RRB Isolated Categories Recruitment 2026 (CEN 09/2026): 191 Posts, Apply Online from 5 November

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RRB Isolated Categories Recruitment 2026: Short Details

Important Dates

RRB Isolated Categories Vacancy 2026: Post-Wise Details

The detailed CEN 09/2026 gives the following post-wise vacancies. Age is calculated as on 1 January 2027, and the Initial Pay shown is the figure printed in the official notification for each pay level.

Community-wise, the 191 vacancies work out to UR 98, OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) 41, SC 26, ST 14 and EWS 12, as per the RRB-wise vacancy table (Annexure B) of the notification. The vacancies are provisional and may increase or decrease as per the requirement of the Railway Administration.

RRB-Wise Vacancy Details

Candidates can apply to only one RRB, so check the vacancies of your RRB before applying. Chandigarh and Kolkata have the highest number of vacancies (31 each), followed by Guwahati (30) and Secunderabad (21).

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must already hold the prescribed qualification on or before the closing date of application. Candidates who are waiting for the final result of the prescribed educational qualification are not eligible to apply. The post-wise qualifications given in Annexure A of CEN 09/2026 are as follows.

Chief Law Assistant Eligibility

A University Degree in Law with 3 years’ standing practice as a Pleader at Bar. Serving Railway employees who are Law Graduates are also eligible to apply, provided they have served for at least 5 years in any branch of the Railway Administration.

Public Prosecutor Eligibility

Graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Law from a recognized University, with five years’ standing as an advocate at Bar.

Senior Publicity Inspector Eligibility

Degree from a recognized University and a Diploma in Public Relations, Advertising, Journalism or Mass Communication from a recognized institution or University. Two years’ experience in related fields is desirable.

Junior Translator (Hindi) Eligibility

(A) Master’s Degree of a recognised University or equivalent in Hindi or English, with English or Hindi as a compulsory or elective subject or as a medium of examination at Degree level; OR a Master’s Degree in any subject other than Hindi or English, with Hindi or English medium and English or Hindi as a compulsory or elective subject or as a medium of examination at Degree level; OR a Master’s Degree in any subject other than Hindi or English, with Hindi and English as compulsory or elective subjects, one as the medium of examination and the other as a compulsory or elective subject at Degree level. AND (B) A recognized Diploma or Certificate Course in translation from Hindi to English and vice-versa, OR 2 years’ experience of translation work from Hindi to English and vice-versa in Central or State Government offices, including Government of India undertakings.

Staff and Welfare Inspector Eligibility

Graduation plus any one of the following: Diploma in Labour/Social Welfare; Diploma in Labour Laws; LLB with papers in Labour Laws; PG Diploma in Personnel Management; MBA with papers in Personnel Management; MBA/HR; or PG Diploma in Human Resource Management, provided its curriculum includes relevant papers in Personnel Management and it is awarded by an institution recognized by the Government of India.

Scientific Assistant (Training) Eligibility

Essential: Master’s Degree in Psychology with 50% marks in aggregate. Desirable: specialisation in Industrial, Organisational or Clinical Psychology; experience in organising counselling or guidance programmes; and working knowledge of computers.

Lab Assistant Grade III Eligibility — the Only 12th Pass Post

12th (+2 stage) or its equivalent with Science (Physics and Chemistry) as subjects, or its equivalent. This is the only post in CEN 09/2026 for which 12th pass candidates can apply.

Age Limit (as on 1 January 2027)

The age limit is different for every post: Lab Assistant Grade III 18-30 years, Public Prosecutor 18-32 years, Senior Publicity Inspector / Junior Translator (Hindi) / Staff and Welfare Inspector 18-33 years, Scientific Assistant (Training) 18-35 years, and Chief Law Assistant 18-40 years. Relaxation in the upper age limit is given as per the rules below.

If a candidate is eligible for relaxation on more than one ground, only the maximum of those relaxations is given — relaxations are not cumulative.

Application Fee

• The fee can be paid online only — through internet banking, debit card, credit card or UPI. There is no offline payment option.
• Only candidates who actually appear in the CBT get the refund. The refund amount is credited to the candidate’s Aadhaar-seeded bank account.
• EBC means Economically Backward Class (annual family income less than Rs. 50,000). EBC is different from OBC and EWS — it gives fee concession only, not reservation.
• Applications submitted without the prescribed fee are rejected.

