ICAR Technical Assistant IT 2026 notification is out. The Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) has released the Centralized Combined Examination 2026 notification (11 November 2026) for 1393 posts of Technical Assistant (T-3) in ICAR institutes and Senior Technical Assistant (T-4) in Krishi Vigyan Kendras. This page is the complete guide for the Information Technology functional group: vacancies, eligibility, exam pattern and the full Mains syllabus exactly as notified by ICAR.
Information Technology is the second-largest functional group with 181 posts: 133 Technical Assistant (T-3) posts in ICAR institutes and 48 Senior Technical Assistant (T-4) posts in KVKs, the highest T-4 count of any group. BCA, B.Sc. CS/IT and B.Tech CS/IT/ECE graduates are eligible.
Quick answer: ICAR Technical Assistant IT 2026
- Total posts: 181 (133 T-3 + 48 T-4)
- Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Application (BCA) / Computer Science / IT, or B.Tech / B.E. in IT / CS / ECE (Electronics and Communication Engineering).
- Age: 21 to 30 years as on 17.12.2026 (relaxation for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/ESM)
- Apply: 18.11.2026 to 17.12.2026 at asrb.gov.in
- Selection: Prelims (qualifying) + Mains (300 marks); no interview
- Pay: T-3 Level 5 (₹29,200 to ₹92,300); T-4 Level 6 (₹35,400 to ₹1,12,400)
Overview
| Recruiting Body | Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB), DARE, New Delhi |
| Employer | Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): institutes (T-3) and KVKs (T-4) |
| Exam Name | Centralized Combined Examination 2026 for TA (T-3) and STA (T-4) |
| Functional Group | Information Technology |
| Vacancies in this group | 181 (133 T-3 + 48 T-4) |
| Total vacancies (all groups) | 1393 (1254 T-3 + 139 T-4) |
| Notification No. | F. No. 2(2)/2025-Exam, dated 11.11.2026 |
| Exam Mode | Computer Based Test (Prelims and Mains) |
| Official Website | asrb.gov.in |
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification date | 11 November 2026 |
| Online application starts | 18 November 2026 |
| Last date to apply online | 17 December 2026 (11:59 PM) |
| Last date for fee payment (Bharatkosh) | 17 December 2026 (11:59 PM) |
| Application correction window | 18 to 20 December 2026 |
| Preliminary Exam (CBT) | February 2027 (exact date to be announced) |
| Mains Exam (CBT) | To be announced |
All dates are as per the ASRB notification and are subject to change. Admission certificates are released about one week before the exam on asrb.gov.in only.
ICAR Technical Assistant IT 2026 Vacancies
Technical Assistant (T-3), ICAR Institutes
| Post | UR | OBC | SC | ST | EWS | Total | PwBD | ESM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Technology (ICAR Institutes) | 71 | 29 | 15 | 7 | 11 | 133 | 5 | 3 |
Senior Technical Assistant (T-4), KVKs
| Post | UR | OBC | SC | ST | EWS | Total | PwBD | ESM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Technology (KVKs) | 24 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 48 | 0 | 0 |
PwBD and Ex-Servicemen (ESM) vacancies are horizontal and included within the category totals. Vacancies are tentative.
ICAR Technical Assistant IT 2026 Eligibility
Educational Qualification
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Application (BCA) / Computer Science / IT, or B.Tech / B.E. in IT / CS / ECE (Electronics and Communication Engineering).
The degree/diploma must be completed on or before 17.12.2026 from a recognised Indian university/institution (or an equivalent foreign qualification recognised by the Government of India). Candidates must be citizens of India (or Nepal/Bhutan/eligible categories with a certificate of eligibility).
