ISRO opens 746 jobs as staff shortage hits 25-year high
What's the story
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched a massive recruitment drive, opening applications for 746 positions. The move comes as the Department of Space faces its highest vacancy rate in 25 years. The vacancies are across scientific, administrative, and apprenticeship roles, marking one of ISRO's largest hiring exercises in recent years.
Vacancy details
5,632 unfilled posts
The 746 vacancies include 336 regular posts and 410 apprenticeship positions. Of these, 43 regular vacancies are reserved for backlog recruitment.
Earlier this year, the Department of Space told Parliament that it had a whopping 5,632 unfilled posts, nearly a 30% vacancy rate, the highest in the last quarter-century.
Even if all the advertised positions are filled, there will still be a major staffing gap.
Recruitment specifics
Other vacancies in refrigeration, architecture
The recruitment drive includes 92 Scientist/Engineer 'SC' positions under Level 10 of the pay matrix.
Electronics is the most sought-after area with 34 posts allocated to electronics engineers, followed by mechanical engineering (26), computer science (13), civil engineering (10), and electrical engineering (four).
Other vacancies are in refrigeration and air-conditioning, architecture, and a civil engineering post at Ahmedabad's Physical Research Laboratory (PRL).
Job placements
Successful candidates will be posted at various ISRO facilities
Successful candidates will be posted at various ISRO facilities based on their discipline.
These include the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), and ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru.
Other locations are Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, National Remote Sensing Centre in Hyderabad, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Valiamala, and Istrac.
Additional hiring
Administrative vacancies also being filled
Along with the scientific roles, ISRO is also looking to fill 244 Level-4 posts through the ISRO Centralized Recruitment Board (ICRB).
The administrative vacancies include 113 assistants, 81 junior personal assistants, 22 upper division clerks, 10 stenographers, and others.
Separately, URSC in Bengaluru has announced 410 apprenticeship positions for the training cycle of 2026-27.