ISRO Propulsion Complex - 22 Technical Assistant, Technician 'B', Cook and Fireman Posts at Mahendragiri
ISRO Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu has opened 22 permanent-track posts for diploma holders and ITI holders. Advertisement No. IPRC/RMT/2026/01 dated 12.09.2026. The online window is open now and closes at 16:00 hrs on 5 October 2026. IPRC is the lead ISRO unit for liquid propulsion. It builds and tests the engines and stages that fly ISRO's launch vehicles and spacecraft, runs high-altitude testing of upper stage engines and spacecraft thrusters, and produces the propellants for the launch vehicle and satellite programme. This is the shop floor of the Indian space programme. TWO THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU DECIDE First, the written test is held in Tirunelveli and Chennai ONLY. It is an offline OMR paper, you choose your city when you apply, and the advertisement states plainly that the choice once made cannot be changed later under any circumstances. There is no centre in J&K or anywhere in north India. Travel to the written test is at your own cost. Second, and this is the part almost nobody reports: the fee is largely refundable. Everyone pays up front, but if you actually turn up for the written test you get most of it back. Women, SC, ST, Ex-servicemen and PwBD candidates are refunded the FULL fee. Everyone else gets Rs 500 of the Rs 750 back on the Technical Assistant posts, and Rs 400 of the Rs 500 back on the Technician, Cook and Fireman posts, less bank charges. Skip the exam and you forfeit the lot. And if you clear the written test, IPRC reimburses to-and-fro second class train fare by the shortest route from the city you named in your application to the place of the Skill Test. So the expensive journey is the one you make only after you have already qualified. THE 22 POSTS Technical Assistant, Level 7, Rs 44,900 to Rs 1,42,400 - 5 posts - Automobile Engineering - 1 (OBC) - Mechanical - 3 (UR 1, OBC 1, ST 1) - Electronics & Communication - 1 (UR) Needs a FIRST CLASS diploma in the named branch. Technician 'B', Level 3, Rs 21,700 to Rs 69,100 - 13 posts - Fitter - 4 (OBC 3, EWS 1, one of them reserved for Ex-servicemen) - Machinist - 3 (UR 2, SC 1, one of them reserved for PwBD Ortho) - Turner - 2 (UR 1, SC 1) - Welder - 2 (UR 1, SC 1) - Refrigeration & Air Conditioning - 1 (UR) - Electrician - 1 (EWS) Needs 10th pass AND an ITI in that exact trade with NTC or NAC from NCVT. Cook 'A', Level 2, Rs 19,900 to Rs 63,200 - 1 post (UR) 10th pass AND 5 years experience as a Cook in a well established hotel or canteen. The experience certificate must come from the establishment - the advertisement says certificates from individuals will not be accepted. Fireman 'A', Level 2, Rs 19,900 to Rs 63,200 - 3 posts (UR 2, OBC 1, one reserved for Ex-servicemen) 10th pass, plus physical fitness standards and a Preliminary Medical Examination certificate uploaded with the application. That is 5 + 13 + 1 + 3 = 22, matching the total printed in the advertisement. LANGUAGE OF THE PAPER For the Technical Assistant posts the written and skill test papers are bilingual, English and Hindi. For every Technician, Cook and Fireman post they are trilingual, Tamil, Hindi and English. A candidate from J&K is not disadvantaged on language. THE PHRASE THAT DISQUALIFIES PEOPLE The advertisement states that those who possess the EXACT qualifications prescribed shall apply, and that no equivalent courses will be considered eligible. A Fitter post takes an ITI in Fitter trade, not a near neighbour. A first class diploma means first class, not a pass class. Read your own certificate before you pay.
