RRB Paramedical CEN 05/2026 - Nursing Superintendent, Pharmacist & More, 590 Posts, Apply now

Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) have released Centralised Employment Notification (CEN) No. 05/2026 for 590 Paramedical posts across 9 categories — Nursing Superintendent, Pharmacist, Lab Assistant, Health & Malaria Inspector, and more. Candidates who already hold the post-specific qualification, aged 18-40 depending on the post, can apply online from 15 September 2026 to 14 October 2026, with selection through a single computer-based test, document verification, and a medical exam.

Who Should Apply

• Nursing Superintendent (365 posts) — a Registered Nurse and Midwife certificate (3-year GNM course) or B.Sc. Nursing.
• Pharmacist, Entry Grade (118 posts) — a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy or Doctor of Pharmacy, registered under the Pharmacy Act, 1948.
• Health & Malaria Inspector Grade II (43 posts) — B.Sc. with Chemistry plus a 1-year Diploma or NTC in Health/Sanitary Inspector.
• Lab Assistant Grade II (31 posts) — 12th in Science plus a Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT) or equivalent 1-year certificate course.
• Radiographer X-Ray Technician (25 posts) — 10+2 with Physics and Chemistry plus a 2-year Diploma in Radiography/X-Ray Technology.
• ECG Technician (4 posts) — 10+2 or graduation in Science plus a Certificate/Diploma/Degree in ECG Laboratory Technology (minimum 1 year).
• Optometrist (2 posts) — B.Sc. in Optometry or a 3-4 year Diploma in Ophthalmic Technician, with Council registration.
• Dialysis Technician (1 post) and Audiologist & Speech Therapist (1 post) — a B.Sc. plus Haemodialysis diploma/experience, or a BASLP degree registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India, respectively.

Eligibility & Age Limit

You must already hold the required qualification as on the closing date, 14.10.2026 — candidates awaiting a final result are explicitly not eligible to apply, unlike many other government exams. Age is reckoned as on 01.01.2027 and varies by post, from 18-33 years (Health & Malaria Inspector, ECG Technician, Optometrist, Lab Assistant) up to 20-40 years (Nursing Superintendent). Age relaxation: 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC-NCL, 10 years for PwBD-UR/EWS, 13 years for PwBD-OBC-NCL, 15 years for PwBD-SC/ST, and 3/6/8 years for Ex-servicemen (UR-EWS/OBC-NCL/SC-ST respectively, after deducting service length). Serving Group C/erstwhile Group D Railway staff with 3+ years' service get relaxation up to 40 years (43 for OBC-NCL, 45 for SC/ST), and widowed/divorced/judicially separated women (not remarried) get relaxation up to 35 years (38 for OBC-NCL, 40 for SC/ST). If eligible under more than one ground, only the single maximum relaxation applies — these aren't cumulative.

Since qualification varies widely by post with no single primary level, see the current 12th Pass, Diploma, and Any Graduate openings depending on which post fits your qualification.

Salary & Pay Scale

Pay follows the 7th CPC matrix and depends entirely on the post: Level 3 (₹21,700 initial pay) for Lab Assistant Grade II, Level 4 (₹25,500) for ECG Technician and Optometrist, Level 5 (₹29,200) for Pharmacist and Radiographer, Level 6 (₹35,400) for Dialysis Technician, Health & Malaria Inspector, and Audiologist & Speech Therapist, and Level 7 (₹44,900) for Nursing Superintendent. These are initial basic pay figures; the notification doesn't detail in-hand pay after allowances.

Important Dates

Application Fee

• General candidates: ₹500 (₹400 refunded, minus bank charges, on appearing in the CBT)
• SC, ST, Ex-servicemen, PwBD, Female, Transgender, Minorities, or Economically Backward Class (EBC): ₹250 (fully refunded, minus bank charges, on appearing in the CBT)

Fee is payable only via internet banking, debit/credit card, or UPI — no other mode is accepted. Refunds are credited only to the candidate's Aadhaar-seeded bank account. Note that EBC is a separate fee-concession category from EWS and OBC, and gets only the fee concession, not job reservation.

How to Apply

1. Visit the unified RRB website, rrb.indianrailways.gov.in, and go to the relevant individual RRB's page.
2. Create an account using a valid personal mobile number and active email ID (mandatory for OTPs) — if you already have an account from an earlier RRB CEN, use the same login.
3. Authenticate using DigiLocker or Aadhaar during account creation for smoother verification later; skipping this means stricter photo-ID scrutiny at later stages.
4. Fill the application with your chosen RRB, Railway Zone, and post preferences — you can select only one RRB, and options once exercised are final.
5. Capture a live photograph via webcam or mobile front camera as prompted (no pre-existing photo upload; wear non-white/dark clothing, no cap, mask, or glasses).
6. Upload your scanned signature and other required documents.
7. Choose your medium of examination from the available language options.
8. Submit the application and pay the fee online — your application is accepted only once fee payment is confirmed, and this must be done before 16 October 2026.
9. Use the modification window (17-26 October 2026, ₹250 per correction) if you need to fix any detail other than your account-creation data and chosen RRB.

