GSSSB Horticulture Assistant 2026 Notification: 100 Class-3 Posts in Gujarat Directorate of Horticulture
The Gujarat Subordinate Service Selection Board (GSSSB) has released a notification for 100 posts of Horticulture Assistant, Class-3 in the Directorate of Horticulture, under the Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Co-operation Department, Government of Gujarat. If you have completed a Diploma in Horticulture from an agriculture or horticulture university polytechnic, this notification is aimed squarely at you — and because the qualification printed is a narrow one, the applicant pool is far smaller than for a general graduate post. Selected candidates start on ₹26,000 per month fixed pay. See more Gujarat government jobs while you get your documents together.
The application window is short. It opened on 3 August 2026 at 2 p.m. and closes on 17 August 2026 at 11:59 p.m., with fee payment allowed until 20 August 2026. There is a single written examination of 210 marks — no lengthy multi-stage process — so a focused two-week revision can genuinely put you in the select list. Read this article fully so you do not miss a single condition. Everything below is taken straight from the official notification, explained simply by GovtJobsAlert.in.
Key Highlights — GSSSB Horticulture Assistant Recruitment 2026
GSSSB recruits for Class-3 subordinate service posts across Gujarat government departments through competitive written examinations. This drive fills 100 Horticulture Assistant posts in the Directorate of Horticulture — field-level technical work in fruit, vegetable and flower cultivation, nursery management and post-harvest handling across the state. It is one of the better diploma holder government jobs of the year because the qualification bar keeps the applicant pool small and specialised.
- Post Name: Horticulture Assistant, Class-3
- Total Vacancies: 100 posts
- Salary / Pay Scale: ₹26,000 fixed for 5 years, then Pay Matrix Level-4
- Job Location: Gujarat — offices of the Directorate of Horticulture
- Application Start Date: 3 August 2026 (2 p.m.)
- Last Date to Apply: 17 August 2026 (11:59 p.m.)
Category-Wise Vacancy Breakdown — GSSSB Horticulture Assistant 2026
| Category | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| General (Unreserved) | 41 |
| SEBC | 27 |
| ST | 15 |
| EWS | 10 |
| SC | 7 |
| Total | 100 |
Inside these 100 posts, 30 are reserved for women — 13 Unreserved, 8 SEBC, 4 ST, 3 EWS and 2 SC. A further 4 posts are reserved for Persons with Disabilities — one each in four groups, and the accepted disabilities for this cadre are narrow: Low Vision only (40–70%), so total blindness is not eligible; Deaf or Hard of Hearing (40–70%); the locomotor disabilities BA, BL, OA, OL, CP, LC, Dw, AAV, SD and SI; and ASD (Mild), Intellectual Disability, Specific Learning Disability, Mental Illness or Multiple Disabilities. For BL candidates the department decides fitness for appointment on the medical board’s opinion. There are also 10 posts for Ex-Servicemen. All three are horizontal reservations counted within the total of 100, not extra posts. If a suitable woman candidate is not available for a woman-reserved post, it is filled by a male candidate of the same category.
Eligibility Criteria — GSSSB Horticulture Assistant Recruitment 2026
Educational Qualification
The notification reproduces only the important points of the educational qualification from the recruitment rules. At final selection all provisions of those recruitment rules are applied, so check the full rules before you fill the form. As printed, you must possess:
- A Diploma in Horticulture obtained from a Polytechnic of any Agriculture or Horticulture University incorporated or established under a Central or State Agriculture/Horticulture Universities Act in India.
- Basic knowledge of computer application as prescribed in the Gujarat Civil Services Classification and Recruitment (General) Rules, 1967.
- Adequate knowledge of Gujarati or Hindi or both.
For the computer requirement you need a certificate from a recognised training institute as per the General Administration Department syllabus, or a computer diploma, degree or certificate course from a recognised university, or a certificate showing computer as a subject in your degree or diploma, or proof of having passed Std-10 or Std-12 with computer as a subject. If you do not hold it right now you may still apply, but you must produce it before appointment — otherwise the selection is cancelled.
SEBC married women must submit the non-creamy layer certificate based on their parents’ income. If it is based on the husband’s income, the application is cancelled.
If your degree is from a foreign university, you must produce UGC proof of its recognition or equivalence in India.