Technical Assistant: support liquid propulsion R&D, assembly, integration and testing of engines, stages, control systems, sub-systems and components for ISRO launch vehicles and spacecraft Technician 'B' (Fitter, Turner, Machinist, Welder, Electrician, Refrigeration & AC): trade work on propulsion hardware, test facilities and plant at the Mahendragiri complex Cook 'A': kitchen and catering operations at the complex Fireman 'A': fire safety and emergency response at a propellant and high-energy testing facility Work on high altitude testing of upper stage engines and spacecraft thrusters Support production and supply of propellants for ISRO's launch vehicle and satellite programmes The initial place of posting is IPRC Mahendragiri, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, but selected candidates are liable to be posted to any ISRO or Department of Space centre anywhere in India
WHO CAN APPLY NATIONALITY Only Indian nationals. AGE AS ON 05.10.2026 Post codes 60 to 68 and 70 (Technical Assistant, Technician 'B', Cook 'A'): 18 to 35 years. Post code 71 (Fireman 'A'): 18 to 25 years. Relaxation: SC/ST 5 years and OBC 3 years where the post is reserved for that category. Serving government employees, Ex-servicemen, Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, widows, divorced women and women judicially separated and not remarried, and meritorious sportspersons get upper age relaxation as per Government of India orders. QUALIFICATIONS Technical Assistant (Automobile Engineering): First Class Diploma in Automobile Engineering. Technical Assistant (Mechanical): First Class Diploma in Mechanical Engineering or Production Engineering. Technical Assistant (Electronics & Communication): First Class Diploma in Electronics Engineering, or Electronics & Communication, or Electronics & Telecommunication, or Electronics & Instrumentation Engineering. Technician 'B' (all six trades): pass in SSLC/SSC/Matric/10th standard AND an ITI in that exact trade with NTC from NCVT or NAC from NCVT. Cook 'A': pass in SSLC/SSC/Matric/10th standard AND 5 years experience as a Cook in a well established hotel or canteen. The experience certificate must be issued by the establishment and produced at the Skill Test. Certificates from individuals will not be accepted. Fireman 'A': pass in SSLC/SSC/Matric/10th standard, must meet the physical fitness standards, and must upload a Preliminary Medical Examination certificate in the Annexure A format with the online application. Qualifications must have been acquired from a recognised State Board or University, and must be held as on the closing date of 05.10.2026. The advertisement states that only those with the exact qualifications prescribed shall apply, and no equivalent courses will be considered eligible. FIREMAN 'A' PHYSICAL STANDARDS Height minimum: 165 cm general, 160 cm for Gorkhas, Hill Tribes, SC and ST, 155 cm for women and transgender applicants. Weight minimum: 50 kg, 46 kg, 43 kg respectively. BMI 18 to 28. Waist to hip ratio not above 1. Chest (men): 81 cm on expiration, 86 cm on inspiration, minimum 5 cm expansion. Distant vision 6/6 without glasses or any other aid in each eye. Normal near vision, full field of vision, normal hearing by tuning fork test, no known psychiatric illness, normal ECG. Disqualifying: knock knee, bow legs, flat foot, spinal or limb deformity, night blindness, colour blindness, squint, monocular vision, glaucoma, implanted pacemaker, BP above 140/90 with target organ damage, haemoglobin below 10 gm%, random blood sugar above 180 mg/dl. The PME certificate must come from a Government Medical Officer (Allopathy) not below Assistant Civil Surgeon rank in Government Health Services, and is valid six months. SELECTION All posts except Fireman: Written Test plus a curriculum-based Skill Test. Fireman 'A': Written Test plus Physical Efficiency Test plus Detailed Medical Examination. Final selection is on written test scores alone. The Skill Test is purely GO/NO-GO and its marks do not count. A tie in the written test is broken by academic scores in the notified qualification. WRITTEN TEST PATTERN Technical Assistant and Technician 'B': 80 multiple choice questions in 90 minutes, based purely on the academic syllabus of the prescribed qualification. Plus 1 for a correct answer, minus 0.33 for a wrong one. UR candidates need 32 of 80 to pass, reserved category candidates 24 of 80 where the post is reserved for them. Cook 'A' and Fireman 'A': 100 multiple choice questions in 120 minutes. Plus 1 correct, minus 0.25 wrong. Skill Test shortlisting for TA and Technician posts is in a 1:5 ratio, with a minimum of 10 applicants per post. Skill test qualifying marks are 50 of 100, or 40 of 100 for reserved category candidates. Cook 'A' needs 60 of 100. EWS candidates are selected against the same standards as unreserved candidates.
Advertisement No. IPRC/RMT/2026/01, ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri, dated 12.09.2026. DATES Online application opens 15.09.2026 at 10:00 hrs and closes 05.10.2026 at 16:00 hrs. Qualifications must be held as on 05.10.2026. HOW TO APPLY ONLINE ONLY, via the Careers page of the IPRC website. Physical applications, emails, biodata and CVs are not entertained. An application without a proper email ID is invalid, and all test communication is by email. Choose your written test city, Tirunelveli or Chennai, when applying. The advertisement states the choice once made cannot be changed later under any circumstances, and a submitted application cannot be edited. More than one post needs a SEPARATE application and fee each time. FEE Rs 750 for Technical Assistant posts. Rs 500 for Technician 'B', Cook 'A' and Fireman 'A'. Online only via the SBI e-payment gateway - net banking, domestic card, or UPI. Cash, cheque, draft and IPO are not accepted. Payable up to 05.10.2026. REFUND - READ THIS Refund is granted only to applicants who APPEAR in the written test. Women, SC, ST, Ex-servicemen and PwBD candidates get the FULL fee back. Everyone else gets Rs 500 of the Rs 750 back on TA posts and Rs 400 of the Rs 500 back on the others, less bank charges. Enter your bank details correctly, including the passbook front page, or the refund fails. No refund in any other scenario. TRAVEL Nothing for the written test. Candidates called for the Skill Test get to-and-fro second class train fare by the shortest route from the city named in the application. Change of city is not entertained. DOCUMENTS Post nothing to IPRC. Produce originals of all uploads at the Skill Test. Government, PSU and autonomous body employees must bring a No Objection Certificate. QUERIES career@iprc.gov.in. Telephonic conversations are strictly not entertained; corrigenda appear only on the IPRC website. Posts are temporary but likely to continue indefinitely. NPS applies. Canvassing disqualifies.
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