How Are Candidates Selected

Single Stage Computer Based Test (CBT) — 90 minutes for 100 objective questions (120 minutes for PwBD/PwD candidates eligible for a scribe), covering Professional Ability (70 marks), General Awareness (10 marks), General Arithmetic/Intelligence/Reasoning (10 marks), and General Science (10 marks). There's negative marking of 1/3 mark per wrong answer. Minimum qualifying marks: 40% for UR/EWS, 30% for OBC-NCL and SC, 25% for ST (PwBD candidates get a 2-mark relaxation in case of a shortage against reserved vacancies). Shortlisting for the next stage happens RRB-wise at 1:1 of vacancies, strictly on CBT merit.

Document Verification (DV) — candidature stays provisional until this stage, where certificates for qualification, age, and category are checked.

Medical Examination — candidates must meet the medical standard prescribed for their specific post (varying from B1 to C2 depending on the role); those found medically unsuitable are not offered an alternative post.

Final empanelment is based on CBT merit, subject to DV and medical fitness — RRBs only recommend empanelled candidates, and the actual appointment offer comes from the concerned Railway Administration.

Why This Job Matters

Indian Railways runs its own network of hospitals and health units to serve railway employees and their families, and this notification staffs those facilities directly — making it one of the largest centralised paramedical hiring drives in the country this cycle. With 590 posts spanning nursing, pharmacy, diagnostics, and public health in a single CEN, it's a significant entry route for qualified paramedical professionals into stable Central Government healthcare roles, alongside the usual Railway service benefits and postings across zones.

The FreshersLike Take

Best fit: a strong option for qualified nurses, pharmacists, and paramedical diploma/degree holders who already have their qualification and council registration in hand and want a stable Central Government healthcare career. Who should think twice: unlike many other government exams, candidates awaiting their final qualification result are explicitly NOT eligible here — if your registration, degree, or diploma isn't fully in hand by 14 October 2026, you cannot apply provisionally and hope to sort it out later. Practical tip: you can select only one RRB and your Railway Zone/post preferences are final once submitted — research which RRB zone actually has vacancies for your specific post and qualification before choosing, since Annexure-B of the official notification breaks vacancies down by RRB and zone, and picking the wrong one limits your own options with no way to correct it later.

Documents Required

• Post-specific educational qualification certificate and mark sheets (e.g., GNM/B.Sc. Nursing certificate, Pharmacy degree, DMLT diploma) — must be final, not provisional or pending
• Relevant Council/Board registration certificate, where the post requires one (Pharmacy Council, Rehabilitation Council of India, Nursing Council, etc.)
• Matriculation/SSLC certificate as proof of date of birth
• Caste/category certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS/EBC), where claiming a reserved category or fee concession
• PwBD certificate, where applicable
• Ex-servicemen discharge documents, where applicable
• Scanned signature and live-captured photograph, as specified in the application

What Happens After Selection

[Check] — the notification confirms selection stages (CBT, DV, Medical Examination) and that RRBs recommend empanelled candidates for appointment by the concerned Railway Administration, but does not detail further joining formalities, training, or probation period in the excerpt available.

Important Links

Common Questions

What is the last date to apply for RRB Paramedical CEN 05/2026?

14 October 2026 (23:59 hrs) for the application, and 16 October 2026 for fee payment.

How many vacancies are there, post-wise?

590 total: 365 Nursing Superintendent, 118 Pharmacist (Entry Grade), 43 Health & Malaria Inspector Gr II, 31 Lab Assistant Gr II, 25 Radiographer X-Ray Technician, 4 ECG Technician, 2 Optometrist, 1 Dialysis Technician, and 1 Audiologist & Speech Therapist.

Can a candidate awaiting their final qualification result apply?

No. Unlike many government exams, this notification specifically states that candidates awaiting final results are not eligible — you must already hold the required qualification by the closing date.

Is there an application fee?

Yes, ₹500 for general candidates and ₹250 for SC/ST/Ex-servicemen/PwBD/Female/Transgender/Minorities/EBC candidates — most of it is refunded on appearing in the CBT.

Is the exam computer-based?

Yes, a Single Stage Computer Based Test of 100 questions with negative marking of 1/3 mark per wrong answer.

Can I apply to more than one RRB?

No. You can select only one RRB, and multiple applications to different RRBs (or the same RRB) will result in rejection of all your applications and possible debarment.

Is there a correction window if I make a mistake in my form?

Yes, from 17 to 26 October 2026, at ₹250 per correction — but your account-creation details (mobile number, email) and chosen RRB cannot be changed at any stage.

Do I need Aadhaar to apply?

Aadhaar or DigiLocker-based authentication isn't mandatory, but it's recommended for smoother verification — skipping it means your Photo ID undergoes stricter scrutiny at later stages.

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