If you’ve been scrolling through government job boards this month, you’ve probably already seen the number “951” attached to C-DAC’s name more than once. It’s a big drive, it’s spread across the country, and — unlike a lot of recruitment notices — it actually has room for candidates with zero work experience. That combination is rare enough that it’s worth breaking down properly instead of just skimming a notification PDF and hoping for the best.
This guide walks through everything worth knowing about the C-DAC Recruitment 2026 cycle: who’s hiring, for what, where, how much it pays, and what the process actually looks like once you hit submit.
C-DAC Recruitment 2026 Quick Snapshot
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Recruiting Body | Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) |
| Parent Ministry | Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India |
| Total Posts | 951 (contractual) |
| Recruitment Cycle | JIT (Just-In-Time) June 2026 |
| Centres Covered | 11 — including Bengaluru, Chennai, Noida, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mohali, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati (CINE/North-East) |
| Application Mode | Online only, through careers.cdac.in |
| Application Fee | None, for any category |
| Application Window | 1 June 2026 – 20 June 2026 |
| Nature of Job | Contractual, typically up to 3 years or project completion |
A quick heads-up before you go further: the online application window for this particular cycle closed on 20 June 2026. If you’re reading this after that date, don’t worry — this article is still useful. C-DAC runs these JIT drives fairly regularly, several centres are currently in the shortlisting and interview stage, and knowing how this cycle worked will help you move fast the next time a notification drops. I’ve kept the process, eligibility, and preparation sections intact for exactly that reason.
What Is C-DAC, and Why Does This Recruitment Matter?
C-DAC isn’t a typical government office — it’s a scientific society functioning under MeitY, and its actual job is research and development in advanced computing. Think supercomputing, cybersecurity, AI, VLSI design, and large-scale software systems that often end up powering other government platforms behind the scenes. For engineers who want R&D exposure without leaving the public sector entirely, C-DAC has built a reputation as one of the more technically serious places to work.
This particular hiring round is called the JIT (Just-In-Time) cycle, which is C-DAC’s way of describing project-linked hiring — positions tied to active or upcoming projects rather than permanent, pensionable government posts. That distinction matters, and we’ll come back to it.
Vacancy Distribution Across Centres
Because each of the 11 centres published its own separate advertisement, the exact post count at any single location varies depending on which notification you’re checking — and C-DAC itself has noted the numbers are provisional and can shift based on actual project needs. Broadly speaking, Noida and Bengaluru account for a large share of the openings, with meaningful numbers also coming out of Pune, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Smaller centres like Delhi and Mohali have far fewer seats.
If a specific city matters to you, don’t rely on a summary table from any third-party site (including this one) — pull up that centre’s individual PDF on the official C-DAC careers portal before you plan your application.
Posts on Offer
The roles span a wide experience range, which is part of what makes this drive worth paying attention to:
- Project Associate / Project Engineer (Fresher) – open to fresh BE/B.Tech, MCA, or M.Sc graduates with little to no work experience
- Project Engineer (Experienced)
- Senior Project Engineer / Module Lead / Project Leader
- Project Manager / Program Manager
- Project Technician
- Project Support Staff, HRD Officer, and other administrative roles
Technical domains being hired for include AI/ML, cybersecurity, embedded systems, full-stack development, cryptography, high-performance computing, and VLSI — reflecting the kind of project work C-DAC actually does rather than generic IT support roles.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility differs by post, so treat the points below as a general map rather than the final word — always cross-check against the specific advertisement for your target post and centre.
Educational Qualification
- Entry-level technical posts generally require a BE/B.Tech (or equivalent) in a relevant branch, usually with around 60% aggregate marks or an equivalent CGPA
- Postgraduate options — ME/M.Tech, MCA, M.Sc (CS/IT), or a relevant PG degree — are accepted for several roles
- Senior roles (Senior Project Engineer, Module Lead, Project Manager) typically require a minimum of 4 years of relevant post-qualification experience
- Diploma and ITI holders are eligible for certain technician-level posts, along with a defined minimum experience band
- If your degree was graded on a CGPA or letter-grade scale, keep a percentage-equivalence certificate from your university ready — C-DAC has explicitly asked for this during document verification
Age Limit Age limits are calculated as on the last date of application and vary by post level:
| Post Level | Maximum Age |
|---|---|
| Project Associate / Project Engineer (Fresher) | 30 years |
| Project Technician | 30 years |
| Project Support Staff / HRD / Group Secretary | 35 years |
| Senior Project Engineer / Module Lead / Project Leader | 40 years |
| Project Engineer (Experienced) / PS&O Executive | 45 years |
| Project Manager / Program Manager | 56 years |
Standard government relaxation rules apply: 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), and additional relaxation for PwBD and Ex-Servicemen candidates.
