UPSC SCRA Exam: A Brief Overview

March 29, 2023

32 4 minutes read

The Union Public Service Commission is an Indian government body that recruits all the group ‘A’ gazetted officers in the country. The Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC is among the most popular and sought-after exams in the world. However, UPSC conducts multiple other exams across diverse services from defense to diplomacy to administration.

One such exam that is less talked about is the UPSC SCRA Exam. SCRA stands for Special Class Railway Apprentice Eligibility and recruits people for being railway apprentices, across the country. Apprentices are people who enroll to learn something. Unlike the other exams conducted by UPSC, SCRA is not meant for direct recruitment. Rather, it provides training.

UPSC SCRA is the oldest engineering program running in the country. While lakhs of students sit for the exam each year, only 20 to 30 seats are available for admission. It trains undergraduate students in mechanical engineering at the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jamalpur.

Earlier the exam was stopped in 2015. However, it has been back in action since 2021 after the Ministry of Finance’s report deemed it important for the rationalization of the Indian Railways. Beyond the regular graduation program, selected students are trained in specialized skills about the functioning and mechanism of the train.

In the article here, we are going to look at everything related to it, from difficulty, training, and rewards to posting!

Table of Content

UPSC SCRA Exam: A Brief Overview

SCRA Overview

High Difficulty

UPSC SCRA is an extremely difficult exam to crack. It is difficult not because the syllabus is as vast as the UPSC CSE but because the vacancies rolled out each year are only 20 to 30. Sometimes, there might just be 10 vacancies. Hence, the competition is neck-to-neck and can be harsh at times. This is also precisely why clearing the exam will make you elated in a way you wouldn’t have imagined. Being in the top 10 engineers in the country is a thing to be joyous about, if not too proud of.

The Training

The actual significance of the exam lies in the training period. You get to study mechanical engineering at the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jamalpur. Mechanical engineering is one of the most practical-oriented and broadest disciplines out of all the branches of engineering. A mechanical engineer uses the learned principles to apply them to solve problems.

Principles of motion, energy, and force, are used by these engineers in the widest possible ways to solve the common day problems of human beings. Hence, being a mechanical engineer is a thing to be proud of. Not will you only be making a lot of money but also helping humanity.

What makes this training period all the more impressive is the location where it is being provided. The four-year course is undertaken by a selected few individuals at the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jamalpur. It is located in the Munger district of Bihar and was founded in 1888.

It is the oldest of the institutions of its kind and still carries the prestige it carried when it was inaugurated. It was reconstructed in 1924 after being broken down by an earthquake in 1921. Besides education, the institute will also be a great place for people who are in tune with nature because it has picturesque gardens all around.

The Reward

On the completion of the course, one is rewarded a graduation degree in Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering. The degree is being recognized by the higher education institute, All India Council for Technical Education.

The college has a Memorandum of Understanding with Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi for the training, which is another prestigious institute in the field. Hence, you get a reward not just after the completion of the course but also during it. The training period also comes with stipends measuring Rs. 9,100 for the first three years and then Rs. 9400 for the first six months of the last year and Rs. 9700 for the second half.

Instant Posting

Besides being paid for studying, the UPSC SCRA exam is a sure-shot way to get into the services. If you can complete the four years of graduation you will get posted as the Assistant Mechanical Engineer (AME) in the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers.

You will start by commanding a group of anywhere between 50 to 250 people. The salary you get is pretty handsome besides the added allowances offered. Being posted as a group ‘A’ officer means that it will be easier for you to move above the rung sooner than other people. Hence, one can achieve a lot of success in the field.

Caution

Though we have painted a fairly beautiful picture of the exam, there are downsides to it as well. As appealing as the post of Assistant Mechanical Engineer may seem to be, it is not easy to crack the SCRA exam. Hence, keep your options open after passing out class 12.

Moreover, mathematics in classes 11 and 12 is the prerequisite for eligibility for the exam. Also, like other famous exams in the country, the reservation policy works its way here as well. Though direct seats are not reserved for marginalized classes, age relaxation is offered on the upper age limit to a few classes.

Also, UPSC had shown disinterest in the exam in 2015 after which it was stopped from being conducted. Though it has now been regular since 2021, we do not know what the new policies of the government might have in the bag.

Conclusion

UPSC SCRA, hence, is a luxury that not everyone can afford. Only those who work hard and smart enough and have luck by their side will be able to get selected. People need to put their best foot forward to be short-listed. However, life doesn’t get all easy and happy after your recruitment. Railways is a 24 into 7 job. Hence, sometimes you might be frustrated. But the benefits the job comes with should be able to wash the frustration out.