Karnataka Horticulture Department Recruitment 2026: 80 AHO & Assistant Director Vacancies, Eligibility, Pay Scale & Exam Pattern
Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has released a notification dated 4 August 2026 for 80 Group-B posts in the Horticulture Department, Government of Karnataka. The recruitment covers 75 Assistant Horticulture Officer posts and 5 Assistant Director of Horticulture posts. Both are permanent State Civil Service posts with an excellent pay scale going up to ₹1,34,200. If you have studied Horticulture and have been waiting for a proper government posting in your own field, this is exactly the kind of opening you should not miss.
The online application window is open from 5 August 2026 to 30 August 2026, and the fee can be paid until 31 August 2026. Only candidates with a Horticulture degree from an ICAR-accredited university can apply, so competition is limited to your own subject stream — a big advantage. In this article we have explained the vacancy split, qualification for each post, age limit, pay scale, the compulsory Kannada language paper, exam pattern and fees. Read it carefully and keep GovtJobsAlert.in handy for every update on this recruitment.
Key Highlights — KEA Horticulture Recruitment 2026
Karnataka Examinations Authority is the State agency that conducts entrance tests and departmental recruitment examinations for the Government of Karnataka. In this drive, KEA is only the examining body — it conducts the written examination and hands the marks list to the Department of Horticulture, which then completes every remaining stage of selection and appointment. Both posts announced here belong to the base cadre of the Horticulture Department, so postings can be anywhere in Karnataka.
- Post Names: Assistant Horticulture Officer, Assistant Director of Horticulture
- Total Vacancies: 80 posts (75 + 5)
- Pay Scale: ₹65,950 – ₹1,24,900 and ₹69,250 – ₹1,34,200
- Job Location: Anywhere in Karnataka
- Application Start Date: 5 August 2026
- Last Date to Apply: 30 August 2026 (fee payment till 31 August 2026)
KEA Horticulture Vacancy 2026: Post-Wise Breakdown of 80 Posts
| Post Name | Vacancies | Pay Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Horticulture Officer | 75 | ₹65,950 – ₹1,24,900 |
| Assistant Director of Horticulture | 5 | ₹69,250 – ₹1,34,200 |
| Total | 80 | — |
The notification does not print a category-wise vacancy split. The post-wise and category-wise reservation details will be published separately by the Horticulture Department and are subject to revision, so do not rely on any unofficial category table circulating online. Karnataka follows its own reservation structure — General Merit, SC (Category A, B and C), ST, Category-1, 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B — along with horizontal reservation for rural candidates, Kannada-medium students, ex-servicemen, women, transgender and differently-abled candidates. If you want more openings like this, browse all current Karnataka government job notifications.
What is the Eligibility for KEA Horticulture Officer 2026? Qualification & Age Limit
Educational Qualification
- Assistant Horticulture Officer: must be a Graduate in Horticulture from a university established by law in India and accredited by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
- Assistant Director of Horticulture: must hold a Post Graduate Degree in Horticulture along with a B.Sc. in Horticulture, both from an ICAR-accredited university established by law in India.
Please note the Assistant Director post effectively needs both degrees — a B.Sc. (Horticulture) and a PG degree in Horticulture. A single online application covers both posts; you simply pay ₹100 extra to opt for the second one. Candidates holding a master’s degree can check more openings on our post graduate government jobs page.
Age Limit
The minimum age is 18 years, reckoned as on the last date for applications. The maximum age depends on your category, and these figures already include a one-time 5-year relaxation granted by the State Government — so do not add another 5 years on top.
| Category | Maximum Age |
|---|---|
| General Merit | 40 years |
| Category 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B | 43 years |
| SC, ST, Category-1 | 45 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. →
Further relaxation is available to serving or former Karnataka State Government employees (years of service or 10 years, whichever is less), ex-servicemen (period served plus 3 years), former NCC full-time cadet supervisors and village group inspectors (years served), differently-abled candidates (10 years), widows who have not remarried (10 years), released bonded labourers (10 years), and serving or former staff of the Census Organisation of the Government of India located in Karnataka (years of service or 5 years, whichever is less). Widows and bonded labourers must produce the prescribed certificate from the competent authority or the District Magistrate at verification.
What is the Salary for KEA Assistant Horticulture Officer 2026?
Both posts carry a Karnataka State Civil Service Group-B pay scale, as printed in the notification.
- Assistant Horticulture Officer: ₹65,950 – 1650 – 74,200 – 1900 – 85,600 – 2300 – 99,400 – 2700 – 1,15,600 – 3100 – ₹1,24,900
- Assistant Director of Horticulture: ₹69,250 – 1650 – 74,200 – 1900 – 85,600 – 2300 – 99,400 – 2700 – 1,15,600 – 3100 – ₹1,34,200
Starting basic pay is ₹65,950 per month for Assistant Horticulture Officer and ₹69,250 per month for Assistant Director of Horticulture, rising steadily through fixed annual increments to the maximum of the scale.