Age Limit and Relaxation
Minimum 21 years and maximum 30 years as on the closing date, 17.12.2026 (indicatively, date of birth between 18.12.1995 and 17.12.2005).
| Category | Upper Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 3 years |
| PwBD | 10 years (cumulative with SC/ST/OBC relaxation) |
| Ex-Servicemen | 3 years after deducting military service from actual age |
| ICAR in-service technical employees (UR) | Upper limit 40 years, plus category relaxation |
| RAs / SRFs in ICAR projects | Period actually engaged, up to 16 years 3 months |
| Disabled Defence Services Personnel | As per Government of India instructions |
Application Fee
| Category | T-3 only | T-4 only | T-3 + T-4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) | ₹300 | ₹300 | ₹600 |
| EWS / OBC | ₹150 | ₹150 | ₹300 |
| SC / ST / PwBD / Women / Transgender / Ex-Servicemen | Nil | Nil | Nil |
The fee is paid only through Bharatkosh (bharatkosh.gov.in): Quick Payment, Ministry: Agriculture, Purpose: Examination/Certificate fee for ARS/NET/SMS/STO/FAO/AO, PAO 000001, DDO 216968 (Add. ASRB, Chayan Bhavan). Upload the payment receipt in the application form. Paying on Bharatkosh without submitting the form does not count, and the fee is non-refundable.
Exam Pattern
Selection is through two Computer Based Tests. There is no interview: final merit is based on Mains marks only.
Stage 1: Preliminary Exam (Qualifying)
| Section | Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Knowledge | 25 | 25 |
| 2 | General English | 25 | 25 |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 25 |
| 4 | General Agriculture | 25 | 25 |
| Total (1 hour) | 100 | 100 |
- Negative marking: 0.25 mark per wrong answer.
- Minimum qualifying marks: UR 30%, EWS/OBC 25%, SC/ST/PwBD 20%.
- Candidates are shortlisted for Mains in the ratio 1:15 of the vacancies, functional group-wise (category-wise).
- Questions are bilingual (Hindi and English), except the General English section.
Stage 2: Mains Exam (Merit)
| Questions | 100 objective MCQs on the functional group’s domain subjects |
| Marks | 300 (3 marks per question) |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Negative marking | 1 mark per wrong answer (one-third) |
| Minimum qualifying marks | UR 30%, EWS/OBC 25%, SC/ST/PwBD 20% |
| Normalisation | Applied wherever the CBT runs in multiple sessions |
Tie-breaking order: (a) higher Prelims marks, then (b) higher marks in Section 3, Quantitative Aptitude of Prelims, then (c) older candidate ranked higher.
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Preliminary Exam Syllabus (Common for All Groups)
1. General Knowledge (25 marks)
General awareness of the environment and its application to society, current events, everyday science, and questions on India and its neighbouring countries, especially History, Culture, Geography, Economic Science, General Policy and Scientific Research.
2. General English (25 marks)
Ability to understand correct English, basic comprehension and writing ability (grammar, vocabulary, error spotting, sentence improvement, reading comprehension).
3. Quantitative Aptitude (25 marks)
Computation of whole numbers, decimals, fractions and relationships between numbers; Percentage; Ratio and Proportion; Square roots; Averages; Interest; Profit and Loss; Discount; Partnership Business; Mixture and Alligation; Time and Distance; Time and Work; basic algebraic identities of school algebra and elementary surds; graphs of linear equations; triangle and its centres; congruence and similarity of triangles; circle, chords, tangents, angles subtended by chords, common tangents; quadrilaterals, regular polygons; right prism, right circular cone and cylinder, sphere, hemisphere, rectangular parallelepiped, regular right pyramid; trigonometric ratios, degree and radian measure, standard identities, complementary angles, heights and distances; histogram, frequency polygon, bar diagram and pie chart.
4. General Agriculture (25 marks)
Agro-ecosystems and crops; Animal and fisheries basics; Farm machinery, post-harvest and agri-economics; Institutions and extension; Regulations in agriculture; International organisations. The topic-wise General Agriculture list is in our master guide.
ICAR Technical Assistant IT 2026 Mains Syllabus (Paper-II)
The Mains paper (300 marks) tests domain knowledge of the Information Technology group. ICAR has not notified unit-wise weightage, so cover every unit below.
1. Operating System Concepts
Process management: inter-process communication and process scheduling. Memory management: swapping, virtual memory, paging, segmentation. Device management: deadlocks and semaphores. File systems: files, directories, security and protection. Distributed operating systems.
2. Computer Networking
Types of networks and topologies; network management and data transmission; ISO-OSI and TCP/IP reference models; internet standards and services; cryptography and data compression; authentication and firewalls.
