IOL Recruitment 2026 Notification: India Optel Limited Fixed Term Contract Jobs at Dehradun
India Optel Limited (IOL), a Government of India enterprise under the Ministry of Defence, has released two advertisements under one advertisement number for a combined 155 posts. One covers 57 Junior Project Engineer openings and the other 98 Project Technician openings, all at Dehradun in Uttarakhand. Pay starts at ₹20,000 – ₹65,000 for technicians and goes up to ₹30,000 – ₹1,20,000 for engineers, and there is no application fee for any category. If you follow PSU jobs in the defence sector, this one deserves a slow, careful read.
One thing must be clear before you spend money on speed post. This is a Fixed Term Contract engagement, not a regular government job. The initial term is up to two years, the total stay is capped at five years, and it gives you no claim to permanent employment in IOL. Applications are taken only on paper, from 12 September 2026 to 3 October 2026. Read this full guide on GovtJobsAlert.in before you post anything, because the two advertisements carry different age limits, different pay and completely different selection routes.
What Are the Key Highlights of IOL Recruitment 2026?
India Optel Limited is a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, with its corporate headquarters at Raipur, Dehradun. It manufactures optical and opto-electronics sights, systems and cables for the military and para-military forces, and is the current market leader in that segment. This engagement drive is for its Opto Electronics Factory (OLF) Dehradun and Ordnance Factory Dehradun (OFD).
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organisation | India Optel Limited (IOL), Ministry of Defence |
| Advertisement Number | IOLHqrs/100(6)/2026-Rectt |
| Post Names | Junior Project Engineer, Project Technician |
| Total Vacancies | 155 |
| Pay Level (Engineer) | ₹30,000 – ₹1,20,000 (IDA) |
| Pay Level (Technician) | ₹20,000 – ₹65,000 (IDA) |
| Nature of Engagement | Fixed Term Contract, maximum 5 years |
| Job Location | Dehradun, Uttarakhand — liable to transfer to any IOL place of work in India |
| Application Mode | Offline, by post only |
| Last Date to Apply | 3 October 2026 |
IOL Vacancy Details 2026: How Many Junior Project Engineer and Project Technician Posts?
The reservation split changes completely from one post to the next, so read only the row that belongs to the post you want.
| Post | Category-wise Split | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Project Engineer (Chemical) | UR 1 only | 1 |
| Junior Project Engineer (Electrical) | UR 1, OBC-NCL 1 | 2 |
| Junior Project Engineer (Electronics) | UR 10, SC 4, ST 1, OBC-NCL 6, EWS 2 | 23 |
| Junior Project Engineer (Mechanical) | UR 6, SC 5, ST 2, OBC-NCL 8, EWS 3 | 24 |
| Junior Project Engineer (Optics & Coating) | UR 5, SC 1, OBC-NCL 1 | 7 |
| Project Technician (Fitter Instruments) | UR 19, SC 9, ST 1, OBC-NCL 3, EWS 7 | 39 |
| Project Technician (Fitter Electronics) | UR 19, SC 9, ST 2, OBC-NCL 7, EWS 6 | 43 |
| Project Technician (Machinist) | UR 3 only | 3 |
| Project Technician (Optical Worker) | UR 8, OBC-NCL 3, EWS 1 | 12 |
| Project Technician (Electroplater) | UR 1 only | 1 |
Add the rows up and the drive comes to 57 Junior Project Engineer posts plus 98 Project Technician posts — 155 in all. Neither advertisement prints that grand total; it is the sum of the ten rows above.
PwBD and Ex-Servicemen seats are horizontal reservations counted inside the totals above, not extra ones.
| Post | PwBD | Ex-Servicemen |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Project Engineer (Electronics) | 1 | 2 |
| Junior Project Engineer (Mechanical) | 1 | 1 |
| Project Technician (Fitter Instruments) | 1 (Category b) | 5 |
| Project Technician (Fitter Electronics) | 2 (Categories b and c) | 3 |
| Project Technician (Optical Worker) | 1 (Category b) | 2 |
Three posts — Chemical, Machinist and Electroplater — carry Unreserved seats only. You may still apply from a reserved category, but IOL will then treat you as a General candidate and no relaxation of any kind will be given. Settle that before you post anything.