Age Limit
The age limit is 18 to 33 years, counted as on 17 August 2026 — the same date is also the cut-off for your educational qualification, caste certificate, non-creamy layer certificate and EWS certificate.
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| General category women | 5 years (max 40) |
| Reserved category men | 5 years (max 40) |
| Reserved category women | 10 years (max 45) |
| PwBD (General) men | 10 years (max 45) |
| PwBD (General) women (10+5) | 15 years (max 45) |
| PwBD (Reserved) men (5+10) | 15 years (max 45) |
| PwBD (Reserved) women | 20 years (max 45) |
| Ex-Servicemen | Service period + up to 3 years |
🎂 Not sure if you meet the age criteria? Use our free Age Calculator for Government Exams to find your exact age on the cut-off date and instantly check your eligibility — including SC / ST / OBC / PwBD age relaxation. →
PwBD age relaxation and reservation apply only if you hold a Civil Surgeon’s certificate showing 40% or more disability, issued in Form V, VI or VII under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2017.
Reserved posts, age relaxation and every other reserved-category benefit are available only to SC, ST, SEBC and EWS candidates of Gujarat origin. Reserved category candidates applying against unreserved posts receive no age relaxation and no other concession. Candidates already serving the Gujarat Government may have the upper age limit relaxed in their favour under the Gujarat Civil Services Classification and Recruitment (General) Rules, 1967. SEBC candidates without a valid non-creamy layer certificate, and EWS candidates without a valid EWS certificate, can register only as General category candidates.
What is the Salary for GSSSB Horticulture Assistant 2026?
The notification sets out the pay in two phases, and both figures below come directly from it.
- First five years: fixed pay of ₹26,000 per month, along with the other benefits admissible under the Finance Department resolutions
- After five years: on satisfactory service, regular appointment in Seventh Pay Commission Pay Matrix Level-4, ₹20,200 – ₹52,200 (the notification prints this range with its two figures transposed, as “Rs. 52,200 to Rs. 20,200”)
- Post classification: Class-3 in the Gujarat subordinate service
A fixed monthly pay of ₹26,000 during the first five years, followed by a regular Level-4 appointment with full allowances, pension benefits and annual increments.
The notification also records that the fixed-pay arrangement remains subject to the outcome of SLP No. 14124/2012 and SLP No. 14125/2012 pending before the Supreme Court. Once you are regularised, Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance and the other allowances admissible to Gujarat Government employees are added on top of the Level-4 basic pay.
What is the Selection Process for GSSSB Horticulture Assistant 2026?
Good news — this is a single-stage competitive examination, not a Prelim-plus-Mains marathon.
Stage 1: Competitive Written Examination
One objective MCQ paper conducted by CBRT or OMR method, split into two parts, 210 questions and 210 marks in total, duration 3 hours. There is negative marking of one-fourth of the marks allotted to a question for every wrong answer. You must separately score 40% in Part-A and 40% in Part-B — and no category gets a lower qualifying standard.
GSSSB is a notified “Examination Authority” under the Gujarat Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2023, in force since March 2023, so this is a public examination and any candidate found guilty of a breach faces legal action under that Act.
Part-A — 90 marks (general subjects):
| Part-A Subject | Marks |
|---|---|
| Reasoning and Data Interpretation | 30 |
| Mathematical / Quantitative Aptitude | 30 |
| Constitution of India | 10 |
| Current Affairs | 10 |
| Comprehension (Gujarati 5 + English 5) | 10 |
Part-B — 120 marks (Horticulture technical subjects):
| Part-B Subject | Marks |
|---|---|
| Fruit Science | 20 |
| Vegetable Science | 20 |
| Floriculture & Landscape Architecture | 20 |
| Post-harvest Technology | 20 |
| Natural Resource Management | 10 |
| Plant Protection | 10 |
| Basic Science | 10 |
| Social Science | 10 |
The subject-wise marks above are the indicative weightings printed for candidates’ information — the Board reserves the right to vary them and is not bound to give any reason. The Part-A and Part-B split of 90 and 120, and the total of 210, are fixed.
Part-A questions come in both Gujarati and English, except the language comprehension questions which appear only in their own language. Part-B is set in both Gujarati and English. Use our exam syllabus and preparation pages to plan your revision — with most of the paper drawn from your own diploma subjects, your college notes are your best asset here.
