Central Railway has just two jobs open under its Cultural Quota, a route where your art is tested along with a written exam: one Theatre Actor (Male) and one Harmonium Player, both at Level 2 (a Railway pay grade). Along with 12th pass, or 10th plus ITI, you need a degree, diploma or certificate in acting or harmonium. Apply online from 05.11.2026 to 04.12.2026 (6 PM) on the RRC website.
About 7 days before the written test, on the RRC website
Written test (CBT) date
Not announced yet. RRC will tell eligible candidates later.
Document verification and practical demonstration
Dates and venue not announced yet. RRC will tell eligible candidates later.
Application Fee
Category
Fee
All other candidates
Rs 500. Rs 400 is refunded if you are found eligible and appear in the written test (after bank charges).
SC / ST / Ex-Servicemen / PwBD / Women / Minorities / Economically Backward Classes (EBC)
Rs 250. The full amount is refunded if you are found eligible and appear in the written test (after bank charges).
EBC means your family income is below Rs 50,000 a year. Minorities means Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis). You pay online by debit card, credit card or net banking. If you apply but turn out to be ineligible, the fee is not refunded.
Vacancy Details
Post
Vacancies
Pay Level
Theatre Actor (Male)
1
Level 2
Harmonium Player
1
Level 2
Total
2
The posts are open to everyone, with no community reservation. If the Railway cannot find a suitable candidate for one of the two disciplines, it can pick one from the other discipline, and the notice says this applies irrespective of gender. The number of posts is provisional, so it can go down or even become nil.
Eligibility Criteria
Criterion
Detail
Nationality
Indian citizen; or a subject of Nepal or Bhutan; or a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 01.01.1962 to settle here; or a person of Indian origin who moved from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Vietnam or one of the listed African countries to settle in India. Everyone except Indian citizens needs a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India, and the offer of appointment comes only after it is issued.
Educational Qualification
12th pass (+2 stage) from a recognised board with at least 50% marks in total. The 50% is not needed for SC/ST, Ex-Servicemen (former armed forces members), PwBD (persons with disabilities) or anyone with a qualification higher than 12th. OR 10th pass plus a completed Act Apprenticeship (apprenticeship training under the Apprentices Act). OR 10th pass plus an ITI approved by NCVT or SCVT (the national and state councils for vocational training).
Professional Qualification (must have)
Theatre Actor (Male): a degree, diploma or certificate in Acting/Drama from a government-recognised university or institute. Harmonium Player: the same in Harmonium. You must also upload a certificate showing that your institute is recognised, or is run by a central or state government body set up by an Act of Parliament or a state legislature.
Preferred extras: Theatre Actor
Not compulsory, but preferred: script writing and direction skills; 3 years of experience in acting, script writing or direction (preferably with Doordarshan, All India Radio, a reputed TV channel or a reputed theatre group) with proof; certificates of individual awards at state or national level; participation certificates from theatre festivals; knowledge of light or set design.
Preferred extras: Harmonium Player
Not compulsory, but preferred: 3 years of experience in playing the harmonium (preferably with Doordarshan, All India Radio or a reputed TV musical group) with proof; certificates of individual awards at state or national level; experience in Lehara or accompanying solo classical and instrumental performances; and, with certificates from a reputed musical group, skill in playing Hindi filmy or semi-classical songs on the keyboard.
Those likely to be released within one year of the closing date (04.12.2026) can also apply.
Who cannot apply
Anyone debarred for life from RRB or RRC exams, or still serving a debarment period.
Details to fill in the form
Your participation in AIR or Doordarshan as a Grade A or B artist or scholarship holder, and in international, national, state and district level competitions, festivals, seminars and workshops.
