Bishnu Pada Ray, Member of Parliament from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, has urged the Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, to address the growing concerns of unemployed island youth by conducting local recruitment drives and establishing a Railway examination centre in the territory.
In his communication, the MP recalled that in earlier years the Ministry of Railways regularly held selection drives and examinations for different categories of posts, which allowed many islanders to secure jobs in the Railways. However, he pointed out that no such exercises have been conducted locally in recent years, depriving candidates in the islands of crucial employment opportunities.
Ray also highlighted the absence of a Railway examination centre in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, a gap that forces aspirants to travel to mainland India just to appear for recruitment exams. The additional expenses of travel, lodging, and related costs, he said, place a heavy burden on candidates and prevent many from even attempting the exams despite being qualified.
Emphasizing the region’s geographical isolation and limited employment opportunities in both government and private sectors, the MP stressed that such circumstances make it all the more necessary for the Centre to ensure fair access to Railway jobs for island youth. To this end, he requested two specific measures: the revival of recruitment drives for various posts within the islands and the establishment of a permanent Railway examination centre at Sri Vijayapuram.
According to Ray, these steps would not only reduce the financial strain on aspirants but also create equal opportunities for the youth of the Union Territory to compete with their mainland counterparts. He underlined that many islanders continue to aspire for stable government employment, and facilitating access to Railway jobs would meet a long-standing demand while addressing unemployment challenges in the region.
The appeal reflects broader concerns over the lack of recruitment avenues for young people in the Andamans, where limited job creation and high costs of accessing mainland opportunities continue to pose hurdles. By seeking to bring examinations and recruitment closer to the islanders, Ray has called on the Railway Ministry to extend much-needed support to this far-flung region.
