ICAR Technical Assistant Library Science 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 Library / Information Science / Documentation Staff functional group: vacancies, eligibility, exam pattern and the full Mains syllabus exactly as notified by ICAR.
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.
Quick answer: ICAR Technical Assistant Library Science 2026
- Total posts: 59 (all T-3)
- Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in Library Science / Library & Information Science.
- 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)
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 | Library / Information Science / Documentation Staff |
| Vacancies in this group | 59 (all T-3) |
| 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 Library Science 2026 Vacancies
Technical Assistant (T-3), ICAR Institutes
| Post | UR | OBC | SC | ST | EWS | Total | PwBD | ESM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Library / Information / Documentation | 31 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 59 | 4 | 5 |
There are no T-4 (KVK) posts for this functional group in 2026; all posts are T-3 in ICAR institutes.
PwBD and Ex-Servicemen (ESM) vacancies are horizontal and included within the category totals. Vacancies are tentative.
ICAR Technical Assistant Library Science 2026 Eligibility
Educational Qualification
Bachelor’s degree in Library Science / Library & Information Science.
The degree 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 Library Science 2026 Mains Syllabus (Paper-II)
The Mains paper (300 marks) tests domain knowledge of the Library / Information Science / Documentation Staff group. ICAR has not notified unit-wise weightage, so cover every unit below.
1. Library and Society
Historical development of libraries in India; committees and commissions on libraries; concept, functions and objectives of a library; Five Laws of Library Science; types of libraries (academic, public, special); role of libraries in society; professional ethics and associations (ILA, ALA, IFLA, IASLIC, AALDI); UGC, RRRLF and UNESCO; library legislation; Press and Registration of Books Act; Delivery of Books and Newspapers (Public Libraries) Act.
2. Knowledge Organisation
Organisation of knowledge; modes of formation of subjects; Colon Classification, DDC and UDC; cataloguing codes AACR-II and CCC; canons and principles of cataloguing; dictionary and classified catalogues; subject heading lists (chain indexing, Sears List, LCSH); CCF and MARC; pre- and post-coordinate indexing; bibliographic standards ISO 2709, Z39.50, Z39.71; metadata standards Dublin Core and MARC21.
3. Library and Information Management
Library organisation and staff structure; acquisition of print and e-resources; book selection tools and principles; technical processing; circulation and serial control; maintenance, stock verification, binding; budgeting and records; marketing of library products and services; preservation, conservation and hazards; TQM; evolution of library and information centre services.
4. Reference and Information Services
Types of reference service (ready and long-range); CAS and SDI; primary, secondary and tertiary sources; dictionaries, encyclopaedias, yearbooks, directories, almanacs, standards, bibliographies; electronic and online resources; open access (repositories, journals, databases); evaluation of reference sources and web resources.
5. Information Technology in Libraries
Hardware, software, storage and I/O devices; system and application software; programming languages; telecommunication; computer networks and types; internet protocols and standards; data and network security; data mining, data harvesting, big data.
6. Library Automation
Concept and application; library management software (KOHA, SOUL and others); barcode, QR code, DOI and RFID; web resources; digital libraries and institutional repositories (NDLI, NDLTD, e-ShodhSindhu, KrishiKosh); plagiarism software (Turnitin, Urkund); cloud computing; Web 2.0, Web 3.0 and Library 2.0; digital preservation.
7. Library Networks and Resource Sharing
Concept and importance of networks; INFLIBNET, DELNET, NICNET, ERNET; INIS, AGRIS, MEDLARS, BIOSIS, ERIC, INSPEC and patent information systems; resource sharing and consortia (CeRA, e-ShodhSindhu, N-LIST); PM One Nation One Subscription (ONOS).
8. Research Methodology
Types of research; research design; historical, descriptive, case study, survey, comparative and experimental methods; statistical methods; bibliometrics, scientometrics, webometrics.
ICAR Technical Assistant Library Science 2026 Preparation Strategy
- Knowledge Organisation (DDC, CC, UDC, AACR-II, MARC21, Dublin Core) and Library Automation are the two most question-dense units. Memorise main classes of DDC and CC and the MARC21 tags.
- ICAR-specific resources matter: KrishiKosh (ICAR’s repository), CeRA (Consortium for e-Resources in Agriculture) and AGRIS (FAO) are very likely to appear.
- One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) is new in the syllabus; read its launch, coverage and implementing agency (INFLIBNET).
- Ranganathan is everywhere: Five Laws, canons of classification and cataloguing, PMEST. Revise them with examples.
- The IT unit overlaps with general computer awareness, so a short revision of networking and security terms adds safe marks.
Posts Suitable for PwBD
Suitable categories of benchmark disability for this group: a) LV; b) D, HH; c) OA, BA, OL, BL, OAL, CP, LC, Dw, AAV; d) ASD (M), SLD, MI; e) MD involving (a) to (d). Functional requirements: Sitting, Standing, Walking, Bending, Seeing, Communication, Manipulation with Fingers.
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
What is the qualification for ICAR Technical Assistant Library Science 2026?
A bachelor’s degree in Library Science or Library & Information Science, completed on or before 17.12.2026.
How many library posts are there in ASRB T-3 2026?
59 Technical Assistant (T-3) posts: UR 31, OBC 13, SC 5, ST 5, EWS 5, including 4 PwBD and 5 Ex-Servicemen vacancies.
What is the exam pattern for ICAR Technical Assistant Library Science 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 IT 2026 (181 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.
There are 42 Technical Assistant (T-3) Workshop Staff (Agricultural Engineering) posts in ICAR institutes. Mechanical Engineering, Textile Technology and Fibre Processing Engineering degree or diploma holders can also apply, alongside Agricultural Engineering graduates.
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