RBE No. 112/2025: Clarification on Representations Against Adverse Remarks in APAR of Non-Gazetted Railway Employees
The Railway Board has issued a new circular RBE No. 112/2025 dated 29 October 2025, providing important clarifications regarding the consideration of representations against adverse remarks recorded in the APAR (Annual Performance Appraisal Report) of non-gazetted railway employees.
This clarification modifies the earlier instructions contained in RBE 89/2024, ensuring more transparent and consistent handling of APAR-related grievances across all zones and production units.
📝 Background: RBE 89/2024 and the Need for Clarification
In September 2024, the Railway Board had circulated a list of competent authorities (Annexure-I) for deciding representations made by employees against adverse remarks in their APARs. However, several Zonal Railways sought clarification on how these rules apply across different levels of non-gazetted staff.
To address this, the Board has re-examined the matter and issued detailed guidelines under RBE No. 112/2025 to eliminate ambiguity and standardize the process.
⚙️ Key Clarifications Issued in RBE No. 112/2025
The new circular provides specific instructions based on the number of levels at which an employee’s APAR is written and finalized:
1. For APARs Finalized at One Level
For employees such as Personal Secretaries or Confidential Assistants, whose APAR is written and finalized at a single level, the competent authority to decide representations against adverse remarks will be the next higher authority to the one who finalized the APAR.
2. For APARs Finalized at Two Levels
When an APAR is written and reviewed at two levels — by the Reporting and Reviewing Authorities — the next higher authority to the Reviewing Authority will be responsible for deciding on the representation.
3. For APARs Finalized at Three Levels
Where the APAR process involves three levels of assessment, the competent authority will again be the next higher authority to the last authority finalizing the APAR.
🔍 Definition of “Finalizing Authority” in APAR
The order also clarifies that the finalizing authority is the last authority writing the APAR.
For APARs considered for promotion to Group ‘B’, where Section-II must be completed, the authority writing the final remarks in Section-II will be treated as the finalizing authority.
⚠️ Important Note on Previous Instructions
The instructions issued earlier under RBE No. 89/2024 are modified to the extent mentioned in this new circular. However, past cases already decided under the previous guidelines will not be reopened.
📄 Official Reference
- RBE No.: 112/2025
- File No.: E(NG)I-2023/CR/4
- Date: 29 October 2025
- Issued by: Shri Ajay Goyal, Deputy Director-III, Estt.(N), Railway Board
💡 Why This Matters for Railway Employees
This clarification ensures:
- Fair representation handling for all non-gazetted employees
- Uniform authority structure across zones and divisions
- Transparency in APAR review and grievance redressal
- Improved administrative consistency before promotions to Group B
Employees can now confidently submit representations knowing that their appeals will be handled by the appropriate higher authority, as per the clearly defined framework of RBE No. 112/2025.