Modi Government Creates 91,000 Additional Railway Jobs in Comparison to UPA Over 10 Years

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav highlighted that during the UPA government’s tenure (2004-2014), 4.11 lakh jobs were created, which is fewer compared to the current government. This information was provided in response to questions from MP Fauzia Khan of the Sharad Pawar faction. Regarding job creation, Ashwini Vaishnav mentioned that between August 2022 and October 2022, over 1.1 crore candidates appeared for the RRB exams, out of which 1,30,581 candidates were recruited by the railways.

The minister assured that there were no instances of paper leakage or similar issues during this process, and most of the recruits filled safety-related positions. On the safety front, the Union Minister pointed out that consequential accidents have reduced from 118 in 2013-14 to 40 in 2023-24. In response to another query, the Railway Ministry reported 1,711 consequential accidents from 2004-2014, resulting in 904 deaths, and during the NDA’s 10 years, there were 678 accidents causing 748 fatalities.

Although the number of accidents has decreased by 60 percent, the reduction in fatalities was only 17 percent. The Railway Ministry emphasized that safety continues to be a top priority, with the expenditure on safety measures increasing from Rs 87,736 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 1,08,795 crore in 2024-25. As of now, over 9,572 coaches have been equipped with CCTV.

Furthermore, Indian Railways has experimented with two baby berths attached to two lower berths in a Lucknow Mail coach to facilitate travel for mothers with babies. Initial feedback from passengers was positive, although limited luggage space under the seat has led to some inconvenience.