Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Last Date: 17 July 2026

The Union Public Service Commission has released Advertisement No. 07/2026 with 450 vacancies spread across 54 post categories in central government ministries and departments. The single largest block is 186 Drug Inspector posts under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, making this one of the more substantial direct recruitment cycles UPSC has put out in a single advertisement in recent years. Applications are open now and close on 17 July 2026 at 6 PM.

UPSC Recruitment Advertisement No. 07/2026: Quick Overview

UPSC Recruitment Advertisement No. 07/2026: Quick Intro

This Union Public Service Commission recruitment Advertisement No. 07/2026, published on 25 June 2026, covers 450 vacancies across 54 distinct post categories ranging from Drug Inspector under India's central drug regulator to Aeronautical Officer in civil aviation, from Legal Officer in DGCA to Company Prosecutor in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Also this is UPSC direct recruitment, which means there will be no IAS type written examination instead  applications are shortlisted based on qualifications and experience, and candidates proceed to an interview or, in some cases, a Recruitment Test if the number of eligible candidates is large.
The total available post of Drug Inspector in this recruitment is 186 out of total advertised vacancy of 450, which is also sigle largest, therefore, its component deserves to be understood in context. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, which functions as India's national drug regulator under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, received updated Recruitment Rules through a gazette notification in November 2025. The current 186-post opening under UPSC Advertisement 07/2026 is the first large-scale recruitment under those updated rules.

The remaining 264 vacancies cover technical, medical, legal, administrative, and language posts. Medical specialist positions under Central Health Services also account for a significant portion, spread across Neurology, Cardiology, Urology, and several other specialties. Union Territory of Ladakh has a distinct set of Specialist, Consultant, and Assistant Engineer positions in this advertisement, with those posts restricted to UT Ladakh domicile holders under rules notified in 2025.

Vacancy Details

The total 450 posts is distributed across 54 categories and several ministries, therefore, istead of a post-by-post listing a broad categorywise summary is provided below:

For Drug Inspector, the category-wise distribution is= UR-55, EWS-41, OBC-39, SC-35, ST-16, with 8 posts reserved horizontally for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD).

Among the Medical Specialist Grade-III category openings of the Neurology at 21 posts, Social, Preventive Medicine posts at 11 and Cardiology at 9 vacancies are also are also notable.

PwBD candidates must check the post-specific suitability and reservation tables carefully, because conditions vary significantly across all 54 posts, therefore, check the official notification PDF carefully, available in the Important Links section toward end of the page.

Application Fee

Male candidates from General, OBC, and EWS categories pay Rs. 25, which is similar across all posts. Female candidates of all categories, SC, ST, and PwBD candidates are fully exempted.

Payment must be completed online through Visa, MasterCard, or RuPay Credit or Debit Card, UPI, or internet banking and there is no offline or challan-based payment option. The fee is non-refundable under all circumstances, including cases where an application is rejected during document scrutiny. 

Age Limit

Age limits vary by post. The structure across the major post categories is as follows:

Note: For PwBD candidates, the maximum age on the closing date shall not exceed 56 years in any case, regardless of other relaxations. The reference date for all age calculations is 17 July 2026, which is the closing date for applications.

Central Government employees with at least 3 years of continuous service in the same line or allied cadre will get 5 additional years of age relaxation, which is subject to UPSC's discretion. Ex-Servicemen and Commissioned Officers receive 5 years of relaxation subject to the condition that continuous service in the Armed Forces on the closing date is not less than 6 months after attestation.

Educational Qualification

Eligibility requirements is different across various posts, which are detailed below:

Drug Inspector: Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy or Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a medical degree with specialisation in Clinical Pharmacology or Microbiology, from a recognised university. No experience is listed for this post as essential.

Aeronautical Officer: Engineering degree in Aeronautical, Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, or Metallurgical Engineering from a recognised university, plus 2 years of experience in aircraft design, development, electrical, electronics, mechanical systems, or airworthiness engineering.

Legal Officer (DGCA): Law degree from a recognised university plus 3 years of experience in legal practice. Experience in aviation-related legal matters such as aircraft leasing, liability, or airline acquisitions is a desirable qualification.

Company Prosecutor: Bachelor's degree in law or integrated law degree from a recognised university. No work experience is listed as an essential condition for this post.

