Special Class Railway Apprentice (SCRA) mentions to a handful of applicants that are selected by the UPSC India, after a difficult selection process, to the UG program in Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jamalpur.
It was started in the year 1927.
It is one of the oldest programmes in India.

Eligibility Details:

Age - limits:
17-21 years on 1st August of the year of examination

Educational Qualification
For Admission to the examination a candidate -
(I) should have passed in the first or second division, the Intermediate or an equal examination of a university or board approved by the Government of India with Mathematics and at least one of the subjects Physics and Chemistry as subjects of the examination.

Exam pattern:

Part I : Written Examination carrying a maximum of 600 marks in the subjects as shown below :
Paper Subject TimeAllowed MaximumMarks
Paper-I General Ability Test
(English, General Knowledge
and Psychological Test 2 hours 200
Paper-II Physical Sciences
(Physics and Chemistry) 2 hours 200
Paper-III Mathematics 2 hours 200
Total 600

Part II
Personality Test carrying a maximum of 200 marks in respect of only those candidates who are declared qualified on the results of written examination.