UPSC has issued Indicative Advertisement No. 02/2026 for direct recruitment to 16 posts across three positions: Assistant Keeper in the Anthropological Survey of India, Senior Store Officer Grade-II in DRDO, and Livestock Officer in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The official notification is dated 10 April 2026, and applications are to be submitted online through the UPSC Online Recruitment Application portal.
The application window opens on 11 April 2026 and closes on 1 May 2026. The vacancy mix is specialized rather than general, and the roles are spread across the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The pay levels, age limits and category breakup differ by post, so candidates need to read the post-wise details carefully before applying.
One useful point for applicants is that the headline on many job portals simplifies the recruitment as Assistant Keeper, Livestock Officer and More. In practice, the recruitment currently covers three posts only: Assistant Keeper, Senior Store Officer Grade-II, and Livestock Officer. The most reliable starting point is the official UPSC advertisement PDF and the ORA portal, followed by the detailed post-wise recruitment page.
Recruitment Overview
UPSC Advertisement No. 02/2026 covers 16 direct recruitment vacancies in different central government departments. The notification is an ORA-based recruitment, which means candidates have to apply online through the UPSC recruitment portal within the prescribed dates.
The three posts included in this advertisement are Assistant Keeper, Senior Store Officer Grade-II, and Livestock Officer. These are specialist posts, not a common eligibility recruitment. The vacancy count, age limit, reservation pattern and pay level vary from one post to another.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification date | 10 April 2026 |
| Online application start | 11 April 2026 |
| Last date to apply online | 1 May 2026 |
Candidates should complete the ORA process well before the closing date to avoid issues with registration, document upload or fee payment.
Post-wise Vacancy Breakdown
| Post | Department / Organization | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Keeper | Anthropological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture | 1 |
| Senior Store Officer Grade-II | Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Ministry of Defence | 7 |
| Livestock Officer | Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying | 8 |
Total vacancies notified under this advertisement are 16.
Reservation, Age Limit and Pay Level
| Post | Category Breakup | Age Limit in Notice | Pay Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant Keeper | UR-01 | 30 years for UR | Level-07 |
| Senior Store Officer Grade-II | UR-05, OBC-01, SC-01, including 01 PwBD vacancy | 35 years for UR, 38 years for OBC, 40 years for SC, 45 years for PwBD | Level-10 |
| Livestock Officer | EWS-04, OBC-01, SC-02, ST-01 | 35 years for EWS, 38 years for OBC, 40 years for SC and ST | Level-10 plus NPA |
For Senior Store Officer Grade-II, the notice also specifies that the PwBD reservation is for candidates under Blindness and Low Vision.
Post-wise Eligibility Snapshot
The recruitment is not meant for all graduates. Post-wise qualifications are specialized.
| Post | Qualification Snapshot | Experience Snapshot |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Keeper | Master's degree in Anthropology and Diploma in Museology from a recognized university or institute | At least one year experience of handling, maintaining and preserving museum specimens is generally treated as desirable in UPSC notices for this post |
| Senior Store Officer Grade-II | The 2026 post summaries indicate a specialized degree requirement linked to store, inventory, logistics, science or technical disciplines; candidates should verify the exact acceptable qualification combinations in the detailed advertisement before applying | Experience in storekeeping, inventory management and maintaining store accounts is required; exact duration should be checked post-wise in the detailed notice |
| Livestock Officer | Bachelor's degree in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry and registration in the Veterinary Council of India or a State Veterinary Council | Three years experience in cattle and livestock development or allied animal husbandry work is reflected in recent UPSC notices for this post |
Because direct-access parsing of the full official 2026 PDF was limited, candidates should treat the Assistant Keeper and Livestock Officer qualification pattern above as strongly aligned with recent UPSC notices for the same posts, and they should verify the Senior Store Officer Grade-II discipline combinations directly from the detailed 2026 advertisement before final submission.
