The Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME) was a crucial Group 'A' central service, responsible for managing the Mechanical Engineering Division of the Indian Railways. Historically, its officers were recruited through the highly competitive Engineering Services Examination (ESE) and the unique Special Class Railway Apprentice (SCRA) examination. The SCRA program, which commenced in 1927, provided specialized training at IRIMEE, Jamalpur, but was discontinued after the 2015 exam, although its revival has since been recommended by the Ministry of Finance in 2021. A major shift occurred in 2020 when the IRSME's recruitment was restructured under the Indian Railway Management Services (IRMS), which subsequently merged into the broader UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2022. This change means future railway management roles, including mechanical engineering, are now filled through the general Civil Services Exam. Despite these evolutions, the IRSME cadre, comprising around 1700 officers, continues to undergo rigorous, multi-faceted training at institutions like the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE) in Jamalpur.