The Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), under the Ministry of Railways, have released the detailed Centralised Employment Notification (CEN) No. 09/2026 for the recruitment of Ministerial and Isolated Categories posts in Indian Railways. A total of 191 vacancies will be filled across seven specialised posts, including Junior Translator (Hindi), Chief Law Assistant, Public Prosecutor, Staff and Welfare Inspector, Senior Publicity Inspector, Scientific Assistant (Training) and Lab Assistant Grade III (Chemist & Metallurgist).
The indicative notice was published on 24 October 2026 with about 195 vacancies, and the detailed CEN released on 5 November 2026 confirms the final vacancy count of 191. Online applications are open from 5 November to 4 December 2026 (11:59 PM) on the central RRB application portal rrbapply.gov.in. A candidate can apply to only one RRB.
This article covers the complete details of the RRB Ministerial and Isolated Categories Recruitment 2026 — important dates, post-wise vacancy details, eligibility, age limit, application fee, selection process and the step-by-step application procedure — all taken from the official notification.
Recruitment Overview
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Recruiting Body | Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), Ministry of Railways, Government of India |
| Recruitment Name | RRB Ministerial and Isolated Categories Recruitment 2026 |
| Notification No. | Centralised Employment Notification (CEN) No. 09/2026 |
| Post Names | Chief Law Assistant, Public Prosecutor, Senior Publicity Inspector, Junior Translator (Hindi), Staff and Welfare Inspector, Scientific Assistant (Training), Lab Assistant Grade III |
| Total Vacancies | 191 (provisional) |
| Pay Levels | Level 2, Level 6 and Level 7 of the 7th Central Pay Commission |
| Application Mode | Online only (rrbapply.gov.in) |
| Job Location | Railway zones and production units across India |
| Official Website | https://rrb.indianrailways.gov.in/ |
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Indicative Notice in Employment News | 24 October 2026 |
| Detailed CEN Released | 5 November 2026 |
| Online Application Starts | 5 November 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 4 December 2026 (11:59 PM) |
| Last Date for Fee Payment | 6 December 2026 (11:59 PM) |
| Application Modification Window | 7 to 16 December 2026 |
| Age Counted As On | 1 January 2027 |
| CBT / Translation Test / DV Dates | To be announced on the RRB websites |
Vacancy Details
A total of 191 provisional vacancies are notified across seven posts. Junior Translator (Hindi) has the highest number of vacancies with 79 posts, followed by Lab Assistant Grade III with 36 posts.
| Cat. No. | Post Name | Department | Pay Level | Initial Pay | Medical Standard | Age (as on 01.01.2027) | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chief Law Assistant | Personnel | 7 | ₹44,900 | C1 | 18–40 years | 17 |
| 2 | Public Prosecutor | Personnel | 7 | ₹44,900 | C1 | 18–32 years | 21 |
| 3 | Senior Publicity Inspector | Commercial | 6 | ₹35,400 | C1 | 18–33 years | 8 |
| 4 | Junior Translator (Hindi) | Personnel | 6 | ₹35,400 | C2 | 18–33 years | 79 |
| 5 | Staff and Welfare Inspector | Personnel | 6 | ₹35,400 | C1 | 18–33 years | 27 |
| 6 | Scientific Assistant (Training) | RDSO | 6 | ₹35,400 | B1 | 18–35 years | 3 |
| 7 | Lab Assistant Grade III (Chemist & Metallurgist) | Mechanical (CMT) | 2 | ₹19,900 | B1 | 18–30 years | 36 |
| Total | 191 |
Category-wise, the 191 vacancies are divided as: UR — 98, SC — 26, ST — 14, OBC-NCL — 41 and EWS — 12. Out of these, 11 vacancies are for ex-servicemen and 17 for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (10 VI and 7 LD).
