Staying home during Covid-19 to be treated as duty for trainees: Rail ministry

The ministry said it has already issued instructions in 2020 during the release of held up payments of stipends to the trainee railway servants for the period.

The Railway Ministry has clarified that stay-at-home period during COVID-19 lockdown would be counted as duty for trainee railway servants for increments in salaries.

The ministry's circular came after one of the Zonal Railways unit sought to know whether the period will be considered as duty also for the purpose of increments. (PTI file.)

"As the Railways are aware, the training period spent by a railway servant, whether on remuneration of stipend or otherwise, is to be treated as duty, provided it is followed by confirmation, for the purposes of increments," read a circular dated July 7, 2025, addressed to all Zonal Railways and production units.

The ministry's circular came after one of the Zonal Railways unit sought to know whether the period spent at home during nationwide lockdown due to pandemic be considered as duty also for the purpose of increments.

The ministry said that it has already issued instructions in 2020 during the release of held up payments of stipends to the trainee railway servants for the period they had stayed at home during the lockdown due to Covid subject to a condition that this period must not exceed six months.

"In view of this, the matter has once again been examined and it has further been decided that as a one-time measure the stay-at-home period (up to a maximum of six months only) of trainee railway servants due to nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 may be treated as duty for the purposes of increments," the ministry said.