3. Database Management Systems
DBMS definition, features and data models; relational structure, algebra and calculus; database design and normalisation; concurrency control, security and integrity; query processing, optimisation and indexes; backup and recovery; distributed databases (concepts, architecture, design); SQL and PL/SQL.
4. Software Engineering
Requirement analysis and specification; development phases and process models; project and team structure; metrics and measurement; software quality factors; coding tools, testing and maintenance; Gantt charts, PERT and CPM; CASE tools.
5. Data Structures and Programming (C++ / Java / Python)
Character and string manipulation; linear lists, stacks, queues, heaps; linked lists, arrays, trees, graphs; sorting and searching; flowcharts and algorithms; OOP concepts (encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism); control structures, pointers, dynamic memory; file management.
6. Website Development
Web technologies overview; HTML5 structure, formatting, tables, forms and semantic tags; CSS syntax, selectors, layout and responsive design; JavaScript functions, DOM, events, async operations and data formats; CMS (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal); .NET framework overview; JSP; PHP server-side scripting and database interaction; web security and performance.
7. Mobile Application Development
Mobile platforms (Android, iOS, cross-platform); application development life cycle; UI/UX principles; React Native and Flutter; Android Studio, Xcode, IDEs and SDKs; Java, Kotlin and Swift; networking, APIs and database integration; multimedia, graphics and app security; testing, debugging, deployment and monetisation.
8. Linux / Windows Server Administration
OS fundamentals and command line; server roles, installation and configuration; user/group management, networking and security; system logging and monitoring; backup, recovery and virtualisation; troubleshooting.
9. Database Administration
Relational and NoSQL databases; data models and architecture; SQL fundamentals and advanced concepts; DBMS installation and configuration; performance tuning and security; backup, recovery and monitoring; Oracle, MySQL, SQL Server and PostgreSQL.
10. Artificial Intelligence Technologies
AI concepts, applications, ethics and challenges. ML algorithms: linear and logistic regression; decision trees, k-NN, SVM, Naive Bayes; k-means and hierarchical clustering; Random Forest and Gradient Boosting. Model evaluation: accuracy, precision, recall, F1, ROC-AUC, cross-validation. Neural networks and deep learning: CNN, RNN, LSTM, GRU, Transformers. Frameworks: TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras. Image processing: OpenCV, YOLO, Faster R-CNN. Python stack (NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Scikit-learn), Google AI, AWS AI, Azure AI, AutoML. Generative AI, LLMs, AI workflows and agents.
ICAR Technical Assistant IT 2026 Preparation Strategy
- This syllabus is almost identical to Bank/PSU IT Officer professional knowledge papers. DBMS/SQL, Networking, OS and Data Structures should be your first four subjects; they also feed the Database Administration and Server Administration units.
- The AI Technologies unit is detailed and modern (Transformers, YOLO, LLMs, agents, ROC-AUC). Expect conceptual questions on which algorithm or metric fits a scenario.
- Web and Mobile Development questions are mostly tag, property and lifecycle facts (HTML5 semantic tags, CSS selectors, JS event model, Android activity lifecycle).
- Linux administration: memorise common commands, file permissions (chmod numeric notation), and process and service management.
- With 48 T-4 posts at Level 6, give careful thought to your T-3/T-4 preference order: it cannot be changed later.
Posts Suitable for PwBD
Suitable categories of benchmark disability for this group: a) B, LV; b) D, HH; c) OL, CP, LC, Dw, AAV; d) SLD, MI; e) MD involving (a) to (d). Functional requirements: Sitting, Standing, Walking, Bending, Reading & Writing, Seeing, Communication.
How to Apply
- Visit asrb.gov.in between 18.11.2026 and 17.12.2026 and complete the One Time Registration (OTR).
- Choose your single functional group and opt for T-3, T-4 or both, with a preference order (final, cannot be changed).
- Select Prelims and Mains exam centres carefully; centre changes are not allowed.
- Upload photo (white background, .jpg, max 200 KB, without spectacles), signature (.jpg, max 100 KB), photo ID and certificates (.jpg, max 100 KB each).
