CPCB Recruitment 2026 — Scientist, Scientific Assistant, DEO & Field Assistant Posts (SER-Phase-III Project), 51 Vacancies

The Central Pollution Control Board has invited online applications for 51 contract posts under the SER-Phase-III Project on River Ganga, ranging from Field Assistant (10+2 pass) to Scientist-D (senior Master's-level researcher). Eligibility, age limit, and pay differ hugely by post, and there is no age relaxation for any category. Online applications close on 7 September 2026 at 23:59 Hrs.

Who Should Apply

• Scientist-D (1 post) — Master's in Environmental/Natural Science or a First Class engineering Bachelor's, plus a strong publication record and 7 years of relevant experience.
• Scientist-C (8 posts) — same qualification base, a smaller publication requirement, and 5 years of experience.
• Scientist-B (12 posts) — same qualification base, a valid GATE score (90th percentile+) or NET-JRF, and 3 years of experience.
• Assistant Manager, Finance (3 posts) — a Master's in Commerce, CA, or MBA (Finance), with 8 years of finance/accounting experience.
• Administrative Assistant (1 post) — a First Class Bachelor's degree with 5 years of administrative experience, plus a noting-and-drafting skill test.
• Scientific Assistant (13 posts) — the same Master's/Bachelor's qualification as the Scientist posts, plus GATE (90th percentile+) or NET-JRF, no separate experience requirement stated.
• Taxonomist (1 post) — a First Class M.Sc. (Botany/Zoology preferred), GATE/NET-JRF, and a research publication record.
• Data Entry Operator (4 posts) — a First Class Bachelor's in Science or BCA, plus an MS Office and typing skill test.
• Field Assistant (8 posts) — 10+2 in Science with at least 55% marks, and knowledge of water/wastewater sampling.

Eligibility & Age Limit

Qualification, experience, and age are all assessed as on the application closing date, 7 September 2026 — no updating of your qualification or experience after that date is allowed. Full post-wise details:

There is no age relaxation for in-service candidates, Ex-servicemen, or reserved categories in this recruitment, as per the official FAQs — every candidate must meet the stated upper age limit outright.

Check your exact age as on the cut-off date before applying, since there's no relaxation to fall back on if you're even a few days over.

Salary & Pay Scale

All posts carry a fixed, consolidated monthly amount rather than a pay scale with increments: Scientist-D gets ₹1,71,597, Scientist-C gets ₹1,48,997, Scientist-B gets ₹1,25,380, Assistant Manager (Finance) gets ₹1,19,272, Administrative Assistant and Scientific Assistant each get ₹77,654, Taxonomist gets ₹65,031, Data Entry Operator gets ₹57,498, and Field Assistant gets ₹38,741. These are contract engagements with no additional allowances described in the notification, and no right to regularisation into a regular CPCB post.

Important Dates

Application Fee

There is no application fee for any of the 51 posts, for candidates of any category.

How to Apply

1. Go to the official CPCB website, www.cpcb.gov.in, and open the "Jobs" section to register with a valid e-mail ID and active mobile number — keep both accessible until the recruitment process ends.
2. Enter your name exactly as it appears on your degree certificate (this field cannot be edited after registration), select your post and essential qualification from the dropdown, and enter your date of birth. Note your generated Registration Number.
3. Log back in using your Registration Number and date of birth (which also acts as your password), then fill in your post selection, qualification, and experience details.
4. Upload JPEG images of your photograph, signature, and Experience Certificate, plus (where applicable) your PhD discipline proof and the page showing you as author/co-author of any published paper, book, or journal.
5. Recheck every entry carefully, then submit — applications cannot be altered, resubmitted, or deleted once submitted, so have all your data ready before you start.
6. Confirm your application status shows "submitted" before closing the page.

If you're applying for more than one post, you must submit a separate application for each one.

How Are Candidates Selected

Document Verification & Screening: CPCB verifies your submitted qualification, mark-sheets, and experience certificates. If a large number of candidates apply for a post, the Selection/Screening Committee has discretion to shortlist for interview using a written exam, percentage of marks, desirable qualification, relevant experience, higher qualification, or any other criteria it decides.

