The ISRO Centralised Recruitment Board has opened a fresh advertisement for Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ across its Centres and the Physical Research Laboratory. Add up the six rows in the notification and you get 175 posts in all. Selected candidates join in Level 10 of the Pay Matrix with a minimum basic pay of ₹56,100 a month — a Group ‘A’ start that very few engineering government jobs offer straight after a B.Tech. If space technology is where you want to build your career, this is your door in.
The online window runs from 27 August 2026 to 16 September 2026 (11.55 PM), and applications are received online only. You need a BE or B.Tech in Electronics & Communication, Mechanical or Computer Science with at least 65% marks or CGPA 6.84, and you must be under 28 years on 16 September 2026. This guide from GovtJobsAlert.in takes you through the vacancies, the two-part written test, the confusing ₹750 refund rule, and the small conditions that quietly end candidatures every year.
What are the Key Highlights of ISRO Scientist/Engineer Recruitment 2026?
ISRO’s Centralised Recruitment Board is hiring for the Department of Space under advertisement ISRO:ICRB:03(EMC):2026 dated 27 August 2026. Posts at constituent ISRO Centres are Group ‘A’ Gazetted, while the three posts at the Physical Research Laboratory, an autonomous body under DOS, are Group ‘A’ Non-Gazetted.
Detail
Information
Organisation
ISRO Centralised Recruitment Board (ICRB)
Advertisement Number
ISRO:ICRB:03(EMC):2026
Post
Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’
Total Vacancies
175
Pay Level
Level 10, minimum basic ₹56,100 per month
Application Window
27 August 2026 to 16 September 2026
Job Location
Any ISRO Centre or Unit across India
Selection
Written Test or CBT, then Interview
How Many Vacancies Are There in ISRO Recruitment 2026?
The advertisement does not print a grand total anywhere. The figure of 175 is the sum of the six notified rows below, so check the row for your own discipline rather than the headline number.
Post (Discipline)
Unit
Vacancies
Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ (Electronics)
ISRO Centres
99
Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ (Mechanical)
ISRO Centres
52
Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ (Computer Science)
ISRO Centres
21
Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ (Electronics)
PRL
1
Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ (Mechanical)
PRL
1
Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ (Computer Science)
PRL
1
Total across the six notified posts
—
175
There is no UR, OBC, SC, ST or EWS community-wise split anywhere in this notification. The only category-wise table ISRO has printed is for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, and those numbers sit inside the totals above rather than on top of them.
Post at ISRO Centres
PwBD-identified Vacancies (already counted above)
Electronics
A 01, B 16, C 03, D 0, E 01
Mechanical
A 3, B 9, C 4(3), D 0, E 01
Computer Science
A 4(3), B 2(1), C 1, D 1*, E 0
All three PRL posts
Nil in every category
Notation or Category
What it means
Asterisk mark
A backlog vacancy
A figure like 4(3*)
Four vacancies, of which three are backlog
Category A
Blindness and low vision
Category B
Deaf and hard of hearing
Category C
Locomotor disability, including cerebral palsy, dwarfism and acid attack victims
Category D
Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
Category E
Multiple disabilities from among A to D, including deaf-blindness
Interchange rule
Backlog PwBD vacancies may be interchanged among categories A to E
If nobody suitable is found
The post will be filled by a candidate who is not a person with disability
Minimum disability
40% relevant benchmark disability is required for reservation
Certificate
Prescribed format, showing the percentage of disability, produced at the interview
Because of that interchange rule, ISRO expressly encourages PwBD candidates of all five categories to apply, even against a category showing zero.
What is the Eligibility for ISRO Scientist/Engineer 2026?
Educational Qualification
Post
Requirement
Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ (Electronics)
BE or B.Tech or equivalent in Electronics & Communication Engineering
Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ (Mechanical)
BE or B.Tech or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering
Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ (Computer Science)
BE or B.Tech or equivalent in Computer Science Engineering
All six posts
Aggregate minimum 65% marks, or CGPA 6.84 out of 10
Two rules here reject more people than the 65% bar itself. Conversion of CGPA into a percentage is not permitted to decide eligibility, and your graduation must have been completed within the stipulated duration of the course. Read the table below against your own marksheet before you pay anything.
