NIC Scientific/Technical Assistant-A Recruitment 2026

National Informatics Centre (NIC), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has released Advertisement No. NIC/STA/2026/2 for the recruitment of Scientific/Technical Assistant-A. NIC invites eligible candidates to apply online using a valid GATE score (2024, 2025, or 2026). The recruitment is on a direct basis and is suitable for candidates who meet the specified educational qualification, GATE paper code, and age criteria.

Through this drive, NIC will fill 376 vacancies across three disciplines. The online application window opens on 2026-09-01 at 10:00 AM and closes on 2026-09-30 at 5:30 PM. Applications must be submitted online only via the NIC recruitment portal. Selection will be based on a category-wise merit list prepared from the candidate’s valid GATE score for the relevant paper code, followed by document verification before provisional appointment.

Important Dates

Vacancy Details

PwBD Horizontal Reservation (Discipline-wise): NIC has indicated PwBD reservation as a horizontal reservation across the disciplines. For Computer Sciences & IT, the total is 15 posts (Locomotive disability: 4, Hard of Hearing: 4, Multiple Disabilities: 7*). For Electronics and Communication Engineering, the total is 2 posts (Locomotive disability: 1, Hard of Hearing: 1). For Data Science and AI, the total is 2 posts (Locomotive disability: 1, Hard of Hearing: 1).

*The notification also notes that the advertised posts are tentative and may increase or decrease at NIC’s sole discretion. It further mentions that the count includes 3 PH-MD backlog vacancies.

Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

Candidates must possess the essential educational qualification as per the discipline applied. For Computer Sciences & Information Technology, the acceptable qualifications include M.Sc./MS/MCA/B.E./B.Tech. in any of the following streams (single or in combination): Electronics, Electronics & Communication, Electronics & Telecommunication, Computer Sciences, Computer and Networking Security, Software System, Information Technology, or Informatics. The candidate must also have a valid GATE score in the relevant paper code.

For Electronics and Communication Engineering, the educational qualification streams are the same as listed above, with the requirement of a valid GATE score in the EC paper code.

For Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, the educational qualification streams are the same as listed above, with the requirement of a valid GATE score in the DA paper code.

Experience: No experience is required for this recruitment.

Age Limit

The age limit is to be considered as on 30 September 2026. The upper age limits are as follows: UR/EWS: 30 years; SC/ST: 35 years; OBC (NCL): 33 years. For PwBD candidates, the upper age limits are PwBD (General): 40 years, PwBD (SC/ST): 45 years, and PwBD (OBC-NCL): 43 years.

The notification also provides age limits for service candidates: Service Candidate (UR/EWS): 35 years; Service Candidate (SC/ST): 40 years; and Service Candidate (OBC-NCL): 38 years. For Ex-Servicemen, the upper age limit is as per Government rules.

Age relaxation note: Government-serving candidates in the same line or allied cadre are eligible for an additional 5 years age relaxation. PwBD candidates are eligible for age relaxation irrespective of whether the post is reserved for them, provided they are identified suitable.

Application Fee

Candidates applying for more than one discipline must pay 800 separately for each discipline. The fee is non-refundable and must be paid online only using Credit Card, Debit Card, or Net Banking. No other payment mode is accepted.

How to Apply

1. Visit the official NIC recruitment portal: https://recruitment.nic.in.
2. Complete the registration process on the portal.
3. Log in and fill the online application form. Upload the required documents as per the instructions in the recruitment notice.
4. Proceed to pay the application fee online (if applicable) using Credit Card/Debit Card/Net Banking.
5. After submission, download and save the confirmation page for future reference.

Salary & Pay Scale

Selection Process

Selection will be carried out for candidates who meet the eligibility conditions and who complete registration on the NIC recruitment portal. NIC will prepare a category-wise merit list for each discipline based on the candidate’s valid GATE score. The merit list uses equal weightage for GATE scores of 2024, 2025, and 2026.

In case of a tie, the notification specifies tie-breaking in the following order: (1) a candidate with an older year GATE score is ranked higher; (2) if the year and score are the same, the older candidate by age is ranked higher; and (3) if still tied, the candidate with a higher percentage in essential qualification is ranked higher.

Shortlisted candidates will be called for document verification as per the vacancies before a provisional appointment is offered. Document verification will be conducted at Delhi or another approved location. The notification also states that no TA/DA will be paid and requests for postponement or change of location will not be entertained. The process will use Aadhaar-based authentication at every stage.

Candidates who meet the GATE requirement, educational qualification, and age criteria should complete their online application before the closing date of 2026-09-30 (5:30 PM).