DRDO RCI RA & JRF Recruitment 2026

Organization: Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO)
Laboratory: Research Centre Imarat (RCI)
Ministry: Ministry of Defence, Government of India
Advertisement No.: RFS/HRD/RCI/2026
Post Names: Research Associate (RA) & Junior Research Fellow (JRF)
Job Location: RCI, Hyderabad, Telangana
Published Date: 17 August 2026
Application Start Date: 17 August 2026
Last Date / End Date: 13 September 2026

DRDO's official vacancies portal confirms that RCI Hyderabad is currently inviting applications for RA & JRF, under Advertisement RFS/HRD/RCI/2026, with the recruitment window ending on 13 September 2026.

Posts

The recruitment covers:

Research Associate (RA)
Junior Research Fellow (JRF)

The fellowships are for eligible candidates in the scientific/engineering disciplines specified by RCI in the detailed advertisement.

Educational Qualification

Research Associate (RA)

Candidates must possess the prescribed Ph.D. or equivalent research qualification in the relevant discipline, or satisfy the research/experience requirements specified for the particular RA position.

Junior Research Fellow (JRF)

Candidates must possess the prescribed qualification in the relevant discipline, such as:

B.E./B.Tech with valid NET/GATE qualification, where prescribed

or

M.E./M.Tech in the relevant discipline, subject to the academic requirements specified by RCI.

Candidates should check the exact discipline-wise eligibility before applying.

Age Limit

The standard DRDO fellowship limits applicable to these positions are generally:

JRF: Maximum 28 years
RA: Maximum 35 years

Applicable age relaxation is provided to eligible reserved-category candidates according to Government of India/DRDO rules. Candidates should use the exact cut-off date and relaxation conditions stated in RFS/HRD/RCI/2026.

Fellowship

Junior Research Fellow (JRF): ₹37,000 per month + HRA

Research Associate (RA): ₹67,000 per month + HRA

HRA and other admissible benefits are governed by DRDO fellowship rules.

Fellowship Nature

These positions are research fellowships and not permanent DRDO appointments.

The fellowship is awarded for the prescribed tenure and may be extended according to DRDO rules, performance and project requirements.

Selection Process

Selection is conducted according to the procedure specified by RCI and can include:

Application Screening / Shortlisting → Interview → Document Verification → Final Selection

Candidates must satisfy all educational, age and other eligibility conditions at the time of verification.

Application Fee

Candidates should refer to the official RFS/HRD/RCI/2026 advertisement for the applicable fee provisions. Do not use fee information from another DRDO laboratory's JRF/RA recruitment.

Documents Required

Candidates should keep their completed application form, photograph, date-of-birth proof, educational certificates and mark sheets, NET/GATE certificate where applicable, Ph.D. certificate for applicable RA posts, experience/research certificates, category certificate where applicable, photo ID and other documents prescribed by RCI ready for submission and verification.

Job Location

Research Centre Imarat (RCI)
DRDO
Hyderabad, Telangana

RCI is one of DRDO's major research laboratories working on advanced defence and missile-related technologies.

Important Dates

Published Date: 17 August 2026
Application Start: 17 August 2026
Last Date / DRDO Portal End Date: 13 September 2026

As of 24 August 2026, the recruitment remains listed on DRDO's current Skill-Seeker vacancies page.

How to Apply

Candidates should download the Advertisement and Application Form provided by DRDO for RFS/HRD/RCI/2026, verify their eligibility for the relevant RA/JRF discipline, complete the prescribed form and submit it according to the instructions in the notification.

DRDO's official page provides a combined Advertisement and Application Form (1.15 MB) for this recruitment.

DRDO RCI RA & JRF Official Recruitment Page