Rule in the notification
What it means for you
CGPA cannot be converted
If your certificate shows only a CGPA, that CGPA must itself be 6.84 or more — whatever conversion formula your university prescribes
Both CGPA and percentage printed
At least one of the two must meet the ISRO norm
Course duration
Graduation completed beyond the duration the university prescribes does not count
Dual degree with separate figures
The graduation-level CGPA or percentage is reckoned
Dual degree with one common figure
That final figure for the whole course is reckoned
Dual degree with no figure prescribed
The cumulative figure on the final consolidated marksheet is used
Nationality
Only Indian nationals need apply
Allied disciplines accepted under each of the three branches are listed in the FAQs published on the ISRO website, so computer and IT graduates holding a closely-named degree should read those before ruling themselves out.
Age Limit
Category
Maximum Age as on 16 September 2026
All candidates
28 years
Serving Central Government civilian employees
Relaxation as per Government of India orders
Ex-servicemen and PwBD candidates
Relaxation as per Government of India orders
🎂 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. →
The notification prints no minimum age, and no numeric relaxation figures either — it only says relaxation applies as per Government of India orders for those three groups. So do not assume the usual three or five years. Work out your exact age on 16 September 2026 first.
What is the Salary for ISRO Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ 2026?
Component
Detail
Pay Level
Level 10 of the Pay Matrix
Minimum Basic Pay
₹56,100 per month
Allowances
Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, Transport Allowance
Pension
New Pension Scheme
Medical
Facilities for self and dependents
Canteen and housing
Subsidised canteen, limited quarters facility in lieu of HRA
Other benefits
Leave Travel Concession, Group Insurance, House Building Advance
Two honest notes before you get attached to that number. The posts are described as temporary but likely to continue, and the vacancy count is provisional — ISRO may increase or decrease it, and reserves absolute rights not to fill the posts at all without giving any reason.
What is the Selection Process for ISRO Scientist/Engineer 2026?
Stage
Detail
1. Written Test or CBT
100 marks, in two parts
2. Shortlisting
Ratio of 1:5, with a minimum of 10 candidates
3. Interview
100 marks
Part
Questions and Marks
Duration
Part A — area or discipline specific
80 MCQs, 80 marks
90 minutes
Part B — aptitude and ability
Maximum 15 MCQs, 20 marks
30 minutes
Marking Rule
Detail
Part A — correct answer
Plus 1 mark
Part A — unattempted
Zero
Part A — wrong answer
Minus one-third of a mark
Part B
Wrong answers here cost you nothing — the one-third deduction applies only to Part A
Part B topics
Numerical, logical, diagrammatic, abstract and deductive reasoning
Part B is where most engineering candidates lose ground, because they prepare only for their own branch. Wrong answers cost you nothing there, so attempt every question. Our exam syllabus guides are a sensible place to start on the reasoning half.
Criterion
Unreserved
PwBD (where posts are reserved)
Written Test — each part
50%
40%
Interview
50%
40%
Aggregate
60%
50%
Interview Component
Marks
Technical (academic) knowledge
40
General awareness in your specialisation
20
Presentation and communication skill
20
Comprehension
10
Academic achievements
10
Academic Achievement (within those 10 marks)
Marks
Studied at an IIT, IISc, IIST, NIT or NIRF top-20 institute
3
CGPA above 9, or percentage above 85%
4
CGPA between 7.5 and 9, or percentage 71% to 85%
2
Rank 1 to 3 awarded by your institute
3
Anything else under these three heads
Nil
Final Panel Rule
Detail
Weightage
50% written test marks, 50% interview marks
First tie-break
Marks scored in the Written Test or CBT
Second tie-break
Marks scored in the essential qualification
Third tie-break
Date of birth, with the older candidate placed higher
ISRO’s reserved right
It may change the qualifying criteria for interview and final selection for administrative reasons
Where Will the ISRO Scientist/Engineer 2026 Written Test Be Held?
ICRB reserves the right to cancel or change a venue and re-allot candidates, so the city you choose is a preference, not a promise. Hall tickets and call letters for both the written test and the interview are sent by e-mail only — no post, no SMS. Give an address you actually use, check the spam folder regularly, and remember that ISRO will not be held responsible if an intimation sent that way never reaches you.
How to Apply Online for ISRO Scientist/Engineer Recruitment 2026?
