'Only Agarwal Vaish Community': IRCTC sacks HR for recruiting candidates on caste lines

New Delhi, Nov 07: A railway vendor RK Meals, had issued an ad which alluded to caste preferences in its recruitment advertisement, has been ticked off by the IRCTC after severe backlash on social media.

The advertisement calls for candidates who specifically belong to the 'Agrawal Vaish community'. The ad was placed in the Times of India, page 12 of the 6th November 2019 edition.

Brandavan Food Products sought 100 male candidates for three posts -- train catering manager, base kitchen manager and store manager.

It said that candidates should belong to "Agrawal Vaish Community" and have "good family background", besides educational qualification of '10+2' in its recruitment advertisement.

The ad further mentions four criteria for application.

• Candidates should be willing to work anywhere in India
• Candidates should belong only to the Agrawal Vaish community.
• Should have a good family background
• Should have completed 10+2

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on Thursday said that the company has removed the human resource personnel who posted the advertisement after severe reprimand.

"Serious view is taken by the IRCTC and the contractor has been asked to refrain giving notice on caste lines but to recruit suitable persons belonging to any caste/creed/religion or region.

"It has been confirmed by the contractor to the IRCTC that the HR manager responsible for the advertisement has since been removed from the job," a senior official of railways said. Netizens lashed out at the ad and said that caste cannot be a yardstick by which a candidate should be judged for a job. "Shameful and disgusting! Even the private operators will give job on the basis of caste?? Haven't we divided our Country enough?" said Shahab Jafri, a twitter user.

Another user blamed the political classes and said that casteism was being promoted in every sphere for votes. "There shouldn't be any casteism, but politicians promote it to divide castes and get votes," she said.