- Pay the fee on Bharatkosh, upload the receipt and submit. Keep a copy of the completed form.
- Use the correction window (18 to 20 December 2026) if needed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can a B.Tech ECE graduate apply for ICAR Technical Assistant IT 2026?
Yes. B.Tech/B.E. in Electronics and Communication Engineering is explicitly listed, along with BCA, B.Sc. Computer Science/IT and B.Tech/B.E. in IT or CS.
How many IT vacancies are there in ASRB T-3/T-4 2026?
181 in total: 133 Technical Assistant (T-3) posts in ICAR institutes and 48 Senior Technical Assistant (T-4) posts in KVKs.
What is the exam pattern for ICAR Technical Assistant IT 2026?
A 1-hour qualifying Prelims of 100 marks (GK, English, Quantitative Aptitude and General Agriculture, 25 each, minus 0.25 per wrong answer), followed by a 2-hour Mains of 100 questions for 300 marks on the functional group syllabus, with 1 mark deducted per wrong answer. There is no interview.
What is the last date to apply for ASRB T-3/T-4 2026?
17 December 2026 (11:59 PM) for both the online application and fee payment. Applications open on 18 November 2026 at asrb.gov.in.
Can I apply for more than one functional group?
No. A candidate may apply for only one functional group/subgroup, even if eligible for more. Within it you can opt for T-3 only, T-4 only, or both, with a preference order that cannot be changed later.
What is the salary of ICAR Technical Assistant T-3 and Senior Technical Assistant T-4?
T-3 is at Pay Level 5 (₹29,200 to ₹92,300) of the 7th CPC Pay Matrix and T-4 is at Pay Level 6 (₹35,400 to ₹1,12,400), plus applicable allowances.
Other ICAR T-3 / T-4 2026 Functional Group Guides
- ASRB ICAR T-3/T-4 2026 Notification: Master Guide (all 10 groups)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Agriculture 2026 (772 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Animal Science 2026 (124 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Fisheries 2026 (97 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Home Science 2026 (7 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Civil Engineering 2026 (51 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Agricultural Engineering 2026 (42 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Electrical Engineering 2026 (35 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Electronics and Instrumentation 2026 (25 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Library Science 2026 (59 posts)
Source: ASRB Notification F. No. 2(2)/2025-Exam dated 11.11.2026 and ICAR OM No. TS-19(6)/2024-Estt.IV (E-332924) dated 28.09.2026 (Scheme and Syllabus). Vacancies are tentative. Always read the official notification on asrb.gov.in before applying; in case of any discrepancy the English version on the ASRB website prevails.
Recent Post
ASRB ICAR Technical Assistant (T-3) and Senior Technical Assistant (T-4) 2026: 1393 vacancies across 10 functional groups, dates, eligibility, age limit, fee, Prelims and Mains pattern, syllabus and links to detailed group-wise guides.
With 772 posts (699 Technical Assistant T-3 in ICAR institutes and 73 Senior Technical Assistant T-4 in KVKs), the Agriculture functional group is the biggest slice of the ASRB Centralized Combined Examination 2026, accounting for more than half of all 1393 vacancies.
The Animal Science functional group offers 124 posts for veterinary graduates: 115 Technical Assistant (T-3) posts in ICAR institutes and 9 Senior Technical Assistant (T-4) posts in KVKs. Only B.V.Sc. & A.H. holders are eligible.
The Fisheries Science functional group has 97 posts: 90 Technical Assistant (T-3) posts in ICAR fisheries institutes and 7 Senior Technical Assistant (T-4) Laboratory Technician posts in KVKs. Only B.F.Sc. graduates are eligible.
The Home Science / Community Science functional group is the smallest in ASRB T-3/T-4 2026 with just 7 posts (5 T-3 + 2 T-4). Home Science graduates are also eligible for the Agriculture group (772 posts), so compare both before applying.
ICAR has 59 Technical Assistant (T-3) Library / Information Science / Documentation Staff posts in its institutes, one of the largest central government library recruitments of the year. A bachelor's degree in Library Science (B.Lib.I.Sc.) is the qualification, and there is no interview.
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