The CSIR-Traditional Knowledge Digital Library Unit (CSIR-TKDL Unit), New Delhi has released Advertisement No. TKDL/08/2026 inviting online applications for 50 positions of Senior Project Associate and Project Associate-I across disciplines including Information Technology, Ayurveda, Unani, Sowa Rigpa, Siddha, Patent, Sanskrit and Yoga. Positions are spread across seven locations: Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Palampur, Chennai and Hyderabad. The last date to apply online at csir.res.in is 12 October 2026 at 5:00 PM. The written test is scheduled between 14 and 30 October 2026 at the respective posting location, with dates varying by post code.
Important Note: Three things every candidate must know. First, the application deadline is just 11 days away – 12 October 2026 at 5:00 PM. And the written test for IT posts begins on 14 October 2026 – two days after the deadline. Apply immediately and report with all original documents. Second, these are temporary contract positions co-terminus with the project, initially till 31 March 2027 and extendable up to 31 March 2031. They confer no right to regularisation or absorption in CSIR. Third, candidates who are in the final semester or whose results are awaited are NOT eligible. All qualifications must be complete as on 12 October 2026.
CSIR TKDL Recruitment 2026: Overview
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Organisation | CSIR-Traditional Knowledge Digital Library Unit (CSIR-TKDL Unit), New Delhi |
| Advertisement No. | TKDL/08/2026 |
| Project | “Information systems of traditional knowledge for protection and promotion” (TKDL-TK, MLP002639) |
| Posts | Senior Project Associate and Project Associate-I |
| Total Positions | 50 |
| Disciplines | IT, Data Science, Ayurveda, Unani, Sowa Rigpa, Siddha, Patent, Sanskrit, Yoga |
| Locations | Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Palampur, Chennai, Hyderabad |
| Apply Online Last Date | 12 October 2026, 5:00 PM |
| Written Test Dates | 14 to 30 October 2026 (varies by post) |
| Nature of Engagement | Temporary, contract basis |
| Contract Period | Initially till 31 March 2027; extendable up to 31 March 2031 |
| Application Fee | Nil |
| Official Website | csir.res.in |
CSIR TKDL Recruitment 2026: Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Online Application Last Date | 12 October 2026, 5:00 PM |
| Written Test – IT Posts | 14 October 2026 |
| Written Test – Sowa Rigpa Posts | 15 October 2026 |
| Written Test – Unani Posts | 16 October 2026 |
| Written Test – Ayurveda Posts | 22 October 2026 |
| Written Test – Patent Posts | 23 October 2026 |
| Written Test – Siddha Posts | 26 October 2026 |
| Written Test – Sanskrit and Yoga Posts | 30 October 2026 |
CSIR TKDL Recruitment 2026: Post-wise Vacancies and Test Schedule
| Post Code | Post | Vacancies | Location | Test Date | Reporting Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TKD3901 | Senior Project Associate (IT) | 1 | Delhi | 14 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| TKJ3901 | Project Associate-I (IT) | 1 | Jammu | 14 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| TKC3901 | Project Associate-I (IT-Data Science) | 1 | Chennai | 14 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| TKH3901 | Project Associate-I (IT-Data Science) | 1 | Hyderabad | 14 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| TKL3901 | Project Associate-I (IT) | 1 | Leh | 14 Oct 2026 | 10:00 AM |
| TKS3901 | Project Associate-I (IT) | 1 | Srinagar | 14 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| TKP3901 | Project Associate-I (IT) | 1 | Palampur | 14 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| TKL3902 | Senior Project Associate (Sowa Rigpa) | 1 | Leh | 15 Oct 2026 | 10:00 AM |
| TKL3903 | Project Associate-I (Sowa Rigpa) | 2 | Leh | 15 Oct 2026 | 10:00 AM |
| TKP3902 | Project Associate-I (Sowa Rigpa) | 3 | Palampur | 15 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| TKH3902 | Project Associate-I (Unani) | 4 | Hyderabad | 16 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| TKS3902 | Project Associate-I (Unani) | 3 | Srinagar | 16 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| TKD3902 | Senior Project Associate (Ayurveda) | 2 | Delhi | 22 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| TKD3903 | Project Associate-I (Ayurveda) | 2 | Delhi | 22 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| TKJ3902 | Project Associate-I (Ayurveda) | 3 | Jammu | 22 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| TKD3904 | Senior Project Associate (Patent) | 1 | Delhi | 23 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| TKD3905 | Project Associate-I (Patent) | 3 | Delhi | 23 