The National Informatics Centre is hiring 376 Scientific/Technical Assistant-A officers on the strength of your GATE 2024, 2025 or 2026 score alone. No written paper. No interview. 50 posts are reserved for GATE DA, 300 for GATE CS and 26 for GATE EC.
Selection
on GATE
score only
ADVT NO. NIC/STA/2026/2
GROUP-B S&T · NON-GAZETTED
PAY LEVEL 6 · 7TH CPC
NIC Scientific/Technical Assistant-A 2026 (Advt No. NIC/STA/2026/2) is a direct recruitment drive by the National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, for 376 Group-B (S&T, non-gazetted) posts in Pay Level 6 of the 7th CPC (₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400). The merit list is prepared entirely from a valid GATE 2024, 2025 or 2026 score — NIC conducts no written examination and no interview. Vacancies are split across three GATE papers: 300 posts through GATE CS, 50 posts through GATE DA and 26 posts through GATE EC. Online applications run from 1 September 2026 (10:00 AM) to 30 September 2026 (5:30 PM) at recruitment.nic.in, and no prior work experience is required.
M.Sc., MS, MCA, B.E. or B.Tech. in a listed computing or electronics field, completed on or before 30 September 2026. Experience required: none.
A category-wise merit list per discipline, in descending order of GATE score. Shortlisted candidates go straight to document verification at Delhi.
NIC runs e-governance infrastructure across every state, district and block. Selected officers may be posted anywhere in India, and outside India.
Each discipline is a separate merit list with its own cut-off. You apply against the paper you wrote — and you may apply to more than one discipline if you hold valid scores in more than one paper.
The single largest dedicated GATE DA intake announced by a central government body so far. A GATE DA score is the only route into these 50 seats — CS and EC candidates cannot compete for them. If you are still building that score, start with the GATE DA 2027 course and test series.
Eighty percent of the drive. The deepest single-organisation opening for GATE CS candidates in this cycle, with 15 posts additionally identified for PwBD candidates under horizontal reservation.
The smallest of the three lists, covering NIC's network, communication and ICT infrastructure work. Competition per seat is typically sharper here than the raw number suggests.
Applying to two disciplines? You may, if you hold valid scores in two papers — but the ₹800 fee is charged separately for each discipline. NIC also notes that the advertised count is tentative and may increase or decrease at its discretion.
The GATE DA 2027 course and test series covers the full paper — Linear Algebra, Probability & Statistics, Calculus, Machine Learning, AI, DBMS and Python — with full-length mocks in the official pattern.
Every eligibility condition — age, qualification, category certificate validity — is judged as on the closing date, 30 September 2026. That date does not move even if the application window is extended.
The application is only complete when all four steps are done. Registration, form and document upload, fee payment where applicable, and download of the confirmation page. If the fee is not paid before the closing time, the candidature is rejected outright.
Three conditions must hold together on 30 September 2026 — a valid GATE score in the matching paper, a completed degree from the listed fields, and age within the category limit.
| NIC discipline | GATE paper code | Accepted GATE years | Posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Science and Artificial Intelligence | DA | 2024, 2025 or 2026 | 50 |
| Computer Sciences & Information Technology | CS | 2024, 2025 or 2026 | 300 |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering | EC | 2024, 2025 or 2026 | 26 |
A pass in M.Sc. / MS / MCA / B.E. / B.Tech. in any of these fields, singly or in combination: Electronics; Electronics and Communication; Electronics & Telecommunication; Computer Sciences; Computer and Networking Security; Software System; Information Technology; Informatics. The qualification must be complete by the closing date, and no claim of an equivalent qualification is entertained.
Degrees earned through open university or distance mode qualify only if approved by the Distance Education Council and, where required, AICTE, per Gazette Notification No. 44 dated 1 March 1995.
| Category | Upper age limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UR / EWS | 30 | In-service government candidate: 35 |
| OBC (NCL) | 33 | In-service government candidate: 38 |
| SC / ST | 35 | In-service government candidate: 40 |
| PwBD | 40 | SC/ST PwBD: 45 · OBC (NCL) PwBD: 43 |
| Ex-servicemen | — | As per Government of India rules |
Age relaxation for SC, ST and OBC (NCL) applies only against posts reserved for them. PwBD relaxation applies whether or not the post is reserved, provided the post is identified as suitable. The five-year in-service relaxation applies to candidates serving in government organisations in the same line or allied cadres.
| Category | Fee per discipline |
|---|---|
| SC / ST / PwBD / all women candidates | Nil |
| UR / OBC (NCL) / EWS | ₹800 |
Online payment only — cash, demand draft, pay order, cheque and challan are not accepted. The fee is non-refundable, and bank charges are borne by the candidate.
This is the part that makes NIC unusual among government recruiters: your GATE scorecard is the whole examination. Everything after it is verification.
NIC prepares a category-wise merit list for each of the three disciplines, ordered by GATE score. GATE DA candidates compete only against other GATE DA candidates for the 50 DA seats.
No year is discounted. Submit your best score from any one eligible year in the paper you are applying under — an older attempt with a higher score beats a recent attempt with a lower one.