What is the Eligibility for IOL Recruitment 2026? Qualification, Experience and Age
Educational Qualification
| Post | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Junior Project Engineer (Chemical) | First class (60% marks) full-time regular B.Sc. degree in Chemistry from a recognised University |
| Junior Project Engineer (Electrical) | Full-time regular 3-year Diploma in Engineering, in Electrical, Electrical & Electronics, or Plant Maintenance Engineering only, with minimum 60% marks |
| Junior Project Engineer (Electronics) | Full-time regular 3-year Diploma in Engineering, in Electronics & Communication, Electronics & Instrumentation, or Industrial Electronics & Instrumentation only, with minimum 60% marks |
| Junior Project Engineer (Mechanical) | Full-time regular 3-year Diploma in Engineering, in Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering, or Mechatronics only, with minimum 60% marks |
| Junior Project Engineer (Optics & Coating) | First class (60% marks) full-time regular B.Sc. degree with Physics and Mathematics both as major subjects |
| Project Technician (Fitter Instruments) | Matriculation + NTC or NAC from NCVT in Instrument Mechanic, or Advance Mechanic (Instruments) |
| Project Technician (Fitter Electronics) | Matriculation + NTC or NAC in Electronics Mechanic, Mechanic Mechatronics, Mechanic Industrial Electronics, Mechanic (Embedded Systems and PLC), or Mechanic Power Electronics |
| Project Technician (Machinist) | Matriculation + NTC or NAC in the Machinist trade |
| Project Technician (Optical Worker) | Matriculation + NTC or NAC in the Optical Worker trade |
| Project Technician (Electroplater) | Matriculation + NTC or NAC in the Electroplater trade |
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Minimum marks (Engineer posts only) | 60% aggregate for General, OBC (NCL) and EWS; 50% for SC, ST and PwBD — the Technician advertisement prescribes no minimum percentage |
| Course type (Engineer posts only) | Only full-time regular courses, recognised by AICTE, UGC, the State Board of Technical Education or an appropriate Indian statutory authority; for Technician posts the NTC or NAC must be issued by the National Council for Vocational Training |
| CGPA | Multiply by 9.5 for the percentage; if both CGPA and total marks appear, total marks are used |
| Date of qualification | The date of issue of your final marksheet |
| Technician posts | An Engineering degree or diploma without an NAC or NTC is not accepted |
| Ex-Servicemen route | Upgrading qualification of Class-III equals NAC, and Class-II or Class-I equals NTC, if the civil equivalence is endorsed on the certificate |
That Technician row is the one that surprises people: a higher qualification does not substitute for the trade certificate. If you hold an ITI trade certificate or a polytechnic diploma, match your exact trade name to the table above rather than a close-sounding one.
Experience
| Point | What the notification says |
|---|---|
| Junior Project Engineer | Minimum 5 years post-qualification relevant experience, in a full-time job, after acquiring the prescribed qualification |
| Project Technician | The advertisement prescribes no work experience for these trade posts |
| Not counted | Academic, teaching or research work, non-profit organisations, internships or project work forming part of the curriculum, freelance work and entrepreneurial experience |
| Counted | On-the-job training as Management Trainee, Executive Trainee or Graduate Trainee in a PSU, after acquiring the required qualification |
| Proof needed | Experience certificate showing joining date, relieving date, pay last drawn and nature of work; for a current job, the appointment letter plus the last three months’ pay slips |
| If working now | No Objection Certificate from your employer on or before the interview, and a proper relieving letter at the time of joining |
Age Limit
| Post | Age as on the closing date |
|---|---|
| Junior Project Engineer | 18 to 35 years |
| Project Technician | 18 to 32 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 any age relaxation you qualify for. →
Upper age relaxation for SC, ST, OBC (NCL), PwBD and Ex-Servicemen applies as per Government of India directives — the advertisements do not print the exact number of years, so work yours out from the standing GOI rule for your category. Ex-Trade Apprentices of Ordnance Factories applying for Technician posts get the upper age relaxed by the length of their apprenticeship training. Your age, qualification and experience are all judged on the closing date, not on the day you post the envelope.
