CSIR-TKDL project staff 2026 — 50 associate posts (12 Oct, 5 pm)
CSIR-Traditional Knowledge Digital Library Unit
- Location
- New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jammu, Leh, Srinagar, Palampur
- Last date
- 12 Oct 2026
- Qualification
- BTech/MCA, BAMS, BUMS, BSMS, Sowa Rigpa, MSc or MA Sanskrit/Yoga, post-wise
- Age limit
- 40 years for Senior Project Associate; 35 years for Project Associate-I
- Vacancies
- 50
- Pay / stipend
- Senior Project Associate Rs 42,000 + HRA; Project Associate-I Rs 31,000 or Rs 25,000 + HRA
- Experience
- 3 years for SPA on the bachelor route; 2 years on the ME/MD/doctoral route
- Application fee
- No application fee printed on Advt TKDL/08/2026
- Selection
- Written test and interview, post-wise dates 14–30 October 2026
Official Details
CSIR-TKDL project staff recruitment 2026 is Advertisement No. TKDL/08/2026 dated 22 September 2026. Last date and time is 12 October 2026, 5:00 pm. Apply online at csir.res.in. Detailed notice: advt_tkdl_2292026.pdf. Pointer notice: pointer PDF. Support mail on the notice: tkdlsupport@csir.res.in.
What CSIR-TKDL actually does
The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library Unit sits under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology. It turns traditional medical texts into a structured digital form so that Indian systems of medicine are not patented away by someone else. The unit address on the notice is 14, Satsang Vihar Marg, New Delhi 110067. This advertisement is for project staff on one named project, not for a permanent CSIR scientist or assistant post.
What kind of role this is
Purely temporary, contract engagement on project “Information systems of traditional knowledge for protection and promotion” (TKDL-TK, MLP002639). Tenure starts up to 31 March 2027 and can run at most until 31 March 2031, co-terminus with the project. Any extension past 31 March 2027 needs a review. Posting is Delhi, Jammu, Chennai, Hyderabad, Leh, Srinagar or Palampur, and the notice says location may change with project need. A waitlist panel is valid for one year. No bond is printed. This is not a Level-pay regular job. Do not read the monthly figure as a 7th CPC basic plus DA.
Who should apply — and who should skip
Apply if your degree matches one post code: BTech or MCA for the IT rows, BAMS for Ayurveda, BUMS for Unani, a Sowa Rigpa bachelor’s for Leh and Palampur, BSMS for Siddha, a master’s in chemical or biological sciences for patent rows, MA Sanskrit, or a master’s in Yoga. Senior Project Associate needs the extra years printed for that code.
Skip if you need a permanent government post, pension, or a city that is not on the table. A BTech does not fit the Ayurveda row. A BAMS does not fit the IT row. More than one post means more than one online form. Incomplete forms and any mode other than the CSIR online form are not accepted.
Dates and fee
| Item | On the official notice |
|---|---|
| Notice date | 22 September 2026 |
| Last date | 12 October 2026, 5:00 pm |
| Fee | Not printed on Advt TKDL/08/2026 |
| Test dates | 14 October to 30 October 2026, post-wise, with a reporting time |
| Engagement | Initially to 31 March 2027; maximum to 31 March 2031 |
Available positions
No UR, OBC, SC, ST, EWS roster is printed on this notice. Counts below are position counts, not a reservation table.
1. Senior Project Associate (Information Technology) — TKD3901 1 position
Eligibility criteria
Bachelor’s in Engineering or Technology in Computer Science or Information Technology, or MCA, with three years in R&D in industry, academia or an S&T organisation. Or ME/MTech in Computer Science or Information Technology with two years of such experience. Experience line names core Java and above, advanced Java, J2EE, SQL, Spring, Hibernate, Postgres, JavaScript, AJAX, JSON, AngularJS, Bootstrap, jQuery, JDBC, REST, JBoss, Tomcat, NetBeans or Eclipse, and Git. An alternate experience line is database administration across Oracle, SQL Server and PostgreSQL, including migration. Age 40. Emoluments Rs 42,000 plus HRA. Test: Delhi, 14 October 2026, 9:00 am.
2. Project Associate-I (Information Technology / Data Science) — TKJ3901, TKC3901, TKH3901, TKL3901, TKS3901, TKP3901 6 positions
Eligibility criteria
One seat each at Jammu, Chennai, Hyderabad, Leh, Srinagar and Palampur. Chennai and Hyderabad codes TKC3901 and TKH3901 ask for a bachelor’s in Computer Science, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science or Electronics, or an MCA. Desirable: Java stack, or Python, SQL, machine learning and visualisation. The other four codes ask for a bachelor’s in Computer Science or Information Technology, or MCA. Desirable: Java/Spring/Hibernate, or RHEL 7 and above, nginx and Tomcat. Age 35. Pay Rs 31,000 plus HRA if you have CSIR-UGC NET (including Assistant Professorship), GATE, or a national-level selection by a Central Government department or its agency. Otherwise Rs 25,000 plus HRA. Tests on 14 October 2026 at the city reporting time printed on the notice (9:00, 9:30 or 10:00 am).
3. Senior Project Associate (Ayurveda) — TKD3902 2 positions
Eligibility criteria
BAMS with three years in R&D, or MD (Ayurveda) with two years. Sanskrit or Malayalam is preferred. Delhi. Age 40. Rs 42,000 plus HRA. Test 22 October 2026, 9:00 am.
4. Project Associate-I (Ayurveda) — TKD3903, TKJ3902 5 positions
Eligibility criteria
BAMS from a recognised university or equivalent. Delhi 2, Jammu 3. Age 35. Rs 31,000 or Rs 25,000 plus HRA on the NET/GATE rule. Test 22 October 2026.
