NIC Scientific/Technical Assistant-A Recruitment 2026

Candidates must carefully observe the official timeline published in Table-I of the notification. Late submissions or fee receipts beyond the cutoff timestamp will not be accepted under any circumstances.

A total of 376 vacancies have been announced across three primary technical disciplines. All posts are filled through Direct Recruitment on permanent central government service terms:

Note: The number of advertised posts is tentative; the actual number may increase or decrease at the sole discretion of NIC.

The exact vertical reservation matrix across categories for each discipline as per Table-II of the official notification is provided below:

#NCL – Non-Creamy Layer. Vacancies are strictly subject to Govt. of India reservation rosters.

Horizontal reservation for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) has been allocated discipline-wise as per Table-II of Advt No: NIC/STA/2026/2:

Note: Minimum 40% permanent disability certificate in prescribed central format (Annexure IV / V / VI) issued on or before 30.09.2026 is mandatory.

Scientific/Technical Assistant-A is classified as a Group-B S&T (Non-Gazetted) post in Pay Level 6 (₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400) under the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC).

National Informatics Centre (NIC) was established in 1976 under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. It has emerged as the “prime builder” of e-Government / e-Governance applications up to grassroots levels and promoter of digital opportunities for sustainable development.

To be eligible for appointment to Scientific/Technical Assistant-A, a candidate must satisfy all three core requirements on or before the crucial cut-off date of 30 September 2026:

A candidate must be either:

• (a) A citizen of India, or
• (b) A subject of Nepal, or
• (c) A subject of Bhutan, or
• (d) A Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
• (e) A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka or East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) above shall be a person in whose favor a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.

The upper age limits as on the closing date (30/09/2026) for various candidate categories as specified in Table-V are detailed below:

Crucial Date for Age Calculation: 30/09/2026. Candidates must be born on or before 30/09/2008 and on or after 01/10/1996 for UR/EWS.

Official age relaxation provisions under clauses 3.4.1 to 3.4.3 of the notification stipulate:

• Government Servants (Clause 3.4.1): 5 years age relaxation for candidates serving in Government Organizations working in posts which are in the same line or allied cadres, and where a relationship could be established that the service already rendered in a particular post will be useful for the efficient discharge of duties of the advertised post.
• SC / ST / OBC (NCL) Candidates (Clause 3.4.3): Age relaxation is applicable for the posts reserved for them.
• PwBD Candidates (Clause 3.4.3): Relaxation in age limit for PwBD candidates will be applicable irrespective of whether the post is reserved for them or not, provided the post is identified suitable for them.
• Ex-Servicemen: Concessions as per Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) orders in force.

A candidate must possess a valid GATE Score in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) from any of the three eligible years: 2024, 2025, or 2026 in the corresponding test paper:

As per Table-IV of Advt No: NIC/STA/2026/2, candidates must possess a pass in M.Sc. / MS / MCA / B.E. / B.Tech. in the specified fields (single or in combination):

The candidate’s M.Sc. / MS / MCA / B.E. / B.Tech. degree must strictly be in one or any combination of the following officially recognized fields:

As per Clause 4 and Clause 10.4.9 of the notification:

The recruitment to Scientific/Technical Assistant-A is strictly merit-based and transparent. The complete selection roadmap comprises the following stages:

As per Clause 6.3 of the official notification:

Merit list preparation is governed by Clause 6.1 and 6.2:

• Only candidates fulfilling the essential eligibility criteria (Clause 3) and who have successfully registered their application on the portal shall be considered.
• A separate category-wise merit list will be prepared for each discipline in the descending order of merit of the GATE Score.
• Candidates are shortlisted strictly in the ratio of available vacancies per category before offering provisional appointment.

In case of a tie in the GATE Score between two or more candidates within the same category and discipline, the following criteria will be adopted in strict order of sequence (Clause 6.4):

Note: In case of CGPA, if the university does not provide a conversion formula, the candidate must provide an official conversion certificate from the Registrar to that effect.

Candidates shortlisted based on GATE score merit will be called for in-person Document Verification:

• Authorization Letter: Shortlisted candidates can download their official Authorization Letter for document verification from the NIC recruitment portal (www.recruitment.nic.in).
• Venue: Document Verification shall be conducted at Delhi or at any other location / mode approved by the competent authority.
• No Postponement: No request for postponement or change in location/date shall be allowed or entertained.
• No TA/DA: No TA/DA shall be paid for appearing for Document Verification.
• Mandatory Attendance: In case a candidate fails to appear on the specified date, time, and venue along with original certificates, their candidature will be cancelled without further opportunity.

Candidates must produce original documents along with self-attested photocopies during Document Verification. Non-production of any required certificate will lead to immediate debarment:

Application fees are non-refundable and must be remitted strictly through the integrated online payment gateway:

Candidates eligible for more than one discipline (e.g., holding degree eligibility and qualifying GATE in CS as well as DA) may apply for multiple disciplines subject to the following rules:

• Candidates must satisfy the essential qualifications and hold a valid GATE score corresponding to each applied discipline.
• Separate application fee of ₹800/- must be paid for each discipline (for UR/OBC/EWS).
• Incomplete applications for any discipline without requisite fee will be rejected for that discipline.

The complete application on the official portal (https://recruitment.nic.in) can be submitted in 4 mandatory steps:

⚠️ All 4 steps must be completed before 30.09.2026 (05:30 PM). If Confirmation Page cannot be generated, the application is treated as incomplete and summarily rejected.