Joint Director (Crops Development): Master's degree in Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension, Agronomy, Entomology, Nematology, Genetics and Plant Breeding, Agriculture Botany, Plant Biotechnology, Plant Pathology, Plant Physiology, Seeds Science and Technology, or Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry. Alternatively, a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering. Also in Both cases 3 years of experience in crop production, productivity, planning, development, or extension for food or cash crops in a government, semi-government, public sector, autonomous, or recognised research organisation is required.

Specialist Grade III (Medical Specialties): MBBS with the degree included in the Indian Medical Council Act schedules, plus a postgraduate degree or diploma in the relevant specialty, plus 3 years of experience after PG degree or 5 years after PG diploma.

Deputy Superintending Archaeologist: Master's degree in Archaeology, Indian History (with Ancient or Medieval Indian History), Anthropology (with Stone-Age Archaeology), or Geology (with Pleistocene Geology) from a recognised university, plus a Doctorate in Archaeology, Indian History, Anthropology, or Geology. Alternatively, the same Master's with a one-year PG Diploma in Archaeology and 3 years of field experience including excavation work.

Rajbhasha Adhikari: Post-graduation in Hindi with English as a subject, or equivalent approved combinations as specified in the official notification.

Important Note: applications that do not match the exact qualification description are rejected at the screening stage. Therefore, Check these eligibility details in the official notification (available in the Important Links section toward end of the page) before applying.

Selection Process

Selection under this advertisement follows shortlisting by eligibility and then an Interview or Personality Test. If the number of eligible applicants for any particular post is very large, UPSC may first hold a Recruitment Test or Combined Recruitment Test before the interview stage. It is also worth noting that, not every post in this advertisement will necessarily go through a written test.

For the interview stage, the minimum qualifying marks are: 50 out of 100 for UR category, 45 for OBC, and 40 for SC, ST, and PwBD candidates. In cases where a Recruitment Test is held, candidates must clear the minimum qualifying marks at both stages separately.

For Drug Inspector specifically, with close to 186 vacancies a Recruitment Test at this scale is possible and If UPSC decides to hold an RT, pharmaceutical sciences and the regulatory framework under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 would be the natural preparation focus. For medical specialist posts, the interview is a structured panel evaluation by experts in the relevant specialty, and it will not be like a general knowledge session.

Shortlisted candidates will receive interview schedules and document requirements through their registered email. Therefore, candidates must provide an active and regularly checked email address while applying.

Salary, Job Location, and Service Conditions

Pay levels across the posts in this advertisement range from Level 7 to Level 12 under the 7th Central Pay Commission. At Level 7 (Company Prosecutor), the basic pay starts at approximately Rs. 44,900. Drug Inspector is at Level 8 with basic pay starting at approximately Rs. 47,600. Most Level 10 posts (Aeronautical Officer, Legal Officer, Sub-Regional Employment Officer, and several others) start at approximately Rs. 56,100. Joint Director (Crops Development) at Level 11 carries a starting basic pay of approximately Rs. 67,700. Specialist Grade III posts in the Central Health Service are at Level 12 with a starting basic pay of approximately Rs. 78,800, plus Non-Practising Allowance on top.

All central government posts carry Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, and other applicable allowances as per government rules. Private practice is not permitted for any medical post in this advertisement.

> Job location depends on the post. Drug Inspector posts are headquartered at CDSCO New Delhi with All India posting liability. Aeronautical Officer and Legal Officer positions are at DGCA Headquarters in New Delhi with All India service liability. The six Joint Director posts distributed across eight Crops Development Directorates located at Gurugram, Nagpur, Jaipur, Lucknow, Patna, Bhopal, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. Selected candidates can be posted to any of these eight locations.

> For UT Ladakh posts, a valid Domicile Certificate from the Tehsildar in UT Ladakh is mandatory. These positions are not open to candidates outside the domicile categories notified under the Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment Rules, 2025.

> Probation is two years for most posts in this advertisement, with one year for Joint Director (Crops Development). Medical posts in CHS carry one year of probation.