Interview: Only candidates who clear document verification and screening are called for interview, held in Delhi. You must bring original mark sheets, degrees, testimonials, date-of-birth certificates, experience certificates, self-attested photocopies of each, an Aadhaar card (or other government-approved photo ID), and one passport-size photo. No TA/DA or accommodation is provided for attending.

Why This Job Matters

CPCB is India's apex body for pollution monitoring and control under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and this recruitment is tied directly to the Namami Gange Programme's river-water-quality work. It's a notably research-heavy hiring drive — several posts weigh published papers, technical reports, and GATE/NET-JRF scores as hard eligibility criteria rather than just preferences, which is unusual for a government recruitment aimed partly at entry-level candidates.

The FreshersLike Take

Best fit: The Field Assistant and Data Entry Operator posts suit candidates early in their career (10+2 or Bachelor's level) who want government-adjacent contract work in the environmental sector; the Scientist and Scientific Assistant posts suit candidates who already have a strong GATE score, NET-JRF, or a real publication record.

Who should think twice: These are purely contract posts, co-terminus with a project funded only up to 6 May 2028 (possibly extended), with explicitly no right to regularisation — if you need long-term government job security, this isn't that. The zero age relaxation policy also means SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/Ex-servicemen candidates get no extra room on the age limit here, unlike almost every other government recruitment.

Practical tip: For the Scientist-B, Scientific Assistant, and Taxonomist posts, your GATE percentile or NET-JRF status is a hard gate, not a tiebreaker — if you don't already hold a 90th-percentile-or-above GATE score or a valid NET-JRF, you're not eligible for those posts no matter how strong your degree is, so check this specific number against your own score before applying rather than assuming a "good" GATE score is automatically good enough.

Documents Required

• Experience Certificate(s), scanned and uploaded at application stage
• Copy of PhD discipline proof, if applicable
• The page showing you as author/co-author of any published Paper/Book/Journal, where you're claiming publication credit
• Photograph and signature in JPEG format
• Original mark sheets, degrees, and testimonials (for document verification/interview)
• Date-of-birth certificate
• Aadhaar card or other Government-approved photo ID
• One passport-size photograph (for the interview stage)
• No Objection Certificate, if you currently serve in a Government/Semi-Government/PSU/Autonomous Organisation

What Happens After Selection

Selected candidates must produce a Medical Certificate from an authorised Government Medical Officer at the time of joining. The engagement is purely contractual — initially for 1 year, extendable on a case-to-case basis — and will terminate automatically on expiry of the SER-Phase-III project or the appointment period, whichever comes first, with no right to regularisation or absorption into a regular CPCB post. Posting will be at Regional Directorate Lucknow, Kolkata, Chandigarh, or CPCB Head Office in Delhi, at the Board's discretion.

Important Links

Common Questions

What is the last date to apply for CPCB Recruitment 2026?

Online applications close on 7 September 2026 at 23:59 Hrs.

Is there an application fee?

No, there is no application fee for any of the 51 posts, for candidates of any category.

Is there age relaxation for SC/ST/OBC or Ex-servicemen?

No. As per the official FAQs, there is no age relaxation for in-service candidates, Ex-servicemen, or weaker sections/reserved categories in this recruitment.

Can a 10+2 pass candidate apply?

Yes, for the Field Assistant post specifically — it requires 10+2 in Science with a minimum of 55% marks. Every other post needs at least a Bachelor's degree.

Are final-year students eligible to apply?

No. Only candidates who already hold their degree or a valid provisional certificate as on the closing date can apply — final-semester or final-year appearing students are not eligible.

Is this a permanent government job?

No. All 51 posts are purely contractual, co-terminus with the SER-Phase-III project (funded up to 6 May 2028, possibly extended), with no right to regularisation or absorption into a regular CPCB vacancy.

Can I apply for more than one post?

Yes, if you meet the eligibility for each post, but you must submit a separate application for every post you apply to.

When will interviews be held, and where?

Interviews will be held in Delhi, but the exact date isn't specified in the notification — it will be published on the CPCB website in due course. No TA/DA or accommodation is provided for attending.

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