Karnataka State Government employees also draw Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance and other admissible allowances, but the notification does not print any of those figures or an all-inclusive in-hand salary — so treat the pay scale above as the only confirmed number. Two service conditions are stated in the notification itself: candidates selected through direct recruitment are placed on probation for two years, and both the Assistant Horticulture Officer and Assistant Director of Horticulture posts come under the National Pension Scheme (NPS).
What is the Selection Process for KEA Horticulture Recruitment 2026?
There is no interview, no skill test and no physical test anywhere in this recruitment. Selection rests entirely on written examinations.
Stage 1: Compulsory Kannada Language Examination
This is a qualifying paper only — the marks are not counted for selection or seniority. It is a multiple-choice paper of maximum 150 marks, set at first-language Kannada SSLC standard, and you must score at least 50 marks to stay in the race. Candidates who remain absent or fail to score 50 marks are not eligible for further selection. You are exempt from this paper if you studied Kannada as a first or second language in SSLC (or an equivalent or higher examination), studied in Kannada medium, or have already passed a compulsory Kannada language examination conducted by a Commission or other selection authority.
Stage 2: Competitive Examination (Paper-1 and Paper-2)
The main competitive examination is held in online CBT mode or offline OMR mode, at KEA’s option, and has two papers.
| Paper | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-1: General Knowledge | 100 | 300 |
| Paper-2: Specific Paper | 100 | 300 |
Each paper runs for 2 hours and carries 3 marks per question. There is negative marking of 0.75 marks for every wrong answer, and each question has four options. On OMR sheets you must shade the fifth circle for any question you leave unanswered — 5 extra minutes are given for this, and failing to shade it also costs you 0.75 marks. A minimum of 35 percent in the competitive examination is compulsory to be considered for selection.
Paper-1 covers current events, general science, Karnataka history and geography, Indian history and geography, the Constitution of India, public administration and rural development, Indian economy, environmental science and logical reasoning. The Paper-2 syllabus will be published separately by KEA. Keep an eye on our exam syllabus and pattern section so you start preparing the moment it is released.
How to Apply Online for KEA Horticulture Recruitment 2026?
Keep a recent passport-size photograph on a white background (JPEG, 50KB–200KB) and a signature signed with a black ink marker on white paper (JPEG, 50KB–70KB) ready before you begin. Applications without both uploads are rejected outright.
- Visit the KEA online portal (direct link given in the Essential Links section below).
- Open the recruitment link for Assistant Horticulture Officer and Assistant Director of Horticulture.
- Register and fill the online application form carefully with your personal and educational details.
- Claim your reservation category, and if you are an SC candidate, enter the RD number of your Category-A/B/C certificate.
- Upload your photograph and signature in the exact formats and file sizes mentioned above.
- Select the second post also if you are eligible, and pay the extra ₹100 for it.
- Pay the application fee online — this is the only accepted payment mode.
- Submit the form, then download and preserve the fee payment challan until the recruitment is complete.
Remember that no change or correction is permitted in a submitted application at any stage, so check every field before you press submit.
What is the Last Date for KEA Horticulture Recruitment 2026? Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification date | 4 August 2026 |
| Online application starts | 5 August 2026 |
| Last date to apply online | 30 August 2026 |
| Last date for fee payment | 31 August 2026 |
| Kannada Language Exam date | To be announced |
| Paper-1 & Paper-2 exam dates | To be announced |
Note carefully that the fee deadline is one day after the application deadline — this is genuinely how the notification is worded, not a printing error. All reservation, caste, income and degree certificates must have been obtained on or before 30 August 2026.
What is the Application Fee for KEA Horticulture Recruitment 2026?
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General Merit, Category 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B | ₹750 |
| SC, ST, Category-1, Ex-serviceman, Transgender | ₹500 |
| Differently-abled (PwD) | ₹250 |
| Additional post (second post opted) | ₹100 extra |
The fee is a combination of an application fee and a ₹250 processing fee — for example, ₹750 is ₹500 plus ₹250. No category is fully exempt; even differently-abled candidates pay the ₹250 processing fee. Payment is online only, and the fee once paid is not refunded under any circumstances.
Essential Links — KEA Horticulture Recruitment 2026
- Download Official Notification PDF
- Apply Online for KEA Assistant Horticulture Officer Recruitment 2026
- Visit Karnataka Examinations Authority Official Website
- Join WhatsApp Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Telegram Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Telegram for Karnataka Govt Jobs
Only 80 seats and a qualification restricted to Horticulture graduates — that combination makes this a genuinely realistic shot for anyone from the field. Apply well before 30 August 2026 and pay your fee by 31 August 2026, because no correction is allowed once the form goes in. Start revising general knowledge and your Horticulture subject from today. Keep visiting GovtJobsAlert.in for more Karnataka government job updates.