ECoR Act Apprentice Recruitment 2026 — 1599 Posts, Apply by 15 Sep (Odisha)

East Coast Railway (ECoR), one of the 19 zonal railways of Indian Railways headquartered at Bhubaneswar, Odisha, has released the RRC ECoR Act Apprentice Recruitment 2026 under Notification No. ECoR/Pers/RRC/Act Apprentice/2026-27 for 1,599 posts. This is a centralized, once-a-year training intake for engagement of Act Apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961, spread across the Carriage Repair Workshop (Mancheswar), Rayagada Division, Khurda Road Division, Sambalpur Division and East Coast Railway Headquarters, Bhubaneswar. This apprenticeship is a highly sought government training opportunity for 10th-pass ITI holders in Odisha and across India, since it combines hands-on railway trade training with the possibility of a National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) at the end of the programme. Candidates who have passed Matriculation with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks and hold an ITI certificate in one of 25 designated trades are eligible to apply. Selected apprentices will undergo structured on-the-job training in their chosen trade — such as Fitter, Welder, Electrician, Machinist, Carpenter, Turner or Computer Operator & Programming Assistant — at railway workshops and divisional units under East Coast Railway. The selection process for RRC ECoR Apprentice 2026 is purely merit-based: a trade-wise and unit-wise merit list is prepared solely from Matriculation percentage (no written test, no interview), followed by Document Verification (DV) at RRC Headquarters, Bhubaneswar, and a Medical Fitness Certificate check. Selected apprentices will be paid a monthly stipend during training at rates prescribed by the Railway Board; no Daily Allowance, Conveyance Allowance or Travelling Allowance is paid for attending DV, and no hostel accommodation is provided. Apprenticeship training under this scheme does not carry any automatic claim to Railway employment after completion, though National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) holders get preference for up to 20% of Level-1 direct-recruitment vacancies (Pay Scale ₹18,000–₹56,900) in future Railway recruitment, subject to eligibility. The RRC ECoR Apprentice 2026 online application is available at www.rrcbbs.org.in. Applications opened on 26 August 2026 and the last date to apply for RRC ECoR Act Apprentice Recruitment 2026 is 15 September 2026 (till 17:00 hrs). Application fee is ₹100/- for General, EWS and OBC candidates, while SC, ST, PwBD and Women candidates are fully exempted from the fee. Candidates must carefully read the complete official ECoR Act Apprentice 2026-27 notification PDF before applying, since only one Division/Workshop and one trade preference can be selected, and this choice is final and binding once submitted.

Matriculation (10th Class) under the 10+2 examination system with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks from a recognized Board, as on the date of issue of this notification (21 August 2026). An ITI certificate (National Trade Certificate) in the relevant trade, affiliated to NCVT/SCVT, as per the Apprentices Act, 1961. Twenty-five designated trades are notified: Fitter, Welder, Turner, Machinist, Electrician, Carpenter, Painter (General), Mechanic (Diesel)(TMO), Secretarial Assistant (Stenography), Black Smith, Driller, Bridge Erector, Sheet Metal Worker, Electronics Mechanic, Wireman, Mechanic Refrigeration & A.C., Plumber, Draftsman (Civil), Mechanic (Motor Vehicle), Computer Operator & Programming Assistant, Laboratory Technician (Pathology), Sarang, Grinder, Mason and Draftsman (Mechanic). For the Laboratory Technician (Pathology) trade, the candidate must additionally be 12th pass with Physics, Chemistry and Biology, minimum 50% marks in both 10th and 12th. For Secretarial Assistant (Stenography), a National Trade Certificate (NTC) approved by NCVT/SCVT is required. Engineering graduates and diploma holders are not eligible under this notification, since a separate apprenticeship scheme applies to them. Candidates whose SSC or ITI results are awaited as on 21 August 2026 cannot apply.

• 15 to 24 years as on 15 September 2026 (the closing date)
• SC/ST candidates — 5 years age relaxation
• OBC candidates — 3 years age relaxation
• Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) — 10 years age relaxation
• Ex-Servicemen — 10 years relaxation plus 3 years, to the extent of service rendered, subject to minimum 6 months continuous service

• Matriculation (10th Class) under the 10+2 system with minimum 50% aggregate marks from a recognized Board
• ITI certificate (NCVT/SCVT-affiliated National Trade Certificate) in one of the 25 designated trades
• Age 15 to 24 years as on 15 September 2026, the closing date
• SC/ST — 5 years age relaxation; OBC — 3 years age relaxation; PwBD — 10 years age relaxation
• Ex-Servicemen — 10 years relaxation plus 3 years, subject to minimum 6 months continuous service in the Defence Forces
• 4% horizontal reservation for PwBD and 3% for Ex-Servicemen, included within the overall 1,599 notified slots, not additional to them
• Engineering graduates and diploma holders are not eligible under this notification, since a separate apprenticeship scheme applies to them
• Candidates whose SSC or ITI results are awaited as on 21 August 2026 are not eligible to apply
• For Laboratory Technician (Pathology): candidate must additionally be 12th pass with Physics, Chemistry and Biology, minimum 50% marks in both 10th and 12th
• For Secretarial Assistant (Stenography): candidate must hold a National Trade Certificate (NTC) approved by NCVT/SCVT
• Applicants may select only ONE Division/Workshop and one trade preference; this choice is final and binding once submitted
• Applicants possessing ITI qualifications in more than one trade may apply separately for each relevant trade

• General/EWS/OBC: ₹100/- (non-refundable), online payment only
• SC/ST/PwBD/Women: Nil (fully exempted)

Selected Act Apprentices are paid a monthly stipend at the prescribed rate during training, as per the Apprentices Act, 1961 and Railway Board directives. No Daily Allowance, Conveyance Allowance or Travelling Allowance is paid for Document Verification, and no hostel accommodation is provided. On completion, National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) holders get preference for up to 20% of future Level-1 direct-recruitment Railway vacancies (Pay Scale ₹18,000–₹56,900), though the apprenticeship itself carries no automatic job claim.

1. Visit www.rrcbbs.org.in — the official website of Railway Recruitment Cell, Bhubaneswar (RRC/BBS)
2. Click the notification titled "Notification for engagement of Act Apprentice for the year 2026-27" on the homepage
3. Download and read the complete official notification (No. ECoR/Pers/RRC/Act Apprentice/2026-27) carefully, including the trade-wise vacancy Annexure A for your preferred Division/Workshop
4. Register with an active personal email ID and mobile number, which must remain active throughout the engagement process
5. Fill the online application form with personal, educational (Matriculation and ITI) and 12-digit Aadhaar details accurately, and select ONE Division/Workshop along with your trade preference
6. Upload scanned photograph (3.5cm x 3.5cm, JPG/JPEG, 100 DPI, 20KB to 70KB, taken within the last 3 months) and signature (3.5cm x 3.5cm, JPG/JPEG, 100 DPI, 20KB to 30KB)
7. Upload scanned copies of Matriculation mark sheet and pass certificate, ITI mark sheet or Provisional National Trade Certificate, and Caste/EWS/Disability/ESM certificates as applicable
8. Pay the application fee of ₹100/- via the integrated online payment gateway (SC/ST/PwBD/Women candidates are fully exempted)
9. Review all filled details carefully before final submission, since no changes are permitted after fee payment, then submit
10. Take a printout of the submitted application and fee receipt; original documents must be produced at Document Verification at RRC Bhubaneswar