Salary and Pay Level

All posts are in the 7th CPC pay matrix. The detailed CEN gives the following initial pay for each level: Level 7 posts (Chief Law Assistant and Public Prosecutor) start at Rs. 44,900; Level 6 posts (Senior Publicity Inspector, Junior Translator (Hindi), Staff and Welfare Inspector and Scientific Assistant (Training)) start at Rs. 35,400; and the Level 2 post (Lab Assistant Grade III) starts at Rs. 19,900. The notification does not state any salary figure beyond the pay level and initial pay given above.

Selection Process

The selection process of CEN 09/2026 has the following stages, and selection is made strictly on merit:

• Single Stage Computer Based Test (CBT)
• Translation Test (only for Junior Translator (Hindi))
• Document Verification
• Medical Examination

CBT Exam Pattern

For all posts except Junior Translator (Hindi), the single-stage CBT will have 100 objective questions for 100 marks, to be completed in 90 minutes (120 minutes for candidates eligible for a scribe). The section-wise distribution given in the CEN is:

• Each question carries 1 mark. There is negative marking of one-third (1/3) mark for every wrong answer.
• Minimum qualifying marks in the CBT: UR 40%, EWS 40%, OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) 30%, SC 30% and ST 25%.
• The question paper will be available in English, Hindi and 13 regional Indian languages.
• Marks will be normalised if the CBT is held in multiple shifts.

Junior Translator (Hindi): CBT and Translation Test

For Junior Translator (Hindi), the single-stage CBT is designed to test the knowledge of both English and Hindi. At least 50% of the questions test language proficiency (20% English and 30% Hindi); the remaining questions cover General Knowledge, General Intelligence, Simple Arithmetic and basics of computers. After the CBT, candidates equal to 10 times the number of vacancies are called for the Translation Test. The Translation Test is only qualifying in nature, and its pass marks are 60%. The merit list for Junior Translator is prepared on the basis of CBT marks alone.

Document Verification and Medical Standards

Candidates equal to the number of vacancies are called for Document Verification, RRB-wise, on the basis of merit in the CBT (and Translation Test, where applicable) and their options. Empanelment is subject to passing the prescribed medical examination. Every post has a medical standard — C1 for Chief Law Assistant, Public Prosecutor, Senior Publicity Inspector and Staff and Welfare Inspector; C2 for Junior Translator (Hindi); and B1 for Scientific Assistant (Training) and Lab Assistant Grade III. Under the CEN, the indicative visual standards are: B1 — distant vision 6/9, 6/12 with or without glasses (power of lenses not to exceed 4D) and near vision Snellen 0.6, 0.6, along with tests for colour vision, binocular vision, night vision and mesopic vision; C1 — distant vision 6/12, 6/18 and near vision Snellen 0.6, 0.6; C2 — distant vision 6/12, NIL and near vision Snellen 0.6 combined, with or without glasses. A candidate found medically unsuitable for the opted post is not given any alternative appointment, so check the medical standard of your post in the notification before applying.

How to Apply for RRB Isolated Categories Recruitment 2026

1. Read the detailed CEN No. 09/2026 carefully on the unified official RRB website, rrb.indianrailways.gov.in.
2. Go to the application portal rrbapply.gov.in. If you created an account for any earlier RRB CEN (2024, 2025 or 2026), log in with the same account. If you are new, click on Create an Account and register with your personal mobile number and email ID. Account details, including mobile number and email ID, cannot be changed later, so enter them carefully.
3. Authenticate your identity using Aadhaar or DigiLocker during account creation. RRBs advise this for smoother processing at later stages.
4. Open the CEN 09/2026 application, choose only ONE RRB, and give your post and Railway Zone/Production Unit preferences in order.
5. Fill in your personal, educational and category details, capture your live photograph when prompted (the system captures a live photo through webcam or phone camera against a plain white background — a pre-uploaded photograph is not accepted), and upload your scanned signature in JPG/JPEG format, written in running handwriting.
6. Pay the application fee online through internet banking, debit card, credit card or UPI.
7. Submit the application on or before 4 December 2026 (11:59 PM) and download or print a copy for future reference. If you submit by 4 December, the fee can still be paid up to 6 December 2026 (11:59 PM).
8. If you need to correct the submitted form, use the modification window from 7 December 2026 to 16 December 2026 by paying a non-refundable modification fee of Rs. 250 per occasion. Details of the Create an Account form and the chosen RRB cannot be modified.

