NABARD Development Assistant Recruitment 2026: 162 Posts, Eligibility, Fees and How to Apply

NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) advertised 162 vacancies in 2026: 159 for Development Assistant and 3 for Development Assistant (Hindi). The posts were open to graduates, and applications were online only. As of 16 October 2026, the listed application window (17 January to 3 February 2026) has already closed, so this page is a reference for what was advertised, not an open application.

Quick facts

Is this an apprenticeship or a permanent job?

It is not an apprenticeship. The reported details give a pay scale (basic pay of ₹13,150 in the scale ₹13,150–₹34,990, 20 years) and gross emoluments of about ₹32,000 a month at metro centres, rather than a stipend. The source does not spell out service terms such as probation or confirmation, so check those in NABARD's detailed notification.

Status as of 16 October 2026

• Completed window: the online application period of 17 January to 3 February 2026 (23:59 hrs) has ended.
• Dates that have passed: the Phase-I (Preliminary) online exam was listed for 21 February 2026 and the Phase-II (Main) for 12 April 2026.
• Not covered: the evidence does not say whether these exams were held as scheduled, and it has no results or later stages. Check NABARD's website for the current status.

Vacancy details

By post

By state or region

The Development Assistant vacancies were spread across 25 states, union territories and regions. The largest shares were Maharashtra (HO Mumbai) with 48, Uttar Pradesh with 11 and Madhya Pradesh with 10. Gujarat and Tamil Nadu had 9 each, and Odisha and West Bengal 8 each. The 3 Hindi posts were split one each across Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra (HO Mumbai) and Tamil Nadu. Reservation break-ups are not in the evidence.

Eligibility

Educational qualification

• Development Assistant: a bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university, with at least 50% aggregate marks (a pass class for SC/ST/PwBD/Ex-Servicemen candidates).
• Development Assistant (Hindi): a bachelor's degree with Hindi and English as main subjects, or Hindi as one subject with English as a compulsory or elective subject.
• Computer knowledge is described as desirable.

Age limit

The age range is 21 to 35 years. Relaxations for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/Ex-Servicemen and others are said to be in the full notification, which is not part of the evidence, so the cut-off date and exact relaxations are not stated here.

Application fee

• General, OBC and EWS: ₹450
• SC, ST, PwBD and Ex-Servicemen: ₹50
• Payment: online

Selection process and exam pattern

The stages were a Preliminary exam (online), a Main exam (online), document verification and a medical examination.

Preliminary exam

The duration is 60 minutes in total, with negative marking of 0.25 marks. The paper is bilingual except for the English section.

Main exam

The objective part runs for 90 minutes with 0.25 negative marking, and the descriptive English paper for 30 minutes.

Important dates as listed

How to apply

The reported route was online only, with no other mode accepted:

1. Go to the Careers section of NABARD's website and open the relevant recruitment link.
2. Register and fill in the personal, educational and other details.
3. Upload the photograph, signature and required documents.
4. Pay the fee online, submit before the deadline and keep a printout.

The source's own apply button points to a separate registration portal, which differs slightly from the Careers-page instruction. This discrepancy is another reason to rely on the detailed notification published by NABARD.

Limits of the available information

• The details come from a third-party job-listing page dated 31 January 2026, not from NABARD's own notice. Its text also calls the detailed notification something that was "to be released" on 17 January, so confirm eligibility, fees, vacancies and dates against the official PDF.
• Age cut-off date, relaxation details and reservation vacancies are not given.
• The evidence also included a District Court Bengaluru Rural recruitment page. It lists only Process Server selection lists and Typist application and test results, with no open application, so it is not covered here.

FAQ

Can I still apply for NABARD Development Assistant 2026?

The listed application period ended on 3 February 2026, so on the evidence available the window is closed. Check NABARD's website for any later notice.

Who could apply?

Graduates aged 21 to 35 who met the post-specific degree requirements and the 50% aggregate marks rule (a pass class for SC/ST/PwBD/Ex-Servicemen candidates), subject to age relaxations.

What did the exam cover?

The Preliminary tested English, quantitative aptitude and reasoning. The Main added general awareness on agriculture, rural development and banking, plus computer knowledge and descriptive English.