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| TKH3903 | Senior Project Associate (Patent) | 1 | Hyderabad | 23 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| TKH3904 | Project Associate-I (Patent) | 4 | Hyderabad | 23 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| TKC3902 | Senior Project Associate (Siddha) | 3 | Chennai | 26 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| TKC3903 | Project Associate-I (Siddha) | 8 | Chennai | 26 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| TKD3906 | Senior Project Associate (Sanskrit) | 1 | Delhi | 30 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| TKD3907 | Project Associate-I (Yoga) | 2 | Delhi | 30 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| Total | 50 |
CSIR TKDL Recruitment 2026: Salary
| Post | Salary |
|---|---|
| Senior Project Associate | Rs. 42,000 per month + HRA |
| Project Associate-I (NET/GATE qualified or national-level exam selected) | Rs. 31,000 per month + HRA |
| Project Associate-I (others) | Rs. 25,000 per month + HRA |
CSIR TKDL Recruitment 2026: Age Limit (as on 12 October 2026)
| Post | Maximum Age |
|---|---|
| Senior Project Associate | 40 years |
| Project Associate-I | 35 years |
Age relaxation is available for SC/ST/OBC/PwD/Women candidates as per CSIR/Government of India rules.
CSIR TKDL Recruitment 2026: Post-wise Eligibility
Information Technology Posts
| Post Code | Post | Essential Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| TKD3901 | Senior Project Associate (IT) | B.E./B.Tech (CS/IT) or MCA with 3 years R&D experience; OR ME/M.Tech (CS/IT) with 2 years R&D experience. Required skills: Core Java, J2EE, Spring, Hibernate, Postgres, AngularJS, RESTful APIs, Git. |
| TKC3901, TKH3901 | Project Associate-I (IT-Data Science) | B.E./B.Tech (CS/IT/AI/ML/Data Science/Electronics) or MCA. Desirable: Python, SQL, machine learning, data analysis, cloud platforms, big data. |
| TKJ3901, TKL3901, TKS3901, TKP3901 | Project Associate-I (IT) | B.E./B.Tech (CS/IT) or MCA. Desirable: Java/Spring/Hibernate/REST/SOAP stack OR Linux server administration (RHEL 7+, Nginx, Apache Tomcat). |
Traditional Medicine Posts
| Post Code | Post | Essential Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| TKD3902 | Senior Project Associate (Ayurveda) | BAMS with 3 years R&D exp; OR MD (Ayurveda) with 2 years exp. Sanskrit/Malayalam preferred. |
| TKD3903, TKJ3902 | Project Associate-I (Ayurveda) | BAMS from a recognised University. |
| TKH3902, TKS3902 | Project Associate-I (Unani) | BUMS from a recognised University. Arabic/Persian knowledge preferred. |
| TKL3902 | Senior Project Associate (Sowa Rigpa) | Bachelor’s in Sowa Rigpa with 3 years R&D exp; OR MD (Sowa Rigpa) with 2 years exp. |
| TKL3903, TKP3902 | Project Associate-I (Sowa Rigpa) | Bachelor’s in Sowa Rigpa from a recognised University. |
| TKC3902 | Senior Project Associate (Siddha) | BSMS with 3 years R&D exp; OR MD (Siddha) with 2 years exp. |
| TKC3903 | Project Associate-I (Siddha) | BSMS from a recognised University. |
Patent, Sanskrit and Yoga Posts
| Post Code | Post | Essential Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| TKD3904, TKH3903 | Senior Project Associate (Patent) | Master’s in Chemical/Biological Sciences/Bioinformatics/Cheminformatics with 3 years R&D exp; OR PhD with 2 years exp. Desirable: Patent analytics/IPR PG Diploma. |
| TKD3905, TKH3904 | Project Associate-I (Patent) | Master’s in Chemical/Biological Sciences/Bioinformatics/Cheminformatics. Desirable: Patent analytics/IPR PG Diploma. |
| TKD3906 | Senior Project Associate (Sanskrit) | Master’s in Sanskrit with 3 years R&D exp; OR PhD in Sanskrit with 2 years exp. Desirable: Knowledge of traditional medical texts. |
| TKD3907 | Project Associate-I (Yoga) | Master’s in Yoga from a recognised University. |
CSIR TKDL Recruitment 2026: Posting Locations
| Location | Host Institute |
|---|---|
| Delhi | CSIR-TKDL Unit, 14, Satsang Vihar Marg, Spl. Institutional Area, New Delhi – 110067 |
| Hyderabad | CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Uppal Road, Tarnaka, Hyderabad – 500007 |
| Chennai | CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CSIR-CLRI), Sardar Patel Road, Adyar, Chennai – 600020 |
| Jammu | CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Canal Road, Jammu – 180001 |
| Srinagar | CSIR-IIIM Branch Laboratory, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar – 190005 |
| Leh | National Institute for Sowa Rigpa, Skalzangling, Leh – 194101, Ladakh |
| Palampur | CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur – 176061, HP |
CSIR TKDL Recruitment 2026: Selection Process
- Written test at the posting location on the specified date and time.
