A total of 2038 vacancies are available for Act Apprentices in Southern Railway, comprising 163 for Fresher Category and 1875 for Ex-ITI Category.

The monthly stipend for Fresher’s (X std) is Rs. 8200/-, and for Fresher’s (12th std) and Ex-ITI candidates, it is Rs. 9600/-. The stipend increases by 10% in the second year and 15% in the third year of training.

The selection process involves shortlisting candidates based on academic merit (marks in X/XII/ITI) followed by Document Verification. There is no written examination.

The processing fee is Rs. 100/-. However, SC/ST/PwBD/Women candidates are exempted from paying the application fee.

Candidates residing in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, SPSR Nellore & Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh, and Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka are eligible. Educational qualifications vary by category: X std pass for Fresher, 12th std pass with PCB for MLT trades (Fresher), and X std pass with ITI in relevant trade for Ex-ITI candidates.

For Fresher Category, the training period is 1 year 3 months for Welder and MLT trades, and 2 years for Fitter & Painter. For Ex-ITI candidates, the duration of training will be as per Apprentices Rules 1992, with rebates for prior training.

No, there is no guarantee of employment. The notification explicitly states that the apprenticeship is for training purposes only, and the contract will be terminated upon completion. However, 20% of vacancies in Level 1 direct recruitment may give preference to Course Completed Act Apprentices (CCAAs) trained in railway establishments.