RRB-wise vacancies: Kolkata 31, Chandigarh 31, Guwahati 30, Secunderabad 21, Gorakhpur 15, Mumbai 12, Chennai 11, Jammu-Srinagar 8, Siliguri 8, Prayagraj 7, Bhubaneswar 6, Bengaluru 4, Bhopal 3, Ajmer 2, Bilaspur 1, Patna 1.
Salary (Pay Scale)
| Pay Level | Posts | Pay Scale (7th CPC) |
|---|---|---|
| Level 7 | Chief Law Assistant, Public Prosecutor | ₹44,900 – ₹1,42,400 |
| Level 6 | Senior Publicity Inspector, Junior Translator (Hindi), Staff and Welfare Inspector, Scientific Assistant (Training) | ₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400 |
| Level 2 | Lab Assistant Grade III (Chemist & Metallurgist) | ₹19,900 – ₹63,200 |
Allowances are extra as per railway rules.
Educational Qualification (Eligibility)
- Chief Law Assistant: Law degree with 3 years of standing practice as a Pleader at the Bar. Serving railway employees who are law graduates with 5 years of service are also eligible.
- Public Prosecutor: Bachelor's Degree in Law with 5 years of standing as an advocate at the Bar.
- Senior Publicity Inspector: Degree plus a Diploma in Public Relations / Advertising / Journalism / Mass Communication. Two years of experience is desirable.
- Junior Translator (Hindi): Master's Degree in Hindi or English (with the other language at degree level), or a Master's Degree in any subject with the required Hindi/English combination at degree level, AND a diploma or certificate in Hindi–English translation, or 2 years of translation experience in a Government office or PSU.
- Staff and Welfare Inspector: Graduation plus a Diploma in Labour / Social Welfare, or a Diploma in Labour Laws, or LLB with Labour Laws, or a PG Diploma in Personnel Management, or MBA (Personnel Management / HR), or a PG Diploma in HRM.
- Scientific Assistant (Training): Master's Degree in Psychology with 50% marks. Specialisation in Industrial / Organisational / Clinical Psychology, counselling experience and computer knowledge are desirable.
- Lab Assistant Grade III (Chemist & Metallurgist): 12th pass with Physics and Chemistry.
Candidates must have the full qualification by the last date of application. Those waiting for their final results should not apply.
Age Limit
Age is counted as on 1 January 2027. The post-wise age limits are: Chief Law Assistant — 18 to 40 years, Public Prosecutor — 18 to 32 years, Senior Publicity Inspector — 18 to 33 years, Junior Translator (Hindi) — 18 to 33 years, Staff and Welfare Inspector — 18 to 33 years, Scientific Assistant (Training) — 18 to 35 years, and Lab Assistant Grade III — 18 to 30 years.
Relaxation in the upper age limit is available as per the notification: SC/ST — 5 years, OBC-NCL — 3 years, PwBD — 10 years (UR/EWS), 13 years (OBC) and 15 years (SC/ST), Ex-servicemen — 3/6/8 years after deducting the length of service, serving railway Group C and erstwhile Group D staff with 3 years of service — up to 40 years (UR/EWS), 43 years (OBC) and 45 years (SC/ST), and widowed, divorced or judicially separated women (not remarried) — up to 35 years (UR/EWS), 38 years (OBC) and 40 years (SC/ST).
Application Fee
| Category | Fee | Refund on Appearing in CBT |
|---|---|---|
| All candidates (except the categories below) | ₹500 | ₹400 (minus bank charges) |
| SC, ST, Ex-servicemen, PwBD, Female, Transgender, Minorities, EBC | ₹250 | ₹250 (minus bank charges) |
The fee is paid online only, through net banking, debit/credit card or UPI. The refund is credited to the candidate's Aadhaar-seeded bank account after appearing in the CBT. EBC here means a family income below ₹50,000 a year and is different from OBC or EWS.