One detail worth flagging: C-DAC has clarified that internship duration, academic project work, and teaching assignments do not count toward the experience requirement. Only documented, paid employment qualifies — so don’t pad your application with internship months hoping they’ll add up.
Salary Structure
Pay is on a consolidated, contractual basis rather than a traditional government pay-scale with allowances, and it climbs noticeably with seniority — from roughly ₹28,000–35,000 a month for entry-level Project Associates up to around ₹1,60,000 a month for Project Manager / Program Manager roles, depending on the centre and domain. The exact figure for any given post is spelled out in that centre’s specific advertisement, so treat this as a general range rather than a guarantee.
It’s worth being upfront about the trade-off here: these are consolidated salaries without the usual government pay-band benefits like DA, HRA structures, or pension contributions. What you’re getting in exchange is R&D-heavy project exposure at a respected public-sector institution, which carries its own value if you’re early in your career or targeting a research-oriented path later on.
Selection Process
C-DAC keeps this fairly lean compared to many government exams — there’s no compulsory written exam for every post.
- Initial Screening – applications are checked against eligibility criteria and shortlisted based on academic record and relevant experience
- Written Examination – conducted only where the centre or post specifically requires it (often in CBT mode)
- Personal Interview – the final stage for most posts
All communication from C-DAC — screening results, test call letters, interview schedules — goes out by email only. No physical call letters are dispatched at any stage, so an active, regularly checked email address isn’t optional; it’s the only channel you’ll get updates through.
How the Application Process Works
For future reference (or if you’re applying to a fresh cycle when one opens):
- Go to the official C-DAC careers portal at careers.cdac.in or the “Careers” section of cdac.in
- Pick your target centre and the specific post advertisement
- Complete primary registration with basic details — name, date of birth, mobile number, email
- Log in using the registration ID and password sent to your email
- Fill in the full application form: educational qualifications, work experience, personal details
- Upload a passport-size photograph and signature in the prescribed format
- Review every field carefully, then submit — there’s no fee to pay
- Save and print the final submitted form for your own records
A practical note: if you’re eligible for more than one post or centre, you’ll need to submit a separate application for each one — there’s no single form that covers multiple postings.
Documents to Keep Ready
- Date of birth proof (Matriculation/SSC certificate or municipal birth certificate)
- Educational certificates and mark sheets for the qualifying degree
- Percentage-equivalence certificate, if your degree used a CGPA/grade system
- Experience certificates from previous employers, where applicable
- Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS), if claiming reservation benefits
- Passport-size photograph and signature scans in the required format
A Few Honest Things to Know Before You Apply
- These are not permanent government jobs. Selection gives you no automatic right to a permanent position — contracts run up to 3 years or until the project ends, whichever comes first, and can be extended based on performance and project need.
- You could be posted anywhere. Selected candidates may be deputed to a different C-DAC location if organizational requirements call for it.
- Competition will be heavy, especially for popular domains like AI/ML, full-stack development, and cybersecurity, simply because there’s no application fee acting as a filter on volume.
- C-DAC can raise the eligibility bar if the applicant pool for a post is very large — meeting the bare minimum criteria doesn’t guarantee a screening call.
- Government or PSU employees applying need to send their application online and forward a signed physical copy through proper channel, along with a No Objection Certificate, before the interview stage. Skipping this step can cost you the interview even if you’re otherwise shortlisted.
This article summarizes publicly available details from C-DAC’s JIT June 2026 recruitment notifications. Post counts, salary bands, and eligibility conditions differ across centres and are subject to correction or revision by C-DAC. Before applying to any cycle, always verify the latest details — including corrigenda — directly on the official C-DAC careers portal at careers.cdac.in or cdac.in.
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