Application Fee
UPSC ORA recruitment advertisements use a standard fee structure of Rs. 25 for candidates who are not exempt. No fee is charged from SC, ST, PwBD and Women candidates.
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| UR / OBC / EWS male candidates | Rs. 25 |
| SC / ST / PwBD / Women candidates | No fee |
Fee payment is generally completed online through the ORA system. Candidates should check the active payment options shown at the time of submission.
Selection Process
UPSC direct recruitment is made by selection. The Commission's recruitment framework allows selection by interview only or by recruitment test followed by interview, depending on the case.
Applicants should also note that meeting the minimum qualification does not automatically guarantee a call for interview. When the number of applications is large, UPSC can adopt shortlisting criteria to restrict the number of candidates called for the next stage.
- Initial scrutiny of applications
- Shortlisting, where required
- Interview and related selection stage, or recruitment test followed by interview if prescribed
- Document verification
How to Apply Online
- Visit the UPSC Online Recruitment Application portal.
- Complete One Time Registration if you are a new applicant.
- Select Advertisement No. 02/2026 and the post you want to apply for.
- Read the post details carefully and confirm that your qualification, experience, age and category match the conditions.
- Fill in personal, educational, category and experience details correctly.
- Upload the required documents in the prescribed format.
- Pay the application fee, if applicable.
- Submit the application and save the final application record for future use.
Applications are accepted only through the ORA portal. UPSC does not treat job portal summaries as application channels.
Documents and Details to Keep Ready
Before starting the ORA form, candidates should keep the following ready:
- One Time Registration details
- Recent photograph and signature in the required format
- Class 10 or equivalent proof of date of birth
- Degree and diploma certificates
- Experience certificates clearly showing post, duration and work profile
- Category certificate, if applicable
- PwBD certificate, if applicable
- Veterinary Council registration certificate for Livestock Officer, where applicable
- Any supporting documents relevant to desirable qualifications or experience claimed
UPSC recruitment applications are scrutinized against the information entered online, so details claimed in the form should match the documents available with the candidate.
What Is Confirmed and What Should Be Verified
The following points are clearly confirmed from the official recruitment advertisement references: Advertisement No. 02/2026, notification date 10 April 2026, online application period from 11 April 2026 to 1 May 2026, total 16 vacancies, the three post names, the post-wise vacancy count, the ministries or departments concerned, and the age and pay details shown in the indicative advertisement.
The points candidates should still verify directly from the detailed official advertisement page before submission are the exact acceptable discipline combinations for Senior Store Officer Grade-II, the exact wording of essential and desirable experience for each post, and any post-specific document upload instructions or eligibility notes not fully visible in the indicative advertisement summary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the last date to apply for UPSC Recruitment 2026 under Advertisement No. 02/2026?
The last date to apply online is 1 May 2026.
How many vacancies are announced in this UPSC recruitment?
A total of 16 vacancies are announced.
Which posts are included in UPSC Recruitment 2026 for 16 posts?
The advertisement includes 1 Assistant Keeper post, 7 Senior Store Officer Grade-II posts and 8 Livestock Officer posts.
Can any graduate apply for these UPSC posts?
No. These are specialist posts with post-wise qualification and experience requirements, so candidates should check the exact eligibility for the post they want.
What is the application fee for UPSC ORA recruitment?
The usual UPSC ORA fee is Rs. 25 for eligible male UR, OBC and EWS candidates, while SC, ST, PwBD and Women candidates are exempt.
What is the age limit for Assistant Keeper, Senior Store Officer Grade-II and Livestock Officer?
Assistant Keeper is 30 years for UR. Senior Store Officer Grade-II is 35 years for UR, 38 for OBC, 40 for SC and 45 for PwBD. Livestock Officer is 35 for EWS, 38 for OBC and 40 for SC and ST.
How will UPSC select candidates for these posts?
UPSC direct recruitment is by selection. The Commission may shortlist candidates and may use interview only or recruitment test followed by interview, depending on the recruitment case.