What is the Salary for IOL Junior Project Engineer and Project Technician 2026?
| Component | Junior Project Engineer | Project Technician |
|---|---|---|
| Pay Level | ₹30,000 – ₹1,20,000 | ₹20,000 – ₹65,000 |
| Dearness Allowance | Industrial DA (IDA pattern) | Industrial DA (IDA pattern) |
| House Rent Allowance | At applicable rates, if no company accommodation is allotted | At applicable rates, if no company accommodation is allotted |
| Medical Allowance | ₹1,500 per month | ₹1,500 per month |
| Annual Increment | 3% of basic pay, subject to satisfactory performance | 3% of basic pay, subject to satisfactory performance |
The notification gives the pay level and the allowances but does not print an in-hand figure, so treat the range above as what is actually promised. Retired Government employees and Ex-Servicemen have to obtain an NOC from CGHS, ECHS or the Defence Forces to draw the ₹1,500 medical allowance. The contract can be ended by you with three months’ notice and by the company with one month’s notice or pay in lieu of it, so plan your finances around a fixed term rather than a career.
What is the Selection Process for IOL Recruitment 2026?
The two advertisements do not share a selection route. Junior Project Engineers face an interview; Project Technicians face a practical trade test.
| Stage — Junior Project Engineer | What happens |
|---|---|
| Screening | A Screening Committee screens all applications; IOL may adopt higher criteria if a large number of eligible applications arrive |
| Shortlisting | Candidates are called at 2 times the number of vacancies, ranked on percentage of marks in the Diploma |
| Document verification | Done from original certificates before the personal interview; any shortcoming leads to rejection of candidature |
| Personal interview | Held in person only; a virtual or online interview will not be conducted in any circumstances |
| Final merit | 75% weightage to the Diploma or B.Sc. percentage plus 25% weightage to interview performance |
| Tie in score | The eldest candidate is empanelled first; if the date of birth is also the same, alphabetical order of names |
| Medical and character check | Medical fitness certification, and verification of character and antecedents, before engagement |
| Travel | Bus or train fare for the interview is reimbursed under Government guidelines |
| Stage — Project Technician | What happens |
|---|---|
| Shortlisting | On percentage of marks in the final NTC or NAC examination, at 2 times the positions; if you hold both, only the NTC percentage is used |
| Trade Test (Practical) | Qualifying in nature, on the trade test specification of the semi-skilled grade; a candidate who fails the Trade Test is disqualified |
| Merit list | Decided solely on your NTC or NAC percentage, not on the trade test score |
| Medical and character check | Medical fitness certification, and verification of character and antecedents, before engagement |
| Tie in marks | Ex-Trade Apprentices of Ordnance Factories get preference, then the older candidate, then alphabetical order |
| Travel | Bus or train fare for the Trade Test is reimbursed under Government guidelines |
Call letters for the interview and the trade test go out by e-mail only, so give an address you will still be reading in six months. Requests to change the date, venue or time will not be entertained. Being a defence installation, IOL repeats the character verification at every extension of your contract.
What Can Get Your IOL Recruitment 2026 Application Rejected?
These are the lines people skip, and each one can end your candidature.
| Condition | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Late or ineligible application | Applications received after the closing date, or not meeting the eligibility criteria and terms, will be summarily rejected — and IOL takes no responsibility for postal delay or loss in transit |
| Incomplete form | An application that is not fully filled, incomplete, illegible, not in the prescribed format, or without self-attested copies, shall be summarily rejected without any reason being assigned, and no correspondence will be entertained |
| Name mismatch | Any variation in name, surname or spelling between your form and your certificates gets the application rejected summarily |
| False information | False, incorrect, incomplete, dubious or bogus documents shall disqualify the candidature |
| Not eligible | Candidates will be disqualified ab-initio if they do not fulfil the eligibility criteria |
| Missing experience proof | Non-submission of the experience certificate may lead to rejection of candidature for Junior Project Engineer posts |
| Misconduct | Impersonation, irregular means, undue influence or false documents make you liable to legal or criminal prosecution and to be debarred permanently, or for a specified period, from any examination or engagement — and terminated even after joining |
| Mere eligibility | Merely submitting an application, or merely fulfilling the eligibility criteria, confers no right to be called for the interview or the trade test |
| Disqualifying circumstances | Insolvency, pendency of an investigation or trial for a criminal offence, conviction by a court of law, or dismissal or termination from a previous job following disciplinary action |
| Canvassing | Canvassing or outside influence in any form to secure engagement will lead to disqualification, and such candidates may be debarred from future engagement cycles too |
| No permanent claim | The engagement will not entitle you to claim regular or permanent employment; the person engaged has no lien or right against any post in IOL |
| Medical fitness | Nobody is engaged unless declared medically fit, and a person later found unfit is liable to be discharged |
| Joining papers | In the absence of the required relieving document, you shall not be allowed to join |
| Non-selection | No correspondence will be entertained from any candidate about non-selection or rejection, at any stage |
| Ex-Servicemen seats (Technician) | An ESM who has at any time secured any civil-side employment — including in a PSU, autonomous or statutory body or nationalised bank — by availing the ESM reservation concession is not eligible against an ESM-reserved position, as declared in the Annexure-B undertaking |
IOL also keeps the right to raise or curtail the eligibility standards, to increase or decrease the number of positions, or to not fill a position at all — and any such change is notified on its website only.