Step
Action
1
Open the ISRO online registration page (link in Essential Links below)
2
Register with a correct e-mail ID and preserve the registration number
3
Fill every field and check it all before you submit
4
Upload your photograph and signature in .jpg or .jpeg format
5
Pay ₹750 through the Bharatkosh gateway link that appears on submission
6
Enter your bank name, branch, account holder name, account number and IFSC
Upload or Payment
Specification
Photograph
Recent colour passport-size, 4.5cm by 3.5cm, 100 kb to 200 kb, light-coloured and preferably white background, no cap, hat or dark glasses
Signature
80 kb to 150 kb, signed on white paper in black ink, not in capital letters
Category certificate
SC, ST, disability or ex-servicemen certificate, needed only for the full refund
Payment modes allowed
Internet banking, UPI, domestic debit card
Payment modes not allowed
Cash, cheque, draft, money order and IPO
Service charges
Borne by the applicant
Failed or pending transaction
ISRO is not responsible for it
If those uploads are missing or unclear, your application will be rejected — that is the one line worth re-reading before you hit submit. Do not leave the payment to the final hour.
What are the Important Dates for ISRO Scientist/Engineer Recruitment 2026?
Event
Date
Advertisement date
27 August 2026
Online application opens
27 August 2026
Last date to apply
16 September 2026 (11.55 PM)
Last date for fee payment
16 September 2026
Age reckoned as on
16 September 2026
Answer keys published
Within three working days of the written test
Objection window on answer keys
Within 5 days of answer key publication
The written test date, the interview date and the admit card date are not announced in this advertisement — they reach you by e-mail and appear on the ISRO website, so keep our exam calendar handy. Objections are accepted only through the link provided after the test. Anything received thereafter, or through any other mode, will not be considered under any circumstances.
What is the ISRO Application Fee 2026 and ₹750 Refund Rule?
This is the part candidates get wrong most often, so read it slowly. The real application fee is ₹250 and it is non-refundable. But at the time of applying, every single candidate pays ₹750 as a processing fee. What differs between candidates is how much of that ₹750 comes back afterwards.
Category
Pay at Application
Refund if You Appear
Women, SC, ST, PwBD and Ex-servicemen
₹750
₹750, in full
All other candidates
₹750
₹500, after the ₹250 fee
The refund comes only if you actually sit for the written test. Miss it and nothing comes back, whichever category you belong to. The money is sent to the bank account you typed into your form, so one wrong digit in the account number or IFSC and the refund goes astray — ISRO will not be held responsible for that. And if you submit more than one application for the same post, only the one against which the fee was received within the last date will be considered.
What Conditions Can Cancel Your ISRO Candidature 2026?
Every line below is printed in the advertisement.
Condition
What it means for you
Incomplete applications
Applications not in conformity with the advertisement, and incomplete ones, will not be entertained
Missing uploads
You must upload clear scanned copies of the required documents, failing which the application will be rejected
Procedural deviation
Any deviation from the notified procedure results in cancellation of candidature, and no representation will be considered
No Objection Certificate
Government, PSU and autonomous body employees who fail to submit the NOC in original at the interview shall not be permitted to appear, and no TA will be paid
Employer’s permission
You must apply only with the prior permission of your employer and under intimation to them
False information
If anything furnished online is found false you will not be allowed for the interview and no TA is paid; a false NOC claim noticed at any stage results in disqualification of candidature or employment
Canvassing
Canvassing in any form will be a disqualification
Travelling allowance
No TA at all for the written test; interview TA is second-class train fare from the city shown in your application, and a change of city will not be entertained
Original documents
All originals proving the details you filled online must be produced at the interview
Language of record
If the Hindi and English versions differ, the English version is final
Posting and transfer
You are liable to be posted at any ISRO or DOS Centre or Unit, and transferred to any other at any time on need basis
If you hold a BE or B.Tech in one of these three branches with 65% or a 6.84 CGPA, and you will still be under 28 on 16 September 2026, this is genuinely worth your application — a Level 10 Group ‘A’ start is rare this early in a career. Get your marksheet, category certificate and bank details together this week and apply well before the closing evening rather than on it, because portals crawl in the last forty-eight hours. Keep visiting GovtJobsAlert.in for more central government job updates.