5. Project Associate-I (Unani) — TKH3902, TKS3902 7 positions
Eligibility criteria
BUMS. Arabic and/or Persian preferred. Hyderabad 4, Srinagar 3. Age 35. Same PA-I pay split. Test 16 October 2026, 9:30 am.
6. Senior Project Associate (Sowa Rigpa) — TKL3902 1 position
Eligibility criteria
Bachelor’s in Sowa Rigpa medicine with three years in R&D, or MD (Sowa Rigpa) with two years. Leh. Age 40. Rs 42,000 plus HRA. Test 15 October 2026, 10:00 am.
7. Project Associate-I (Sowa Rigpa) — TKL3903, TKP3902 5 positions
Eligibility criteria
Bachelor’s in Sowa Rigpa medicine. Leh 2, Palampur 3. Age 35. PA-I pay split. Test 15 October 2026.
8. Senior Project Associate (Siddha) — TKC3902 3 positions
Eligibility criteria
BSMS with three years in R&D, or MD (Siddha) with two years. Chennai. Age 40. Rs 42,000 plus HRA. Test 26 October 2026, 9:00 am.
9. Project Associate-I (Siddha) — TKC3903 8 positions
Eligibility criteria
BSMS. Chennai. Age 35. PA-I pay split. Test 26 October 2026, 9:00 am.
10. Senior Project Associate (Patent) — TKD3904, TKH3903 2 positions
Eligibility criteria
Master’s in Chemical or Biological Sciences, Bioinformatics or Cheminformatics with three years in R&D, or a doctoral degree in Chemical or Biological Science with two years. Desirable: patent analytics or a PG diploma in IPR, and good English. Delhi 1, Hyderabad 1. Age 40. Rs 42,000 plus HRA. Test 23 October 2026.
11. Project Associate-I (Patent) — TKD3905, TKH3904 7 positions
Eligibility criteria
Master’s in Chemical or Biological Sciences, Bioinformatics or Cheminformatics. Desirable: patent analytics or a PG diploma in IPR. Delhi 3, Hyderabad 4. Age 35. PA-I pay split. Test 23 October 2026.
12. Senior Project Associate (Sanskrit) — TKD3906 1 position
Eligibility criteria
Master’s in Sanskrit with three years in R&D, or a doctoral degree in Sanskrit with two years. Desirable: traditional medical texts and medical terms, including diseases and plant names. Delhi. Age 40. Rs 42,000 plus HRA. Test 30 October 2026, 9:00 am.
13. Project Associate-I (Yoga) — TKD3907 2 positions
Eligibility criteria
Master’s in Yoga. Delhi. Age 35. PA-I pay split. Test 30 October 2026, 9:00 am. The job-requirement line prefers working knowledge of computers and the applicable language.
Total positions — 50. Reporting venues on the notice: CSIR-TKDL Unit, 14 Satsang Vihar Marg, New Delhi; CSIR-IICT, Uppal Road, Hyderabad; CSIR-CLRI, Sardar Patel Road, Adyar, Chennai; CSIR-IIIM, Canal Road, Jammu; IIIM branch, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar; National Institute for Sowa Rigpa, Skalzangling, Leh; CSIR-IHBT, Palampur.
Educational qualifications
| Post family | Degree / marks | Experience / extras |
|---|---|---|
| SPA Information Technology | BE/BTech CSE or IT, or MCA; or ME/MTech | 3 years, or 2 years on the ME/MTech route; Java or database stack |
| PA-I Information Technology | BE/BTech in the named computing fields, or MCA | Desirable software skills; no essential year count |
| SPA Ayurveda / Siddha / Sowa Rigpa | BAMS, BSMS, or Sowa Rigpa bachelor’s; or the MD | 3 years, or 2 years on the MD route |
| PA-I Ayurveda / Unani / Siddha / Sowa Rigpa | BAMS, BUMS, BSMS, or Sowa Rigpa bachelor’s | Language preference only where printed |
| SPA Patent / Sanskrit | Master’s, or doctoral degree | 3 years on the master’s route, 2 years on the doctoral route |
| PA-I Patent / Yoga | Master’s in the named subject | No essential year count |
Selection
- Online form only, one form per post code.
- Written test and interview on the date and reporting time printed against that code, between 14 and 30 October 2026.
- A waitlist panel may be kept for one year.
- Upload scans of original documents while applying. The notice says a missing upload leads to rejection.
How to prepare (free, official)
- Full Advt TKDL/08/2026
- CSIR careers and online form
- For the patent codes, the notice itself names patent analytics. Use the official IPO and CSIR pages, not a coaching PDF.
How to apply without getting played
- Open csir.res.in and the PDF above. A Telegram “TKDL form” is not the application.
- Pick one post code. A second code needs a second form.
- Upload the original degree, category and experience scans the form asks for.
- Submit before 12 October 2026, 5:00 pm. The test can be two days later, so do not wait until the last hour if you also need travel papers.
- No fee line is printed. Do not pay a third party.
FAQs
What is the last date?
12 October 2026, 5:00 pm, for the online application.
Who can apply?
Candidates whose degree matches a post code. IT rows need a computing bachelor’s or MCA. Medicine rows need BAMS, BUMS, BSMS or Sowa Rigpa. Patent rows need a master’s in chemical or biological sciences or a related field.
How many vacancies?
50 project positions. The largest single row is Project Associate-I (Siddha), 8 seats in Chennai.
Where do I apply?
csir.res.in.
What is the fee?
Advt TKDL/08/2026 does not print an application fee.
Can final-year students apply?
The notice does not say final-year. It asks for the degree named for that code. Senior Project Associate also asks for the printed years of experience.
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