How to Apply

1. Go to the official UPSC Online Recruitment Application (ORA) portal at https://upsconline.nic.in/ora/
2. Complete One-Time Registration if you have not already done so. This generates a Universal Registration Number (URN). Candidates who already have a URN can use it directly.
3. Log in with your URN credentials and open Advertisement No. 07/2026 from the listed options.
4. Select the specific vacancy number for the post you wish to apply for. Each post has a distinct vacancy number, and a separate application is required for each post you apply for.
5. Fill in the Common Application Form (CAF) with accurate personal, educational, and category details.
6. Complete the Post-Vacancy specific module (the fourth module) with information relevant to your chosen post, including experience details.
7. Upload all required documents including educational qualification certificates, experience certificate in the prescribed proforma, caste certificate if applicable, and PwBD disability certificate if applicable.
8. Capture a live photograph through the portal camera as required during CAF completion. Also upload your scanned signature, which must show three signatures written one below the other on plain white paper using black ink.
9. Pay the application fee online if applicable.
10. Review all entries carefully before final submission. Once submitted, changes and withdrawal of applications are not permitted under any circumstance.
11. Download and save a printout of the final submitted application for future reference.

The UPSC helpline is available on 011-24041001 or 011-40303444, or via email at upscsoap@nic.in, from 10 AM to 5:30 PM on working days.

Required Documents and Important Instructions

Documents that must be uploaded where applicable include:
Matriculation or 10th Standard certificate for date of birth proof, Degree or Diploma certificates for educational qualification (or provisional certificate with mark sheets if final certificate is not yet issued), Experience Certificate in the prescribed format signed by the Head of the Organisation clearly showing dates of employment, basic pay drawn, and nature of duties performed, caste certificate in prescribed proforma from competent authority, Non-Creamy Layer declaration for OBC candidates, PwBD disability certificate from an authorized Medical Board, and any equivalence certificate if claiming a qualification as equivalent to the stated requirement.

It is important to note that, following documents will be rejected and must not be uploaded as experience proof:
payslips, appointment letters, relieving letters, unsigned experience certificates, and resumes. Experience gained on a part-time basis, daily wages, or as a visiting or guest faculty member is not counted toward the experience requirement.

Candidates already in regular Central or UT Government service must submit a written declaration that they have informed their Head of Office or Department that they have applied for this recruitment, also persons seeking age relaxation as Central Government employees must produce a certificate in the prescribed format issued after the date of this advertisement.

If any supporting document is in a language other than Hindi or English, an attested translation by a Gazetted Officer or Notary must be uploaded alongside the original.

> One specific point candiodates should carefully understand about UPSC portal is that, the one-time edit facility for URN profile allows changes only to future applications submitted after the profile is updated. Changes to the URN profile do not apply retroactively to applications already submitted.

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Following practical points may be useful for better understanding about this UPSC Recruitment:

How UPSC Direct Recruitment Differs from Written Exam Competitions

Most candidates in India are used to government recruitment that starts with a written test open to lakhs of applicants but this advertisement works on a fundamentally different logic. The primary thing in this UPSC recruitment is your document-based eligibility, not performance on a common written examination. If your degree and experience match the requirement, your competition is limited to others who also satisfy the same conditions. If they do not match, no amount of preparation will help at the shortlisting stage. After that Interview part will be the final stage of selection.

Important Eligibility conditions that a candidate should understand carefully

Experience certificates must come from the Head of the Organisation, must include the exact dates of employment, the basic pay drawn, and a clear description of duties performed. The certificate format follows a prescribed UPSC proforma available on the Commission's website (Direct link is also provided in the Important Links section toward end of the page). A proper appointment letter, a payslip, or even an internally signed HR document will not substitute for this. Candidates who have genuine qualifying experience but cannot produce the certificate will be rejected, therefore getting the certificate right before submitting the application is more important than spending time on interview preparation at this stage.

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❓Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many total vacancies are there in UPSC Advertisement No. 07/2026?

A total of 450 vacancies have been announced across 54 post categories. Drug Inspector under CDSCO accounts for 186 of those, making it the largest single vacancy block. The remaining 264 vacancies are spread across diverse technical, medical, legal, and administrative roles across multiple central government ministries.

What is the last date to apply?

The online application window closes on 17 July 2026 at 1800 hrs (6:00 PM). Applications must be submitted through the UPSC ORA portal before this deadline. No extension has been announced, and UPSC server load increases closer to deadlines, so applying well in advance is advisable.

Who is eligible to apply for this advertisement?