Candidates should keep the following ready before opening the application form:

• Active and valid personal Email ID and Mobile Number.
• Credit Card / Debit Card / Net Banking / UPI details for fee payment.
• Recent passport size color photograph in JPG/JPEG (50 KB to 200 KB).
• Scanned image of signature in blue or black ink in JPG/JPEG (10 KB to 50 KB).
• Self-attested scanned PDF copies (10 KB to 500 KB) of DoB proof, 10th & 12th certificates, GATE score card, degree/marksheets, category/PwBD certificates, and NOC (if applicable).

Every supporting document uploaded under Clause 5.1(d) must adhere to these technical parameters:

• Format: PDF format only.
• Size Limits: Minimum 10 KB and Maximum 500 KB per file.
• Self-Attestation: All uploaded certificates must be clearly legible and self-attested with the candidate’s signature and date.
• Rejection on Illegible Uploads (Clause 10.4.1): Uploading of irrelevant, incomplete, or illegible documents may lead to summary disqualification.

Where grades are awarded on a CGPA / OGPA / CPI grading scale:

As per Table-VII(b) of the notification:

• OBC candidates must produce a valid OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) certificate in the format (Annexure II) prescribed by the Government of India for “Appointment to posts under Govt. of India”.
• The certificate must clearly certify that the candidate does not belong to the Creamy Layer as per DoPT OM No. 36012/22/93-Estt(SCT) dated 08.09.1993.
• State List Certificates Disallowed: Certificates issued for appointment under State Governments (i.e. belonging to state list of OBC) or for educational purposes will strictly NOT be considered.
• Certificate must be issued on or before the closing date: 30/09/2026.

As per Table-VII(d) of the notification, EWS reservation is governed by DoPT OM No. 36039/1/2019-Estt (Res) dated 31st January 2019:

As per Table-VII(a):

• Candidates applying under SC / ST category must submit relevant Caste Certificate in the prescribed Government of India format (Annexure I).
• The certificate must be issued by the Competent Authority on or before the closing date: 30/09/2026.
• Caste mentioned in the certificate must find place in the Presidential Orders scheduled list.

As per Table-VII(c):

• Candidates applying against vacancies reserved for PwBD category must submit a valid Permanent Disability Certificate indicating minimum 40% permanent disability.
• Certificate must be in prescribed central format (Annexure IV / V / VI) issued by a constituted Government Medical Board.
• Certificate must be issued on or before the closing date of application (30/09/2026).

As per Clause 7.5 and 10.4.5:

Under Clause 7.8, applicants who have changed their name after matriculation (for example, post-marriage or due to deed poll) are strictly required to furnish a copy of the official Gazette Notification reflecting the change of name at the time of Document Verification.

The admission at any stage of the recruitment will be purely provisional, subject to satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions:

• Mere fulfilling of requirements or inclusion in the merit list does not confer any vested right to appointment (Clause 6.6).
• Upon completion of Document Verification, candidates found eligible shall be offered provisional appointment subject to medical fitness and character/antecedents verification.

Prior to formal joining, provisionally appointed candidates must undergo standard medical examination as per Central Civil Services rules to ascertain sound mental and bodily health. Police verification of character and antecedents will also be conducted in accordance with central government norms.

Under Clause 8, candidates furnishing fabricated, tampered, or false certificates or concealing material facts will face strict penalties:

• Immediate cancellation/rejection of candidature at any stage.
• Termination from service without notice if already appointed.
• Criminal prosecution under relevant sections of law.
• Permanent or specified period debarment from any recruitment conducted by NIC.

All correspondences regarding recruitment, document verification, and joining will be made through e-mail / SMS on registered credentials:

• Candidates must maintain an active primary email and mobile number until completion of the recruitment process.
• Candidates are required to regularly visit the official recruitment portal (https://recruitment.nic.in/) for all notices and authorization letters.
• Disclaimer: NIC shall not be responsible for failure of candidates to respond to online communications resulting in rejection of candidature.

Under Clause 10.4.7 of the notification, the Court of jurisdiction for any dispute will be in Delhi only. All legal representations or proceedings arising out of this recruitment advertisement fall exclusively under courts located in New Delhi.

Scientific/Technical Assistant-A officers undergo a standard probation period of 2 years as per Central Government S&T service guidelines. Career progression follows the Flexible Complementing Scheme (FCS) / Modified FCS providing time-bound promotion avenues to higher scientific grades (Scientific Officer / Engineer-SB, Scientist-B, Scientist-C, and beyond).

As a core technical contributor at NIC, responsibilities include:

• Development, deployment, and maintenance of national and state-level e-governance applications and web portals.
• Network administration, cloud infrastructure management, and data center operations.
• Data analytics, AI/ML model deployment, database management, and cybersecurity operations.
• Technical coordination with various central ministries, state departments, and district informatics centres.

Since selection is purely on GATE Score across 2024, 2025, and 2026 without any written examination or interview, the competition will be direct and merit-intensive. Having equal weightage across three years ensures all high-scoring candidates across 2024–2026 compete fairly. Candidates are encouraged to apply early and verify all uploaded certificate details.

For technical queries or issues related to online application submission:

Access all official portals, notifications, and updates via direct links verified from the official notification: