CSIR-TKDL Recruitment 2026: Project Staff Posts in New Delhi, Application Window Closed 23 September

The CSIR-Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (CSIR-TKDL) Unit, New Delhi, advertised contract project posts under Advertisement No. TKDL/06/2026: one Senior Project Associate (Sanskrit) and four Project Associate-I posts in Metallurgy, Agriculture and Patents. Applications were to be filed online at www.csir.res.in. The notice's last date was 23 September 2026, 5:00 PM, so as of 4 October 2026 the application window has closed.

These are temporary, time-bound project engagements, not permanent government jobs and not apprenticeships.

Quick facts

Posts, vacancies and reporting dates

The notice lists five positions in total. It also says a panel of waitlisted candidates, in order of merit, will be formed for vacancies that may arise later.

Both reporting dates fall before 4 October 2026, so the scheduled written test/interview days have already passed. The notice does not publish results, and we did not find any in the evidence reviewed.

Eligibility by post

Senior Project Associate (Sanskrit) – TKM01

The notice asks for a Master's or Integrated Master's degree in Sanskrit from a recognised university (or equivalent) with three years of relevant research and development experience. A second route is a doctoral degree in Sanskrit with two years of experience. The extracted text of this clause is garbled, so check the original PDF for the exact wording. Age limit: 40 years.

Project Associate-I (Metallurgy) – TKM02

B.E./B.Tech in Metallurgy/Metallurgical Engineering, or a Master's degree in Chemistry, or equivalent. The listed work is identifying traditional practices in ancient classical texts and other literature and interpreting them in context. Age limit: 35 years.

Project Associate-I (Agriculture) – TKA01

Master's or Integrated Master's degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Horticulture, Animal Science, any branch of Veterinary Sciences, or Zoology. Experience documenting traditional agricultural knowledge is listed as desirable. Age limit: 35 years.

Project Associate-I (Patents) – TKA02

B.E./B.Tech, Master's or Integrated Master's degree in Natural Sciences from a recognised university or equivalent. Desirable: patent analytics/informatics skills or a PG Diploma in IPR, and good written and spoken English. Age limit: 35 years.

Age relaxation

The notice states relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST/PwBD/Women and 3 years for OBC, or as per Government of India instructions issued from time to time.

Monthly pay

• Senior Project Associate: Rs. 42,000 plus HRA.
• Project Associate-I: Rs. 31,000 plus HRA for candidates who have qualified CSIR-UGC/ICAR/ICMR NET (including lectureship/assistant professorship), GATE, or an equivalent national-level exam run by Central Government departments such as DBT/DST or their agencies.
• Project Associate-I (others): Rs. 25,000 plus HRA.

HRA is payable under Government of India rules applicable to CSIR employees.

How to apply and what the process involved

1. Fill in the online form available at www.csir.res.in. The notice says incomplete applications, or those sent by any other mode, would not be accepted.
2. Upload scanned certificates for educational qualifications (matriculation onwards), age, reservation/statutory category where applicable, experience if any, and publications/patents if any, plus a detailed biodata. The notice says candidature would be summarily rejected without them.
3. Keep the Application No. generated after submission for future correspondence.
4. Attend the written test/interview in person at CSIR-TKDL Unit on the date and time given for the post. Shortlisted candidates' interviews could be held the same day or another day, as informed after the written test.

Candidates were told to carry two self-attested photographs, original certificates, a set of self-attested photocopies and a typed A4 bio-data. Those currently employed needed a No-Objection Certificate at the interview. Result-awaited or final-semester candidates were not eligible, and no TA/DA was payable for the test or interview.

Fee, deadline and unresolved points

• Application fee: the notice text we reviewed does not mention one. Do not assume it is free or paid without checking the PDF.
• Deadline: the notice gives 23 September 2026, 5:00 PM. A headline circulating with "apply online till 12 October" is not supported by the notice; we found no 12 October date, extension or corrigendum for TKDL/06/2026 in the evidence.
• Listing page: the CSIR recruitment archive page we reviewed showed entries only up to TKDL/05/2026 and an older TKDL/03/2026 corrigendum. Those are separate advertisements and do not change the terms of TKDL/06/2026.
• Apply link: the notice names www.csir.res.in for the form but gives no direct form URL, so none is given here.

Contract job, not a permanent post

The notice says these are purely temporary posts. Engagement runs to 31 March 2027 at most, or until the project ends. Total engagement across CSIR projects and labs cannot exceed 6 years. Performance is reviewed periodically, and either side may end the contract with one month's notice or one month's stipend in lieu. The notice says engagement gives no right to continuation, absorption, regularisation or permanent employment in CSIR. No upgradation is allowed within CSIR-TKDL projects. Learners looking for a regular government post should treat this as research-contract experience, not a permanent appointment.

Contact and official notice

The notice lists telephone 011-26851136 and email tkdlsupport@csir.res.in for queries and technical problems with the online form. Read the original document here: CSIR-TKDL Advertisement No. TKDL/06/2026 (PDF).

Frequently asked questions

Is CSIR-TKDL Recruitment 2026 still open?

As of 4 October 2026, no. The notice set 23 September 2026, 5:00 PM as the last date for online applications. We found no extension in the evidence reviewed.

Is this a permanent job?

No. It is a temporary contract engagement under specific projects, running up to 31 March 2027 at most.

Where are the posts based?

The notice gives the location of project activities as New Delhi, and the walk-in test/interview was held at the CSIR-TKDL Unit there.