Eligibility is post-specific and varies across all 54 vacancies. Drug Inspector requires a B.Pharm, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or eligible medical degree. Aeronautical and Civil Engineering posts need a BE or BTech in specified disciplines. Legal posts require LLB and 3 years of legal practice. Medical specialist posts need MBBS and a PG degree in the relevant specialty. Always read the exact vacancy entry before applying.

What is the age limit, including relaxations?

Age limits vary by post. Drug Inspector and Company Prosecutor have an upper age of 30 years for UR category. Aeronautical Officer, Legal Officer, and most Level 10 posts have an upper age of 35 years for UR. SC and ST candidates get 5 additional years, OBC candidates get 3 years, and PwBD candidates get 10 more years over the category limit. The maximum age for PwBD candidates is capped at 56 years on the closing date.

What qualification is required?

There is no single qualification for this advertisement. Drug Inspector needs a pharmacy or related science degree. Engineering posts need BE or BTech in specified disciplines. Law posts need LLB. Medical specialist posts need MBBS and a PG in the relevant specialty. Agricultural posts need a Master's in specified agriculture subjects plus 3 years of relevant experience. The qualification requirement for each post is listed separately in the official notification under its individual vacancy number.

What is the selection process for these posts?

Selection is through shortlisting of eligible applications followed by an Interview or Personality Test. If the eligible pool for any specific post is large, UPSC may hold a Recruitment Test before the interview. There is no common written exam as a universal first stage for all posts in this advertisement. The interview carries minimum qualifying marks: 50 for UR, 45 for OBC, and 40 for SC, ST, and PwBD.

What is the salary for Drug Inspector?

Drug Inspector is placed at Pay Level 8 under the 7th CPC with a starting basic pay of approximately Rs. 47,600 per month. Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, and other applicable allowances are payable on top. The post is Group B Gazetted, Non-Ministerial, permanent in nature, with a probation of 2 years.

What is the application fee?

Male candidates from General, OBC, and EWS categories pay Rs. 25 online. Female candidates of all categories, SC, ST, and PwBD candidates are fully exempted. Payment must be made through debit card, credit card, UPI, or net banking. The fee is non-refundable and applications without it are rejected without the possibility of appeal.

How do I apply online?

Go to https://upsconline.nic.in/ora/, register using One-Time Registration to get your URN, then log in and select Advertisement No. 07/2026. Choose the specific vacancy number for your chosen post. Fill the CAF, complete the vacancy-specific module, upload all required documents, capture a live photograph, pay the fee if applicable, and submit. Download the final printout for your records.

What is the official website for this recruitment?

The official UPSC website is https://upsc.gov.in. Online applications are submitted through the ORA portal at https://upsconline.nic.in/ora/. All official updates, interview schedules, admit cards (if RT is held), and results will be published on the UPSC website. The Commission also sends communication to registered email IDs directly.

Can I apply for more than one post in Advertisement 07/2026?

Yes. Each post has a distinct vacancy number and a separate application is required for each one. The same URN can be used for multiple applications. Before applying to more than one post, confirm independently that you meet the eligibility criteria for each vacancy separately, as the Commission shortlists on individual post eligibility.

What documents are not acceptable as experience proof?

UPSC will reject payslips, appointment letters, relieving letters, resumes, unsigned experience certificates, and internally produced HR documents as experience proof. The valid document is a formal certificate from the Head of the Organisation in the prescribed UPSC proforma, showing employment dates, basic pay, and nature of duties. Part-time and daily wage experience is also not counted.

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Conclusion

We hope the details provided above may help you understand this Recruitment process and with the application window closes on 17 July 2026, if you find a suitable post to apply as per your qualification you should go ahead for application, because it is important to note that, for posts that require work experience, the critical first step is not filling the form online, but it is procuring the experience certificate in the prescribed UPSC format from the right signatory at your organisation. The format is available on the UPSC website under Recruitment and Forms of Certificates (Direct link is also provided in the Important Links section toward end of the page). A certificate that does not match this format may cause your application be rejected even if the experience itself is genuine.

For all official updates including any corrigendum, the Recruitment Test schedule if held, interview dates, and results, the only source to watch is https://upsc.gov.in (you can also bookmark this page and follow our social media handles such as telegram and WhatsApp for quick updates). UPSC communicates with shortlisted candidates through their registered email IDs, so use an active address and check it regularly after submitting your applications.

This article is based on the official notification and simplified for easy understanding. For the most accurate and updated information, always refer to the official website.