Government Exam Notifications This Fortnight: Quick Summary Table

Government Exams This Fortnight: Dates, Vacancies & Eligibility

This fortnight, major government exam notifications include the UPSC Civil Services (Prelims) 2026 cycle updates, SSC CGL and CHSL application windows, IBPS PO and Clerk recruitment, RBI Grade B, RRB Group D level posts, AFCAT, and the CLAT cycle. Last dates to apply range across the next two weeks — check the table below and always confirm on the official portal before paying the fee.

Note: Exam bodies revise vacancies and dates mid-cycle. Treat the official notification PDF as the final word; the summaries here reflect the pattern of current cycles as reported on PIB and respective official portals.

UPSC Notifications: CSE, CAPF & Other Recruitment Updates

The Union Public Service Commission runs its calendar on a fixed annual rhythm, and this fortnight typically sees one or both of the following:

• Civil Services Examination (CSE): Prelims held in May/June each year; the application window opens in January–February. Eligibility: bachelor’s degree in any discipline; minimum age 21 years, upper limit 32 years for the General category, with relaxations for OBC (35), SC/ST (37), and EWS as per government norms. Final-year students can apply and appear in Prelims, provided they produce proof of passing before the Mains stage. Attempt limits: 6 for General, 9 for OBC, unlimited (within age limit) for SC/ST.
• CAPF (Assistant Commandant): Usually notified in the first half of the year with an exam in August. Graduates aged 20–25 are eligible. Check the current status at upsc.gov.in.
• NDA and CDS: Conducted twice a year. NDA requires 10+2 (with Physics and Maths for the Air Force/Navy wings); CDS requires a degree (with engineering for certain academies). Age limits range from 16.5–19.5 years for NDA and 19–25 years for CDS, depending on the academy.

UPSC also publishes rolling recruitment notices for specialist posts (Assistant Directors, Scientists, Medical Officers) — these appear weekly on the Commission’s “What’s New” section and usually have a 2–3 week online application window via the ORA (Online Recruitment Application) portal.

SSC Notifications: CGL, CHSL, MTS & GD Constable

The Staff Selection Commission’s annual calendar is your best planning tool. Current cycles typically active this fortnight:

• SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level): The flagship graduate-level exam for Group B and Group C posts in central ministries. Notification usually in April–June; Tier 1 exam around August–September. Age: 18–32 depending on the post. Qualification: graduation.
• SSC CHSL: For 12th-pass candidates — Lower Division Clerk (LDC), Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA), Data Entry Operator (DEO). Age: 18–27. Notification generally in May–June.
• SSC MTS and Havaldar: For 10th-pass candidates; age 18–25 (MTS) and 18–27 (Havaldar in CBIC/CBN).
• SSC GD Constable: Constable (General Duty) in BSF, CISF, CRPF, SSB, ITBP, AR, and SSF. Eligibility: Class 10 pass; age 18–23 with category relaxations. Medical standards apply.

All applications go through ssc.gov.in under the new portal. Vacancy counts are provisional and can change until the final result stage.

Banking Exam Notifications: IBPS, SBI & RBI

• IBPS PO: The annual Probationary Officer recruitment covers 11 participating public sector banks. Vacancies have ranged roughly between 3,000–5,000 in recent cycles (verify the current figure on ibps.in). Graduates aged 20–30 are eligible; Prelims typically in October, Mains in November.
• IBPS Clerk: Similar cycle; age 20–28, graduation mandatory. State-wise and category-wise vacancies are listed in the notification.
• IBPS RRB: Officer Scale I, II, III and Office Assistant (Multipurpose) posts in Regional Rural Banks. Eligibility often requires local language proficiency of the applying state — a point aspirants frequently overlook.
• SBI PO / SBI Clerk: State Bank issues separate notifications, generally PO in the last quarter and Clerk (Junior Associate) around December–January. Check sbi.co.in.
• RBI Grade B: Approximately 90–100 vacancies in recent years. Eligibility: graduation with 60% marks (50% for SC/ST/PwBD) or a postgraduate degree with 55%. Age 21–30 with relaxations. RBI Assistant is notified separately on rbi.org.in.

