportation of freight and passengers
• ensure optimum utilization of assets maximizing output with least inputs
• coordinating with the service departments by looking after various assets of railways like track, wagons, engines, signals
• combines the outputs of the various departments maintaining the assets - rolling stock and fixed infrastructure to produce a service output - passenger or freight