The Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) have issued the full notification for RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026 under Centralized Employment Notification (CEN) No. 05/2026. Released on 14 September 2026, this detailed notice pushes the vacancy figure up to 590 posts spread across nine paramedical disciplines, higher than the 560-post estimate given in the initial short notice of 8 September 2026. Registration for interested candidates runs from 15 September 2026 through 14 October 2026.
Nine categories fall under this RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026 exercise: Nursing Superintendent, Pharmacist (Entry Grade), Health and Malaria Inspector Grade II, Lab Assistant Grade II, Radiographer/X-Ray Technician, ECG Technician, Dialysis Technician, Optometrist, and Audiologist and Speech Therapist. All are permanent Group C positions within the Ministry of Railways, drawing pay between Level 3 and Level 7 of the 7th Pay Commission matrix.
RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026 Overview
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Recruiting Body | Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), Ministry of Railways |
| Advertisement Number | CEN 05/2026 |
| Total Vacancies | 590 (provisional) |
| Post Categories | 9 paramedical posts |
| Application Mode | Online only |
| Official Application Website | rrbapply.gov.in |
| Official RRB Website | rrb.indianrailways.gov.in |
| Selection Process | Single-stage CBT, Document Verification, Medical Examination |
RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026 Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Short Notice Issued | 8 September 2026 |
| Detailed Notification Issued | 14 September 2026 |
| Registration Begins | 15 September 2026 |
| Registration Closes | 14 October 2026 (23:59 hrs) |
| Fee Payment Deadline | 16 October 2026 |
| Correction Window | 17 October 2026 to 26 October 2026 |
| CBT Exam Date | Not announced yet |
Registration for RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026 is live as of now. Candidates are better off finishing their forms a few days ahead of the 14 October cut-off rather than waiting until the final hours, when portal traffic tends to peak.
RRB Paramedical Vacancy 2026 Details
Nursing Superintendent accounts for the biggest chunk of the 590 seats at 365, and Pharmacist (Entry Grade) comes next with 118. A full RRB-wise and zone-wise split appears in Annexure B of the notification.
| Post Name | Vacancies | Pay Level |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing Superintendent | 365 | Level 7 |
| Pharmacist (Entry Grade) | 118 | Level 5 |
| Health and Malaria Inspector Grade II | 43 | Level 6 |
| Lab Assistant Grade II | 31 | Level 3 |
| Radiographer/X-Ray Technician | 25 | Level 5 |
| ECG Technician | 4 | Level 4 |
| Optometrist | 2 | Level 4 |
| Dialysis Technician | 1 | Level 6 |
| Audiologist and Speech Therapist | 1 | Level 6 |
| Total | 590 |
These numbers carry a provisional tag, meaning the railway administration retains the right to adjust them before the final merit and selection stage.
RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Educational Qualification
Qualification norms are not uniform across posts, so candidates need to line up their own certificate against the exact post they intend to apply for.
| Post | Required Qualification |
|---|---|
| Nursing Superintendent | 3-year GNM course with a Registered Nurse and Midwife certificate (Indian Nursing Council recognized), or B.Sc. Nursing |
| Pharmacist (Entry Grade) | Bachelor’s degree in pharmacy or Pharm.D., with registration under the Pharmacy Act, 1948 |
| Health and Malaria Inspector Grade II | B.Sc. with chemistry as a main or optional subject, plus a 1-year Diploma in Health/Sanitary Inspector, or a 1-year NTC in the same field |
| Lab Assistant Grade II | 12th standard (Science stream) with a diploma in medical laboratory technology of at least one year, full-time |
| Radiographer/X-Ray Technician | 10+2 with Physics and Chemistry, plus a 2-year Diploma in Radiography or X-Ray Technology |
| ECG Technician | 10+2 or a science graduation along with a certificate/diploma/degree in ECG laboratory technology or cardiology, minimum one-year duration |
| Optometrist | B.Sc. in Optometry, or a 3- to 4-year Diploma in Ophthalmic Technician with registration under the relevant council or licensing body |
| Dialysis Technician | B.Sc. plus a diploma in hemodialysis, or two years of hands-on training or work experience in hemodialysis |
| Audiologist and Speech Therapist | Bachelor in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology (BASLP), registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India |
The qualifying certificate needs to be in hand by 14 October 2026, the closing date. Anyone still awaiting a final result in the relevant course should hold off applying until the qualification is actually completed.
Age Limit
Age is worked out with reference to 1 January 2027, and the permissible band shifts from post to post—Nursing Superintendent sits at 20 to 40 years, and Pharmacist (Entry Grade) at 20 to 35 years, while Health and Malaria Inspector Grade II, ECG Technician, Optometrist, and Lab Assistant Grade II fall between 18 and 33 years.
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 3 years |
| Ex-Servicemen | 3 years (UR/EWS), 6 years (OBC-NCL), 8 years (SC/ST), counted after subtracting years of military service |
| PwBD | 10 years (UR/EWS), 13 years (OBC-NCL), 15 years (SC/ST) |
| Serving Group C/erstwhile Group D railway staff (3+ years’ service) | Up to 40 years (UR/EWS), 43 years (OBC-NCL), 45 years (SC/ST) |
| Widowed, divorced, or judicially separated women (not remarried) | Up to 35 years (UR/EWS), 38 years (OBC-NCL), 40 years (SC/ST) |
Only one relaxation applies per candidate—whichever is highest for their category—rather than adding several together.