Railway & Defence Exam Notifications: RRB, AFCAT & More

• RRB Group D (CEN Level 1): Large-scale recruitment for Track Maintainer, Pointsman, Assistant roles in workshops and depots. Qualification: Class 10 pass or ITI (NAC). Age 18–36 in the current cycle with relaxations. Applications only via rrbapply.gov.in.
• RRB NTPC: Graduate and 12th-level non-technical posts (Station Master, Goods Train Manager, Senior Clerk). Notification cycles are announced through Centralised Employment Notices (CEN).
• AFCAT: Conducted twice yearly by the Indian Air Force for Flying Branch and Ground Duty (Technical/Non-Technical) officers. Apply at afcat.cdac.in. Graduates with 60% marks; Flying Branch requires 10+2 with Physics and Maths.
• Indian Navy and Coast Guard: SSC officer entries and Navik/GD entries open periodically — track joinindiannavy.gov.in and the Coast Guard portal.

State & Central Government Job Notifications

Beyond the big exams, this fortnight’s worth checking:

• State PSCs: UPPSC, MPPSC, BPSC, RPSC and WBPSC publish preliminary exam notifications and interview schedules throughout the year. Most state PCS Prelims application windows stay open 3–4 weeks.
• PSU recruitment through GATE: Major PSUs (IOCL, NTPC, ONGC, BHEL) recruit executives via GATE scores — relevant if you have appeared in GATE.
• Central departments: India Post GDS, EPFO/UPSC EPFO, FCI, and various ministry-level notices appear on PIB and ncs.gov.in (National Career Service).

CLAT & Law Entrance Notifications

CLAT (Common Law Admission Test), conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities, opens registration around July–August with the exam typically held in the first week of December. Key facts:

• UG eligibility: Class 12 with at least 45% (40% for SC/ST/PwBD categories).
• PG eligibility: LLB degree with 50% (45% for reserved categories).
• No upper age limit for CLAT — this remains unchanged.
• Applications only at consortiumofnlus.ac.in.

AILET (NLU Delhi), SLAT, MH CET Law, and state-level law entrances also release notices in overlapping windows — AILET is typically held shortly after CLAT in December.

JEE & NEET Updates Relevant to Aspirants

• JEE Main: Conducted twice a year (Session 1 in January, Session 2 in April) by NTA. Registration for each session opens roughly 2–3 months prior at jeemain.nta.nic.in. Candidates can appear in both sessions; the best score counts for ranking. Eligibility: passed Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, Maths.
• NEET UG: Single annual exam, usually in May, with registration opening in February–March at neet.nta.nic.in. Qualification: 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English; minimum 50% in PCB for General category (40% for reserved categories). Candidates must be 17 years old by 31 December of the admission year; the upper age limit (25) has been subject to litigation — check the latest NTA/MoHFW notice.
• Counselling: JoSAA (engineering) and MCC (medical) counselling follow result declarations — registration windows are short, so monitor the portals weekly during that period.

Eligibility Criteria at a Glance: Age Limits & Qualifications

OBC, SC/ST, PwBD, and ex-servicemen categories get standard relaxations (typically 3–5 years or more) — always read the category-specific annexure in each notification.

