What is the mandatory medical standard required for safety-critical operational posts like Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) and Station Master (SM)?

Safety-critical posts in the Railways are subject to stringent medical standards (Medical Categorization) to ensure the physical and sensory fitness of the operating staff.

Mandatory Medical Standards:

• Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP): Requires Medical Category A-1 (the highest standard), which includes requirements for distance vision of $6/6$ without glasses, no visual impairment, no color blindness, and physical fitness to perform duty in all conditions.
• Station Master (SM): Requires Medical Category A-2, which is also a high standard requiring good distance vision (with or without glasses, up to a limit), and freedom from specific physical and neurological conditions.

Note on Vision: Candidates for ALP (A-1) must have very precise vision standards, usually without reliance on spectacles. Failure to meet the mandatory medical standard will result in outright disqualification from the specific post, even if the candidate qualifies on merit in the examinations.