Important Links

Related Railway Recruitment Updates

• RRB NTPC Graduate Recruitment 2026: 3,548 Posts, Apply Online
• RRB NTPC UG Result 2026 Declared: Check Scorecard and CBTST Date
• RRB Junior Engineer Recruitment 2026: Vacancy, Eligibility and Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions

How many vacancies are there in RRB CEN 09/2026 — 195 or 191?

The detailed CEN No. 09/2026 lists a total of 191 vacancies. The figure of 195 was the tentative number given in the earlier indicative (short) notice published in Employment News on 24 October 2026. The final post-wise split in the detailed notification adds up to 191, so 191 is the correct figure to rely on.

What is the last date to apply for RRB Isolated Categories Recruitment 2026?

The last date to submit the online application is 4 December 2026, up to 11:59 PM. Candidates who submit the form by this date can pay the application fee up to 6 December 2026 (11:59 PM). Applications opened on 5 November 2026 at rrbapply.gov.in.

What is the application fee for CEN 09/2026, and how much is refunded?

The fee is Rs. 500 for all candidates except those in the concessional list. Out of this, Rs. 400 is refunded (after bank charges) when the candidate appears in the CBT. Candidates belonging to SC, ST, Ex-Servicemen, PwBD, Female, Transgender, Minorities or Economically Backward Class (EBC) pay Rs. 250, which is fully refunded (after bank charges) on appearing in the CBT. The refund is credited to the candidate’s Aadhaar-seeded bank account.

Can I apply to more than one RRB under CEN 09/2026?

No. A candidate can apply to only one RRB and can give post and zone preferences only within that chosen RRB. Submitting applications to more than one RRB, or more than one application against this CEN, leads to rejection of all the applications and debarment from all future RRB and RRC examinations.

What is the age limit for RRB Isolated Categories posts?

The age limit is different for each post and is calculated as on 1 January 2027: Lab Assistant Grade III — 18 to 30 years; Public Prosecutor — 18 to 32 years; Senior Publicity Inspector, Junior Translator (Hindi) and Staff and Welfare Inspector — 18 to 33 years; Scientific Assistant (Training) — 18 to 35 years; Chief Law Assistant — 18 to 40 years. Age relaxation applies for reserved categories as per the CEN.

What is the CBT pattern and negative marking for CEN 09/2026?

For all posts except Junior Translator (Hindi), the single-stage CBT has 100 questions for 100 marks in 90 minutes: Professional Ability 50 questions, General Awareness 15, General Intelligence and Reasoning 15, Mathematics 10 and General Science 10. There is negative marking of one-third mark for every wrong answer. The minimum qualifying marks are 40% for UR and EWS, and 30% for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) and SC, and 25% for ST candidates.

How many vacancies are there for Junior Translator (Hindi), and is there a translation test?

Junior Translator (Hindi) has 79 vacancies, the highest of any post in CEN 09/2026. After the single-stage CBT, candidates equal to 10 times the number of vacancies are called for a Translation Test. The Translation Test is qualifying in nature with 60% pass marks, and the final merit list is prepared from CBT marks alone.

Is there a correction window for the CEN 09/2026 application form?

Yes. The modification window runs from 7 December 2026 to 16 December 2026. Corrections can be made by paying a non-refundable modification fee of Rs. 250 for each occasion. However, the details filled in the ‘Create an Account’ form and the chosen RRB cannot be modified.

Written by Ravi Singh

Ravi Singh is the Editor (Government Jobs) at New Sarkari Results, an independent information portal for Sarkari Result, Sarkari Naukri, admit card, answer key, syllabus and admission updates. He has 10+ years of experience covering Government Jobs, Railway Jobs, SSC, Banking, Teaching, Police, Defence and state recruitment boards. Every update on this site is verified directly from the official notification PDF issued by the commission or board — never from third-party aggregators.