The Jamalpur Gymkhana (Hindi: जमालपुर जिमख़ाना), often referred to as just Gymkhana (or merely Gym) by its members, is primarily a hostel for young apprentice officers of the Indian Railways. It is also a club like any other Gymkhana. A club to which the membership is limited entirely to those who spend their formative years in its corridors. It is difficult to talk about Gymkhana without quickly moving on to the anecdotal history of its members - current and past. However any serious study of the Gymkhana would have to start earlier.
The Gymkhana as you enter the gates.
In the early 20th century, India faced a shortage
of mechanical engineers in running a fast growing
rail system. The Indian Railways Institute of
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE),
started in the year 1888 as Technical School. In the
year 1927, the training of Mechanical Engineering
Officers for Indian Railways commenced. It is the
oldest of the six Centralised Training Institutes (CTIs)
functioning for training of Officers of the Indian
Railways. IRIMEE is located at Jamalpur in the
Munger (spelled Monghyr, during the British rule of
India) district of Bihar, on the Patna - Bhagalpur
rail route.
IRIMEE conducts short term courses for Indian Railways Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME) Officers and other Organisations, 18 months training for IRSME Probationary Officers and four years undergraduate programme for the Special Class Apprentices (called SCAs or SCRAs for Special Class Railway Apprentices).
The 'Special Class Apprentices' stay at the Jamalpur Gymkhana during the four years spent at IRIMEE. As they have been since 1929 when the Gymkhana was built.