INDIAN RAILWAY PERSONNEL SERVICE (IRPS)
The Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) was formed in the year 1981 under the cadre controlling authority of Ministry of Railways with a cadre size of 275 posts. The source of recruitment (in percentage) is by direct recruitment 50% and by promotion 50% with no lateral entries.

Service hierarchy:

Grade	Pay scales	Designation in field	Designation in headquarters	Any other designation
Junior time scale	8000-13500	Assistant personnel officer
Selection time scale sr. scale	10000-15200	Divisional personnel officer	Senior personnel officer
Junior administrative grade	12000-16500	Sr. Divisional personnel officer Sr. Divisional personnel officer	Deputy chief personnel officer Deputy chief personnel officer
Selection grade	14300-18300
Senior administrative grade	18400-500-22400	Chief personnel officer	Executive director
Higher administrative grade	22400-525-24500	Coordinating chief personnel officer	Additional member
Higher grade	26000 (fixed)		Member staff

Brief write up on the service outlining the main functions etc. including areas where interaction and coordination with other services is essential:
Indian railway is the largest employer in India and second largest in the world. To look after the personal functions of this massive workforce of 15 lakh employees, in 1981 this specialised service was created. It is a unique service a sit is the only service catering exclusively to personnel management discipline in government. The present cadre size is 375 and the source of recruitment is 50% through direct recruitment and 50% by promotion. At the time of creation of the service, a lateral entry from other services was allowed and officers opting for this service were absorbed. The senior most positions of this service are presently manned by the officers who have been absorbed from other Group A services of the Indian Railways.

IRPS officers man the personnel department at Ministry, Zonal railway and divisional levels including the railway production units and workshops. While other services in the railway are concerned with the operational or material problems, the Personnel Service handles the human resource aspect. Importance of the service lies in looking at the problem not only from the government’s point of view but paying attention to the job oriented professional as well as personal needs of the employees as the effectiveness and efficiency of the administration mainly depends on the nature of personnel it has.

The main functions and responsibility of Personnel Officers in the railway is to arrange recruitment, training of staff, promotion, demotion, transfers, disciplinary actions, retirement, settlement, selection etc. The personnel branch actually deals with the employee from the day he joins the service or even before which is not over even on his retirement.

Railways have the most powerful and influential union network with its close links with the political system at the national level in the country and handling these union so that the smooth operation of transportation is not affected is the responsibility of personnel officers. Negotiations and grievance handling at all levels form part of the job description.

Dealing with provisions of various laws and acts such as Industrial dispute Act, Factory Act, Workman Compensation Act, Payment of Wages, Minimum Wages and their implementation in the railways is another responsibility. The interpretation of rules and orders is also done in this branch.

All matters concerning the welfare of the staff such as provision of residential accommodation, canteens, holiday homes, consumer societies, schools, clubs, institutes, hospitals etc. also comes within its purview. Railway is one of the model employers with a large number of welfare measures being implemented to look after the staff and their families. Personnel officer is also the welfare officer in the railways.

Being responsible for the service, as well as personal issues of the employees, the personnel department works in close coordination with all other departments in the railways by functioning as consultant and adviser.

In a nutshell, most effective and efficient utilization of the vast human resource that railway have is entrusted to this department.

Note: In addition to having vertical promotion in their own department, the officers of all the services are eligible for the ex-cadre post of Additional division railway manager, Division railway manager and Sr. EDPM at divisional level. A large number of posts at zonal and railway board level including the GM and Additional GM and Secretary etc. No service gets preference for being considered for these ex-cadre posts and inter se seniority is decided on the basis of batch the officers belong to.