Candidates with a benchmark disability and a writing limitation may claim a scribe and 20 minutes per hour of compensatory time. You must download the call letter, complete the prescribed form from the Board’s website and email it with your disability certificate to the Board at least two days before the exam — requests received later are not considered under any circumstances.
Stage 2: Answer Key and Result
A provisional answer key is published after the exam and objections are invited, followed by the final answer key. If any question is cancelled, its marks are redistributed pro-rata over the remaining questions. A provisional result of all candidates who appeared is then published on the Board’s website.
Stage 3: Document Verification and Select List
About twice the number of category-wise posts are called for certificate verification, based on total-marks merit among candidates who cleared both parts. The final select list and waiting list are then published category-wise. 5% bonus marks — calculated on the total or normalised marks of the CBRT/OMR examination — are added for eligible widow candidates who have not remarried at the time of appointment; if the proof is not produced in original when the Board asks, the 5% is cancelled and merit re-fixed. Another 5% bonus goes to sportspersons who have represented the State at National/International, Inter-University or All India School Federation level in one of the 25 sports named in the notification — participation at any other level does not count and must not be entered in the form. After appointment you must complete the prescribed training and pass the training examination.
How to Apply Online for GSSSB Horticulture Assistant 2026?
Keep ready: your Horticulture diploma certificate and marksheets, date of birth proof, school leaving certificate, caste or EWS certificate, computer knowledge certificate, and a passport photo with a white background bearing a date not older than one year.
- Visit the OJAS Gujarat portal (direct link given in the Essential Links section below).
- Under “Online Application” click Apply and select GSSSB.
- Click the cadre name for Advertisement No. 454/202627, Horticulture Assistant Class-3, read “More Details”, then click Apply now.
- Fill your Personal Details followed by Educational Details — every field with a red asterisk is compulsory.
- In “Assurance” select Yes and click Save — an Application Number is generated, so write it down.
- Click Upload Photograph, enter your Application Number and birth date, then upload your photo (5 cm × 3.6 cm) and signature (2.5 cm × 7.5 cm), each in JPG under 15 KB.
- Click Confirm Application and verify everything before confirming — a Confirmation Number is generated and nothing can be changed afterwards, not even your category.
- Take a printout of the form, then pay the fee online by 20 August 2026 and save the e-receipt.
Submit only one application. If you send more than one, only the last confirmed application with the prescribed fee is treated as valid and the others are cancelled, with no refund or adjustment of the earlier fee. To correct any detail after confirming, you must file a fresh application before the last date and pay the fee again.
GSSSB Horticulture Assistant 2026 Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Date | 3 August 2026 |
| Online Application Start | 3 August 2026 (2 p.m.) |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 17 August 2026 (11:59 p.m.) |
| Last Date for Fee Payment | 20 August 2026 (11:59 p.m.) |
| Age & Certificate Cut-off Date | 17 August 2026 |
| Written Examination Date | To be announced |
| Call Letter Download | To be announced |
GSSSB Horticulture Assistant 2026 Application Fees
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Unreserved (General) | ₹500 |
| Reserved categories | ₹400 |
Reserved categories here include women of all categories, SEBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwBD and Ex-Servicemen. Transaction charges are payable extra as per rules. Payment is online only — Debit Card, Internet Banking, UPI or Wallets — and if the fee receipt is not generated, the fee is treated as unpaid and the application becomes invalid. No offline payment is accepted, and the payment link closes automatically after the deadline. The fee is refunded to candidates who actually appear for the examination, through the same payment channel; candidates who stay absent get no refund.
Essential Links — GSSSB Horticulture Assistant Recruitment 2026
- Download Official Notification PDF
- Apply Online for GSSSB Horticulture Assistant 2026
- Visit GSSSB Official Website
- Join WhatsApp Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Telegram Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Telegram for Gujarat Govt Jobs
One hundred posts, a single exam, and more than half the paper drawn from the horticulture subjects you already studied — this is as favourable as a government exam gets for a diploma holder. The window is only two weeks, so confirm your application before 17 August 2026 and pay the fee by 20 August 2026. Keep visiting GovtJobsAlert.in for more Gujarat government job notifications and exam updates.