Age Relaxation
Category
Relaxation
SC / ST
5 years
OBC (Non-Creamy Layer, in the Central Government format)
3 years
Ex-Servicemen
Years of defence service plus 3 years, if you served more than 6 months after attestation (formal enrolment)
PwBD (persons with disabilities)
10 years for Unreserved, 13 years for OBC, 15 years for SC and ST
Widows, divorced women and women legally separated from their husband, not remarried
Upper age limit 35 years for Unreserved, 38 years for OBC, 40 years for SC/ST
Staff of Railway quasi-administrative offices (canteens, co-operative societies, institutes)
Length of service, up to a maximum of 5 years
Substitutes with at least 3 years of continuous service
Upper age limit 40 years for Unreserved, 43 years for OBC, 45 years for SC/ST
In short, your age is counted on 01.01.2027, not on the day you apply. An Unreserved candidate must be born between 01.01.1997 and 01.01.2009. For OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) the earliest birth date is 01.01.1994, and for SC/ST it is 01.01.1992.
Not sure whether you are within the age limit?
Your age is counted on 01.01.2027. Enter your date of birth, that cut-off date and your relaxation (5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC Non-Creamy Layer) to see at once whether you fall inside the 18 to 30 year band.
This is a skill job, not a general clerical post: without a degree, diploma or certificate in Acting/Drama or Harmonium from a recognised institute, the notice says you need not apply.
Half of the 100 marks come from your talent test (35) and your certificates, awards and festival papers (15), so the proof of your work counts as much as the written test.
Be ready to carry your own instrument or kit for your art and four passport size photographs, and to stay 2 to 3 days for the practical demonstration at your own cost. No travel allowance or stay is given.
If you already work in a government body or PSU (public sector undertaking), you must bring a No Objection Certificate from your employer to the practical demonstration.
You can be posted anywhere on Central Railway and transferred later. Men who are finally appointed are also liable for active service in the Railway Engineers Unit of the Territorial Army.
Selection Process
Stage
Details
1. Written test (CBT)
50 objective multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, in English and Hindi, for 50 marks. Questions come from General Awareness, Mathematics, Mental Ability and a subject linked to your art. A wrong answer costs one-third of that question’s marks. You need at least 40% to qualify for the next stage. The notice calls it Written Test/CBT/Tab mode, and RRC may hold it for all candidates or only some of them.
2. Document verification
Only candidates who qualify in the written test are called. You show your original documents and your application printout.
3. Practical demonstration
A talent test in your own discipline, for 35 marks. Candidates who appear for the written test must be ready for this stage too.
4. Certificates and awards
Marks for confirming your talent through testimonials, certificates and awards: 15 marks.
5. Medical test and final checks
Appointment depends on passing the Railway medical fitness test, a final check of your education and community certificates, and a background and character check.
In short: the written test is the first gate, because you need 40% to move on, and the notice counts it inside the 100-mark total. The other 50 marks come from your practical demonstration and your certificates. There is no interview.
Salary and Benefits
Component
Detail
Pay level
Level 2 (a Railway pay grade)
Pay on joining
The minimum pay of the level, plus the allowances admissible at that time
During training
Only a stipend (a fixed monthly training payment), where training is prescribed
Security deposit
You may have to give a security deposit and sign an indemnity bond (a written legal undertaking), wherever necessary
Posting and transfer
Anywhere on Central Railway. The Railway can transfer you to any department, division, unit or project, in or out of India.
In plain terms, you start at the lowest pay in Level 2, with allowances on top. The notice does not give a rupee figure, so check the Railway pay table before you decide.
How to Apply
Go to www.rrccr.com, the RRC Central Railway website, and open the online application for recruitment against the Cultural Quota.
Fill in your personal details carefully. Keep your Aadhaar ready (the 12-digit number, or the 28-digit enrolment ID if your card has not come). Candidates from Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya and Assam can use a voter ID, passport, driving licence or another valid government ID instead.
Enter your cultural details (see the form details in the eligibility table) and upload your photo, signature and certificates.
Check every detail, then pay the fee online. You cannot change anything after the payment.
Save the e-receipt, note your Registration ID and print the application. You will need the printout at document verification and the practical demonstration.