Selection Process
Selection for the RRB Ministerial and Isolated Categories Recruitment 2026 is made through the following stages:
1. Single Stage Computer Based Test (CBT) — 100 objective-type questions for 100 marks in 90 minutes (120 minutes for scribe-eligible candidates). For all posts except Junior Translator (Hindi), the CBT covers Professional Ability (50 questions), General Awareness (15), General Intelligence and Reasoning (15), Mathematics (10) and General Science (10). For Junior Translator (Hindi), at least 50% of the questions test language (20% English and 30% Hindi), and the rest cover General Knowledge, General Intelligence, Simple Arithmetic and basic computer knowledge. There is negative marking of 1/3 mark for each wrong answer. Minimum qualifying marks are: UR and EWS — 40%, OBC-NCL and SC — 30%, ST — 25% (relaxable by 2 marks for PwBD candidates in case of shortage). 2. Translation Test (Junior Translator / Hindi only) — A qualifying test with 60% pass marks. Candidates equal to 10 times the vacancies are called on the basis of CBT merit. 3. Document Verification (DV) — Candidates equal to the number of vacancies are called on the basis of merit and options. 4. Medical Examination — As per the medical standard prescribed for the post (C1, C2 or B1).
The RRBs may hold an additional CBT if needed. If two candidates get equal marks, the older candidate is ranked higher.
How to Apply
1. Visit the official RRB application portal www.rrbapply.gov.in. 2. Create an account using a valid mobile number and email ID. If you already have an account from an earlier RRB CEN, use the same login. Authenticate your identity using Aadhaar or DigiLocker — candidates using other photo IDs will face stricter scrutiny at every stage. 3. Choose only one RRB and fill in your post and zone preferences in order. The chosen RRB cannot be changed later. 4. Fill in your details, capture your live photo and upload the required documents. 5. Pay the fee online by 6 December 2026. 6. Submit the application before 11:59 PM on 4 December 2026 and keep a copy of the submitted form. Submitting more than one application will lead to rejection of all applications.
Note: Details filled in the "Create an Account" form and the chosen RRB cannot be changed in the modification window (7 to 16 December 2026).
Important Links
| Description | Link |
|---|---|
| Apply Online | https://www.rrbapply.gov.in/ |
| Detailed CEN No. 09/2026 PDF | Available on https://www.rrbapply.gov.in/ |
| Official RRB Website | https://rrb.indianrailways.gov.in/ |
FAQs
Q1. How many vacancies are there in the RRB Ministerial and Isolated Categories Recruitment 2026? A total of 191 vacancies are notified under CEN No. 09/2026 across seven posts.
Q2. What is the last date to apply for RRB CEN 09/2026? The last date to apply online is 4 December 2026 (11:59 PM). The fee can be paid until 6 December 2026.
Q3. Which post has the most vacancies in RRB CEN 09/2026? Junior Translator (Hindi) has the highest number of vacancies with 79 posts, followed by Lab Assistant Grade III with 36 posts.
Q4. What is the application fee for RRB CEN 09/2026? ₹500 for general candidates and ₹250 for SC, ST, Ex-servicemen, PwBD, female, transgender, minority and EBC candidates. The fee is refunded (₹400 or ₹250, minus bank charges) on appearing in the CBT.
Q5. What is the selection process for RRB Isolated Categories 2026? Selection is through a single-stage CBT, followed by a Translation Test (for Junior Translator / Hindi only), Document Verification and Medical Examination.
Q6. Is there negative marking in the RRB CEN 09/2026 CBT? Yes. 1/3 mark is deducted for each wrong answer in the CBT.
Q7. Can I apply to more than one RRB under CEN 09/2026? No. A candidate can apply to only one RRB, and submitting more than one application will lead to rejection of all applications.
Q8. What is the age limit for RRB Isolated Categories posts? The age limit is post-wise, from 18 to 30 years (Lab Assistant) up to 18 to 40 years (Chief Law Assistant), counted as on 1 January 2027, with relaxation for reserved categories as per the notification.