RRB Paramedical Application Fee 2026
| Category | Fee | Refund After CBT |
|---|---|---|
| UR/OBC/EWS | ₹500 | ₹400 refunded |
| SC/ST/Ex-Servicemen/PwBD/Female/Transgender/Minorities/EBC | ₹250 | ₹250 refunded (full) |
Payment goes through online channels only—net banking, debit or credit card, or UPI. A form submitted without the required fee gets rejected outright. Refunds land in the candidate’s registered bank account once they sit for the CBT.
RRB Paramedical Selection Process 2026
There’s no interview in this recruitment. Selection runs through three stages instead.
- Computer-Based Test (CBT): A single online exam worth 100 marks. Reaching the prescribed cut-off is what moves a candidate to the next round.
- Document Verification (DV): RRB-wise shortlisting happens at a 1:1 ratio against vacancies based on CBT scores, and shortlisted candidates then present their original certificates.
- Medical Examination: Those cleared at DV are checked against the medical fitness standard set for their specific post.
RRB Paramedical Exam Pattern 2026
Candidates get 90 minutes for the CBT (extended to 120 minutes for PwBD candidates using scribe assistance), and each incorrect response costs one-third of a mark.
| Section | Marks |
|---|---|
| Professional Ability | 70 |
| General Awareness | 10 |
| General Arithmetic and Reasoning | 10 |
| General Science | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
To pass, UR/EWS candidates need 40%, OBC-NCL and SC candidates need 30%, and ST candidates need 25%. PwBD candidates get a 2-mark relaxation on these thresholds if enough qualified candidates aren’t otherwise available.
RRB Paramedical Salary 2026
Pay for these posts sits between Level 3 and Level 7 of the 7th CPC structure.
| Post | Pay Level | Starting Basic Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing Superintendent | Level 7 | ₹44,900 |
| Health and Malaria Inspector Grade II | Level 6 | ₹35,400 |
| Dialysis Technician | Level 6 | ₹35,400 |
| Audiologist and Speech Therapist | Level 6 | ₹35,400 |
| Pharmacist (Entry Grade) | Level 5 | ₹29,200 |
| Radiographer/X-Ray Technician | Level 5 | ₹29,200 |
| ECG Technician | Level 4 | ₹25,500 |
| Optometrist | Level 4 | ₹25,500 |
| Lab Assistant Grade II | Level 3 | ₹21,700 |
On top of the basic pay shown above, appointees draw Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, and the other standard benefits available to central government railway staff.
Documents Required for RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026
- A recent passport-size photograph and scanned signature in the specified format
- Mark sheets and certificates for the qualification tied to the chosen post
- Council or registration certificate where the post demands one (Nursing Council, Pharmacy Council, Rehabilitation Council of India, etc.)
- Caste or category certificate for those claiming reservation
- PwBD certificate, where applicable
- Discharge certificate for ex-servicemen candidates
- A valid proof of identity
How to Apply Online for RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026
- Go to the unified RRB portal at rrb.indianrailways.gov.in and locate your chosen RRB’s page, or head straight to rrbapply.gov.in.
- Set up a fresh account, or sign in with credentials from a previous RRB CEN application if one already exists.
- Pick CEN 05/2026 Paramedical Categories, and settle on a single RRB along with the zones and posts you want within it.
- Enter personal, educational, and council registration details matching your certificates exactly.
- Upload a live photo capture along with the scanned documents in the required specifications.
- Complete the fee payment online ahead of 16 October 2026.
- Go through every field once more before hitting submit, then save the confirmation page.
Corrections are allowed between 17 and 26 October 2026 for a ₹250 fee per instance—everything except account-creation details and the chosen RRB can be edited in this window. The mobile number and email ID set during account creation stay fixed for good.
Important Points to Note
- Only one RRB per candidate is allowed. Submitting to more than one RRB, or multiple forms to the same RRB, results in every application being cancelled and can lead to debarment from future RRB or RRC exams.
- Zone and post choices made within the selected RRB are locked in at submission; any post left unmarked is treated as declined.
- A candidate who doesn’t meet the medical standard for their applied post isn’t offered a different one instead.
Important Links
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Official Application Portal | Apply Now(It will become active on September 15, 2026) |
| Official RRB Website | Visit |
| Download the official notification. | Download Now |
| RRB NTPC Vacancy 2026: 5,165 Graduate and Undergraduate Posts Approved | Apply Now |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the official website for RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026?
Applications go through rrbapply.gov.in, while rrb.indianrailways.gov.in serves as the common RRB portal.
How many vacancies are available in RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026?
590 posts, spread across nine paramedical categories, as per the detailed CEN 05/2026 notification. This count is provisional and subject to change.
What is the last date to apply for RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026?
14 October 2026, up to 23:59 hrs, is the closing date for registration. Fee payment must be completed by 16 October 2026.
What is the age limit for RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026?
It ranges from 18 to 40 years depending on the post, reckoned as of 1 January 2027, with the usual RRB relaxations for reserved categories.
What is the application fee for RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026?
₹500 for UR/OBC/EWS candidates, with ₹400 refunded on appearing in the CBT; ₹250 for SC/ST/Ex-Servicemen/PwBD/Female/Transgender/Minorities/EBC candidates, refunded in full under the same condition.
What is the selection process for RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026?
A single-stage CBT, followed by document verification and a medical examination—there’s no interview involved.
When will the RRB Paramedical CBT exam be conducted?
No date has been fixed so far. It will be shared later, alongside the admit card release.
Can a candidate apply to more than one RRB for this recruitment?
No—applying through more than one RRB gets every submitted application rejected.
With the RRB Paramedical Recruitment 2026 notification now out and registration underway, candidates would do well to double-check the post-specific eligibility conditions before submitting their forms ahead of the 14 October 2026 deadline.
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