How to Apply Offline for IOL Recruitment 2026? Step-by-Step Guide
There is no online application for this advertisement. Everything travels on paper.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Download the prescribed Annexure-A application format from IOL’s website, in the Career section (link in Essential Links below), or use the same format printed inside the notification PDF |
| 2 | Fill it in BLOCK LETTERS only, completing every field, including qualification details, experience details, marks and percentage of marks |
| 3 | Paste a recent passport-size photograph on the form, and keep a second identical copy for the trade test or interview |
| 4 | Attach self-attested copies of proof of age, all qualification marksheets and certificates, experience and last-pay-drawn certificates, PPO where it applies, and your category certificate |
| 5 | Ex-Servicemen applying under the ESM category for a Project Technician post must also attach the signed undertaking in the Annexure-B format |
| 6 | Nothing has to be attached towards an application fee — the fee is NIL, so no demand draft and no postal order are needed |
| 7 | Superscribe the envelope clearly as “APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF ……………. ON FIXED TERM CONTRACT BASIS” |
| 8 | Send the completed application by post to The Chairman & Managing Director, India Optel Limited, OFILDD Campus, Raipur, Dehradun (Uttarakhand) – 248008. Junior Project Engineer applications must go by SPEED POST ONLY |
If you want more than one position, you have to apply separately for each one — a single envelope covering two posts does not work. The two enclosures whose absence costs you the claim are the experience certificate for Junior Project Engineer and the category certificate if you are claiming a reserved seat. Post early: the deadline is the date the envelope must reach IOL headquarters, not the date you hand it over at the counter.
What Are the Important Dates for IOL Recruitment 2026?
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 12 September 2026 |
| Offline application starts | 12 September 2026 |
| Last date for receipt of application at IOL HQ | 3 October 2026 |
| Cut-off for age, qualification and experience | Closing date of the advertisement |
Note one unusual thing. Neither advertisement prints a calendar date at all. Both say the closing date is the 21st day from the date of publication of the advertisement in the Employment News or Rojgar Samachar. The dates in the table follow from publication on 12 September 2026, so keep checking the official website in case the publication date shifts.
What is the Application Fee for IOL Recruitment 2026?
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / UR | NIL |
| OBC (NCL) | NIL |
| EWS | NIL |
| SC / ST | NIL |
| PwBD | NIL |
| Ex-Servicemen (ESM) | NIL |
Both advertisements state the application fee as NIL, so there is no payment mode to arrange and nothing to lose if you are not finally selected. The only money this application costs you is the speed post.
IOL Recruitment 2026 Notification PDF Download and Essential Links
- Download IOL Junior Project Engineer Notification PDF
- Download IOL Project Technician Notification PDF
- Visit India Optel Limited Official Website for the Annexure-A Application Form
- Join WhatsApp Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Telegram Channel for Government Jobs
If your NTC trade matches the table exactly, or your diploma or B.Sc. does with five years’ experience, and you are within your age limit on 3 October 2026, send your application this week — a free application on a fixed term contract is worth the stamp, as long as you know it is not a permanent job. Keep visiting GovtJobsAlert.in for more Uttarakhand government job updates and notification alerts.