- Results declared on the same day as the written test.
- Interview of shortlisted candidates in hybrid mode (offline and online) – on the same day or a later date.
- Candidates must wait after the written test for results and interview instructions.
Documents to carry on test day: Original certificates (age, qualification, experience), two passport photographs (self-attested), self-attested copies of all certificates, typed bio-data on A4 paper, and category certificate (for reserved category candidates).
How to Apply for CSIR TKDL Recruitment 2026
- Visit the official CSIR website at csir.res.in and open the online application for Advertisement No. TKDL/08/2026.
- Fill in all details including educational qualification, category, experience.
- Upload scanned copies of: certificates from Matriculation onwards, age proof, category certificate (if applicable), experience certificate (if any), list of publications/patents (if any) and bio-data. Incomplete applications will be summarily rejected.
- Candidates applying for more than one post must apply separately for each post code.
- Submit before 12 October 2026 at 5:00 PM.
- Note the Application Number for future correspondence.
- Report at the posting location on the test date with all original documents.
Candidates currently employed must submit a No Objection Certificate from their employer at the time of joining.
For queries: 011-26851136. For technical issues: official CSIR helpdesk email (see notification PDF).
CSIR TKDL Recruitment 2026: Important Links
| Description | Link |
|---|---|
| Apply Online | Click Here |
| Official Notification PDF | Click Here |
| CSIR Official Website | Click Here |
CSIR TKDL Recruitment 2026: FAQs
Q1. How many positions are available in CSIR TKDL Recruitment 2026?
50 positions: Senior Project Associate and Project Associate-I across IT, Ayurveda, Unani, Sowa Rigpa, Siddha, Patent, Sanskrit and Yoga disciplines.
Q2. What is the last date to apply?
12 October 2026 at 5:00 PM at csir.res.in. Note that the written test for IT posts begins on 14 October.
Q3. Is there an application fee?
No application fee is mentioned in the official notification.
Q4. What is the salary?
Senior Project Associate: Rs. 42,000 + HRA. Project Associate-I: Rs. 31,000 + HRA (NET/GATE/national-level exam cleared) or Rs. 25,000 + HRA (others).
Q5. Are these permanent positions?
No. These are purely temporary contract positions, initially till 31 March 2027 and extendable up to 31 March 2031. They confer no right to regularisation or absorption in CSIR.
Q6. Can final-semester students apply?
No. Candidates in the final semester or whose results are awaited are not eligible. All qualifications must be complete as on 12 October 2026.
Q7. What happens after the written test?
Results are declared on the same day. Shortlisted candidates appear for an interview (hybrid mode) on the same day or as informed later.
Disclaimer
The information in this article is based on the official CSIR-TKDL Advertisement No. TKDL/08/2026 published on csir.res.in. The posting location and number of positions may change as per project requirements. Candidates must read the official notification PDF in full before applying. JobShouter is not associated with CSIR or TKDL. This article is for informational purposes only.
