Railway vendor faces flak for recruitment ad on caste lines

IRCTC reprimands firm after backlash on social media.

A railway vendor, which alluded to caste preferences in its recruitment advertisement, has been ticked off by the IRCTC after severe backlash on the social media.

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

It said candidates should belong to “Agrawal Vaish Community” and have “good family background,” besides educational qualification of ‘10+2’ in its recruitment advertisement.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) said the company had removed the human resource personnel who posted the advertisement.

The vendor also wrote to the IRCTC apologising for the advertisement and said that it was a “clerical mistake.”

Netizens lashed out at the ad on Thursday. “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.

‘Clerical mistake’

“Two different advertisements were supposed to be placed — one for recruitment of staff in trains and restaurant and another for our social welfare programme. Due to clerical mistake this advertisement has been placed publicly… our objective was not to hurt anyone and to offer jobs to any specific community,” it said.

Netizens lashed out at the ad and said caste could not 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 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.

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