DRDO Recruitment 2026: The Recruitment and Assessment Centre (RAC) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will close the online application process for Scientist ‘E’, Scientist ‘D’ and Scientist ‘C’ posts today, June 19, at 4pm. Eligible candidates who have not yet applied can submit their applications through the official RAC website. The recruitment drive aims to fill a total of 33 vacancies in the Defence Research and Development Service (DRDS) cadre and other encadred posts under the Lateral Recruitment Scheme.
Candidates must ensure that they meet the prescribed eligibility criteria, including age, educational qualifications and work experience, as on the closing date of the advertisement. The online application facility will remain available only till 4 pm today.
DRDO Scientist Recruitment 2026: Vacancy Details
According to the notification, the vacancies include one post of Scientist ‘E’, seven posts of Scientist ‘D’ and 17 posts of Scientist ‘C’ in the regular DRDS cadre. In addition, five vacancies have been announced for encadred posts in the DRDS cadre, taking the total number of openings to 33.
The posts are available across disciplines such as Electronics and Communication Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Oceanography, Physiology, Pharmacology, Electrical Engineering and Geoinformatics, among others.
Educational Qualification
Applicants must possess at least a first-division Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Technology in the relevant discipline or a first-division Master’s degree in the relevant subject from a recognised university. Where a university does not award divisions, a minimum of 60 per cent marks or equivalent CGPA will be treated as first division.
Candidates must also have the prescribed work experience relevant to the post applied for and provide documentary proof supporting their claims. The required experience varies depending on the level of the post.
Age Limit
For Scientist ‘D’ and Scientist ‘E’ posts, candidates should not be more than 45 years old as on the closing date of the advertisement. For Scientist ‘C’ posts, the upper age limit is 35 years. Age relaxation will be available to eligible categories as per government rules.
Application Process
Candidates are required to register on the RAC portal before filling out the online application form. RAC has advised applicants to complete the process well before the deadline to avoid last-minute network congestion. Only finalised and locked applications will be considered for recruitment. No corrections or additional documents will be accepted after final submission.
Applicants seeking consideration for more than one post must submit separate applications for each position. They have also been advised not to change their registered mobile number or email address, as all recruitment-related communication will be sent through these channels.
Career Growth Opportunities
DRDO said scientists recruited through the DRDS cadre will benefit from its Flexible Complementing Scheme (FCS), under which promotions are linked to periodic merit-based assessments rather than the availability of vacancies. The organisation stated that meritorious scientists can progress to higher levels through regular assessments conducted under the scheme.
General, OBC and EWS male candidates are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of Rs 100, while women, SC, ST and PwD candidates are exempted from the fee.
Check the detailed notification here