Note: Do not post any printout or certificate to RRC. Offline applications are not accepted. For help with the online form, write to cultural@rrccr.com.
Photograph or signature rejected by the upload form?
The form wants a photo of 20 to 70 KB (3.5 cm x 3.5 cm) and a signature of 20 to 30 KB (3.5 cm x 2.5 cm), both in JPG at 100 DPI. Resize yours to those exact sizes before you start.
3.5 cm x 3.5 cm, JPG/JPEG, 100 DPI, 20 to 70 KB. Clear front view, no cap or sunglasses, not older than 3 months. Keep two extra copies for document verification. Resize your photo and signature →
Signature
3.5 cm x 2.5 cm, JPG/JPEG, 100 DPI, 20 to 30 KB. In English or Hindi, in running handwriting, not in block letters.
12th (or 10th) marksheet or certificate
The minimum educational qualification certificate from para 2(A) of the notice
Professional qualification certificate
Degree, diploma or certificate in Acting/Drama or Harmonium, plus the certificate that your institute is recognised or government-run
Proof of date of birth
Class 10 certificate or marksheet showing your date of birth, or a school leaving certificate showing it
Caste certificate (SC/ST/OBC only)
SC/ST in the Annexure C format. OBC Non-Creamy Layer certificate in the Central Government format, issued on or after 01.04.2026.
Experience, award and participation certificates
Keep them ready to claim the 15 marks for testimonials, certificates and awards
Aadhaar or other ID
The original, to show at document verification
Fee concession papers (if you claim them)
Minority self-declaration (Annexure A) and an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper; EBC income certificate in the Annexure B format
Your name, father’s name and date of birth must match your Class 10 certificate exactly. Any difference found at document verification cancels your candidature.
Send one application only. Several applications with different details are rejected, and you can be debarred from all RRB and RRC exams.
Do not apply without the Acting/Drama or Harmonium certificate. You can still sit the written test if you could not upload the institute-recognition certificate, but you must hand it in at document verification or you are rejected.
Sign in running handwriting, not capitals, and keep the same style later. A different signature at the exam or verification can cancel your candidature.
Check your eligibility before you pay. The fee of an ineligible candidate is not refunded, and no fee is refunded if the Railway cancels the posts.
Do not leave it for the last day. RRC says it takes no responsibility if the website jams or you cannot submit in time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the last date to apply for Central Railway Cultural Quota Recruitment 2026?
You can apply online until 04.12.2026 at 6 PM, and the form opened on 05.11.2026 at 10 AM.
How many posts are there in the Central Railway Cultural Quota recruitment?
There are 2 posts at Level 2, one Theatre Actor (Male) and one Harmonium Player, with no community reservation.
What qualification do I need for the Central Railway Cultural Quota posts?
You need 12th pass with 50% marks (or 10th plus ITI or Act Apprenticeship), and a degree, diploma or certificate in Acting/Drama or Harmonium from a recognised institute; the 50% is waived for SC/ST, Ex-Servicemen and PwBD.
What is the age limit?
You must be 18 to 30 years old on 01.01.2027, with 5 extra years for SC/ST and 3 for OBC Non-Creamy Layer (OBC families under the income limit).
What is the application fee?
The fee is Rs 500 (Rs 400 comes back if you appear in the written test), or Rs 250 for SC/ST, Ex-Servicemen, PwBD, women, minorities and EBC, refunded in full when you appear.
How are candidates selected?
You first take a 50-question written test of 60 minutes, then go through document verification and a practical demonstration of your skill, and there is no interview.
What should I bring for the practical demonstration?
Bring your original documents, your own instrument or kit for your discipline and four passport size photographs, and be ready to stay 2 to 3 days at your own cost.
When will the written test be held?
The date is not announced yet, and the e-call letter (hall ticket) will appear on the RRC website about 7 days before the test.
Disclaimer: The information above has been compiled from the official notification for the convenience of job seekers. Candidates are advised to verify all details from the official website before applying.