How to Apply: Step-by-Step Online Application Guide

1. Read the full notification PDF — not just the summary — including annexures on age relaxation and post-specific requirements.
2. Complete One-Time Registration (OTR) where applicable (SSC, UPSC, IBPS all use OTR-style systems). Keep your Aadhaar-linked mobile number active for OTP verification.
3. Fill personal and academic details exactly as per your certificates — mismatched names are a leading cause of rejection at document verification.
4. Upload photo and signature to the exact pixel size and KB limits specified (typically 20–50 KB for a photograph in JPEG format).
5. Pay the fee online (net banking, UPI, card) or via e-challan where offered. Fee for General/OBC/EWS male candidates in UPSC/SSC exams is typically Rs. 100 (SSC often waives it for women and all reserved categories; banking exams charge Rs. 600–850 for General candidates with lower fees for SC/ST/PwBD).
6. Download and save the final submitted form and fee receipt immediately.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Applying

• Photo/signature specification errors: Blurred, oversized, or outdated photographs are auto-rejected. Take a fresh passport photo against a light background.
• Category certificate issues: OBC certificates must be in the central government format and issued within the validity window specified. An EWS certificate must be current for the financial year.
• Deadline miscalculation: Portals close at a specific time (often 11:00 PM or 11:59 PM) and heavy traffic on the last day causes payment failures. Apply at least 3–4 days early.
• Not completing Part II / final submission: In UPSC and SSC applications, fee payment alone doesn’t complete registration — you must submit the final form and see a confirmation page.
• Skipping the correction window: Most bodies allow one edit round. Use it rather than reapplying, which can invalidate the earlier application.

What to Expect Next Fortnight: Notification Calendar

Based on the standard annual cycles (cross-check with the official calendars on ssc.gov.in, upsc.gov.in, ibps.in, and NTA portals):

• Next-tier exam city slips and admit cards for exams whose application windows closed recently.
• Possible RBI Assistant or SBI recruitment notices.
• Rolling UPSC recruitment advertisements for specialist posts.
• State PSC prelims admit cards and mains result declarations.
• CLAT and AILET counselling/merit list updates if you’re in the law admission cycle.

Tracking tip: Maintain a simple calendar with columns for exam name, application window, exam date, and official link, and set reminders 5 days before each deadline. Bookmark only official “.gov.in”, “.nic.in”, and verified “.ac.in” portals to avoid fake notification websites.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the last dates to apply for government exams this fortnight?

Refer to the quick summary table at the top of this page — it lists each exam’s application deadline as per its current notification. Since portals close at a fixed hour on the deadline day and exam bodies occasionally extend windows, confirm the exact date and time on the official portal (upsc.gov.in, ssc.gov.in, ibps.in, rrbapply.gov.in, afcat.cdac.in, consortiumofnlus.ac.in) before applying.

Can final-year students apply for these government exams?

It varies by exam. UPSC Civil Services allows final-year graduates to appear in Prelims if they can produce proof of passing before the Mains. IBPS PO and Clerk allow final-year candidates, subject to producing the degree at the specified stage. Most SSC CGL and CHSL posts require the qualification to be completed by the notification’s cutoff date, so final-year students are generally not eligible — check each notification’s “essential qualification” clause. CLAT UG candidates apply while in Class 12, with results required at admission.

What is the application fee for these exams?

Typical ranges: UPSC CSE — Rs. 100 (General/OBC/EWS male; women and SC/ST/PwBD exempt). SSC exams — usually Rs. 100 for General/OBC/EWS male, exempt for women and SC/ST/PwBD. IBPS exams — Rs. 850 for General, Rs. 175 for SC/ST/PwBD. RBI Grade B — Rs. 850 (General) with Rs. 100 intimation fee for reserved categories. RRB and CLAT fees are listed in each CEN/notification. Always verify against the current notice.

How many attempts are allowed for UPSC and SSC exams?

UPSC CSE: 6 attempts for General/EWS, 9 for OBC, and unlimited for SC/ST within their age limits. Appearing in even one paper of Prelims counts as an attempt. SSC exams have no attempt limit — you can apply in every cycle until you cross the upper age limit for your category.

How will I know if my application is accepted?

After final submission, download the confirmation/receipt page. Login to the portal a few days later to check application status. Most exam bodies open a correction window for minor errors. Exam city intimation slips and admit cards are released 1–3 weeks before the exam — if your admit card doesn’t appear in that window, contact the helpdesk mentioned in the notification immediately with your registration number.