First, the candidate with the older GATE year ranks higher. If the score and year match, the older candidate by age ranks higher. If still tied, the higher percentage in the essential qualification decides.
Shortlisted candidates download an authorisation letter and appear with originals. No postponement, no change of venue, no TA/DA. Absence on the notified date ends the candidature.
On cut-offs: NIC does not publish an expected GATE cut-off in the advertisement — the closing score is decided by who actually applies in each category and discipline. Treat any circulating "expected cut-off" figure as a guess, and aim to place your score as high in your paper as you can. For DA candidates, that means full-length practice in the real paper pattern: the GATE DA 2027 test series is built for exactly that.
Applications are accepted only at recruitment.nic.in. Aadhaar-based authentication is used at every stage of the process.
Create an account with a working email ID and an active mobile number. Every NIC communication about this recruitment goes to those two, so use ones you check.
Name, category, address, mobile number and email ID cannot be changed after submission. Read the filled form once before you submit — incomplete or incorrect forms are rejected without query.
₹800 for UR, OBC (NCL) and EWS; nil for SC, ST, PwBD and women. Pay once per discipline. If the payment does not go through before the deadline, the application dies with it.
The application counts as complete only after this step. Keep the Application ID — it is the reference for all correspondence with helpdesk-nic@nic.in.
Certificate formats matter. An OBC (NCL) certificate issued for state government posts or for educational admission is not accepted — it must be the central format for appointment to posts under the Government of India. The EWS certificate must be based on FY 2025-26 income and valid for 2026-27.
NIC was set up in 1976 and builds the e-governance systems that central ministries, states, districts and blocks actually run on — ICT infrastructure, national and state-level digital products, R&D and capacity building.
GATE DA is a young paper, and most PSU notifications still list only CS, EC, ME and EE. Fifty NIC seats tied specifically to paper code DA is a meaningful signal for anyone building a career on the data science and AI track — and a reason to take GATE DA preparation seriously now, while the field is still small.
Unlike PSU drives that use GATE only as a screening filter before their own test and interview, NIC ends at the GATE score. One good attempt converts directly into a merit rank.
Scores from 2024, 2025 and 2026 are all valid and equally weighted, so a strong earlier attempt keeps working for you — and the tie-breaker actually favours the older year.
Yes. NIC has reserved 50 Scientific/Technical Assistant-A posts for candidates holding a valid GATE DA score from 2024, 2025 or 2026. It is one of the largest dedicated GATE DA intakes announced by a central government organisation so far, and the GATE score is the only selection criterion.
No. NIC prepares a category-wise merit list for each discipline purely in order of GATE score. Shortlisted candidates are called directly for document verification, after which a provisional appointment is offered.
GATE 2024, GATE 2025 and GATE 2026 are all accepted and carry equal weightage. Submit your best score from any one eligible year in the paper matching the discipline you apply for.
Computer Sciences & Information Technology needs paper code CS, Electronics and Communication Engineering needs paper code EC, and Data Science and Artificial Intelligence needs paper code DA. A CS score cannot be used against DA posts, or the reverse.
As on 30 September 2026: 30 years for UR and EWS, 33 for OBC (NCL), 35 for SC and ST, and 40 for PwBD candidates. PwBD candidates from SC/ST get 45 years and from OBC (NCL) get 43 years. In-service government candidates in the same or allied cadres get five additional years.
The post sits in Level 6 of the 7th CPC pay matrix, ₹35,400 to ₹1,12,400 per month, plus applicable central government allowances. It is a Group-B Scientific and Technical non-gazetted post.
₹800 for UR, OBC (NCL) and EWS candidates; nil for SC, ST, PwBD and all women candidates. Candidates applying for more than one discipline pay ₹800 for each discipline. The fee is non-refundable.
In three steps: the older GATE year ranks higher first, then the older candidate by age, and finally the higher percentage in the essential qualification declared in the application.
No. The advertisement states that no experience is required, which makes this drive open to final-year students and fresh graduates whose degree is complete by 30 September 2026.
The post carries All India liability. NIC may post selected candidates anywhere in India and outside India in the interest of the organisation, and no query on posting location is entertained during recruitment.
Yes, if you hold valid GATE scores in more than one of the three papers. Each discipline is a separate application with its own ₹800 fee where applicable, and each has its own merit list.
Because the merit list is the GATE score, preparation is the entire strategy. Cover the DA syllabus subject by subject — Linear Algebra, Probability & Statistics, Calculus, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, DBMS and Python — then move to full-length papers in the official pattern so your accuracy holds under time pressure. The GATE DA 2027 course and test series is structured that way, subject-wise content first and mock papers after.
Increasingly, yes. NIC's 50 DA-specific posts show central organisations beginning to recruit against paper code DA directly, and the applicant pool for DA is still far smaller than for CS. If you are choosing a paper now, that ratio works in your favour — see the GATE DA course for the full syllabus coverage and current test series.
The candidature is rejected. NIC does not grant additional time to produce originals, does not allow a change of location, and does not pay TA/DA for appearing.
Because NIC ranks candidates on GATE score alone, every mark moves you up the merit list directly. If you are targeting the 50 DA seats or the 300 CS seats in the next cycle, structured practice on the actual paper pattern is what closes the gap.