About irss officers

Indian Railway Stores Service

The Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) is a Group ‘A’ organised service of Indian Railways. The officers of IRSS cadre are responsible for Inventory and Logistics management. They have overall control over administrative, and managerial functions associated with the Stores department of the Indian Railways.

Service Profile

Batch wise Details

There are 8 Organised Group ‘A’ services in Indian Railways and IRSS is one of them. Other organised Group ‘A’ service in Railways are Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS), Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS), Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE), Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers(IRSME), Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSSE), Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE).

Role and Function:

The Controller of Stores is responsible for maintaining the “Stock of material such that stores required by the railway are readily available, they should be as small as possible, and losses due to obsolescence or deterioration should be the minimum practicable.”

The Store Department has vital role in Planning of Supplies of Stores, Purchase of Stores, Distribution of Stocks, purchase and inspection of material, custody and issue of railway stores, survey & valuation of Railway stores, and disposal of scraps etc.

Here is the official link to Railway Board’s Stores Directorates.

Main functions are…

Forecasting >> Planning >> and Procurement of material
Warehousing of Indian Railway’s assets.
Distribution of Stocks
Disposal of Scraps

Recruitment and Training:

The officers of this service are recruited through the Engineering Service Examination (ESE), conducted every year by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The basic qualification for Engineering Examination is graduation in engineering from any branch.

The IRSS officers undergo training at National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR) for a period of 18 months. They are basically imparted training for strategic Procurement and Logistics management.

They also get the chance to undergo training at the various railway training institutes like IRICEN, IRISET, IRIMEE etc…

Important designations of IRSS officers:

After 18 months training, an IRSS officer joins as ADMM in division as Junior Scale officer. With promotions officers of Stores Department can become DRM, GM, Member and CRB in Railway Board like any other Organised cadre of Indian Railways.

At Apex Level (Railway Board)–

At the apex level, this department is headed by Member Materials Management who represents the department at the Railway Board level and is ex officio Secretary to the Government of India.

Know Organisation Structure for Stores Department at the Railway Board.

At Zonal HQ level–

At the Zonal Head Quarter level the Controller of Stores is the head of the Stores Department.

PCMM: Principal Chief Materials Manager.
CMM: PCMM is assisted by various Chief Material Managers.
Dy.CMM: Deputy Chief Material Managers
SMM: Senior Material Manager
AMM: Assistant Material Manager

At Divisional Level-

Sr.DMM: Senior Divisional Material Manager
DMM: Divisional Material Manager
ADMM: Assistant Divisional Material Manager

IRSS UPSC Direct Batches

Starting from the UPSC batch 1982, details of all the IRSS batches is provided here. Hope you may find it important and helpful.

Details of remaining batches is coming shortly…… updating……………..

Codes and Manuals for Stores Department of Indian Railways:

The State Railway Code for the Stores Department was originally published provisionally in May, 1938. Subsequently four Reprint editions were brought out as Indian Railway Code for the Stores Department in 1947, 1959, 1970 and 1975 incorporating various correction slips.

Latest updates

IRSS (Indian Railway Stores Service)