SSC IMD Scientific Assistant Recruitment 2026 Notification Out: Eligibility, Exam Pattern, Salary, Dates & Complete Details

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Scientific Assistant Recruitment 2026 is an important opportunity for science, physics, electronics, computer science and related technical-background students who want to build a career in a Central Government scientific organisation.

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has included recruitment for the post of Scientific Assistant in India Meteorological Department (IMD) under the Junior Engineer Examination, 2026 notification released on 2 September 2026. The Scientific Assistant post is a Group ‘B’ post in Pay Level-6, with a pay scale of ₹35,400–₹1,12,400.

For students who have been waiting for an IMD opportunity, this notification deserves serious attention. In this detailed guide, Career Wave, under the guidance of Satyendra Sir, explains the notification in a simple and practical manner so that candidates can understand eligibility, dates, exam pattern and preparation requirements before filling the form.

SSC IMD Scientific Assistant 2026 Overview

Particular	Details
Recruitment	SSC Junior Engineer Examination 2026
Department	India Meteorological Department
Post	Scientific Assistant
Conducting Body	Staff Selection Commission
Post Category	Group ‘B’
Pay Level	Level-6
Pay Scale	₹35,400–₹1,12,400
Maximum Age	Up to 30 Years
Exam Mode	Computer Based Examination
Selection Stages	Paper-I + Paper-II + further verification/allocation process
Application Start Date	02 September 2026
Last Date	22 September 2026
Paper-I	October/November 2026
Paper-II	December 2026

The official notification confirms that Scientific Assistant recruitment in IMD will be conducted through the SSC examination system.

Important Dates for SSC IMD Scientific Assistant 2026

Candidates should not wait until the last few days to submit their application.

Event	Date
Online Application Starts	02 September 2026
Last Date to Apply	22 September 2026, 11:00 PM
Last Date for Online Fee Payment	23 September 2026, 11:00 PM
Application Correction Window	28–30 September 2026
Paper-I Tentative Exam	October/November 2026
Paper-II Tentative Exam	December 2026

These dates are given in the official SSC notification.

This also means that candidates do not have unlimited preparation time. The notification is already out and Paper-I is tentatively scheduled for October/November. Students who are serious about IMD should start syllabus-based preparation immediately.

SSC IMD Scientific Assistant Vacancy 2026

The notification mentions 1,748 tentative vacancies in total for the posts covered under the SSC Junior Engineer Examination 2026. However, this number should not be treated as 1,748 vacancies for IMD Scientific Assistant alone.

The official notice states that detailed post-wise and category-wise tentative/final vacancies will be made available separately by SSC.

Therefore:

Total vacancies under the examination: 1,748 tentative
Exact IMD Scientific Assistant vacancies: To be confirmed through SSC's post-wise vacancy details.

Students should be careful with social-media posts claiming that all 1,748 vacancies belong to IMD.

SSC IMD Scientific Assistant Eligibility 2026

Eligibility is one of the most important parts of this recruitment.

For the Scientific Assistant post in India Meteorological Department, the notification accepts candidates having a relevant bachelor's degree.

Educational Qualification

Candidates should possess:

Bachelor's Degree in Science with Physics as one of the subjects

OR

Bachelor's Degree in any of the following relevant areas:

• Computer Science

• Computer Applications

• Electronics

• Electronics and Communication Engineering

• Electronics Telecommunication Engineering

• Instrumentation

• Information Technology

• Telecommunication Engineering

• Communication Engineering

The qualification must be obtained from a recognised institution or university.

Can B.Sc. Physics Students Apply for IMD Scientific Assistant 2026?

Yes.

A candidate having a Bachelor's Degree in Science with Physics as one of the subjects is included in the eligibility conditions mentioned for Scientific Assistant in IMD.

This makes the recruitment particularly relevant for Physics graduates who are looking for a scientific Central Government career.

Can Computer Science Students Apply?

Yes. Candidates possessing degrees in Computer Science or Computer Applications, subject to meeting the conditions of the notification, are included in the eligible educational qualifications.

Similarly, eligible candidates from Electronics, Communication, IT, Instrumentation and related listed branches can also apply.

SSC IMD Scientific Assistant Age Limit 2026

For the Scientific Assistant post:

Maximum Age: Up to 30 Years

The crucial date for determining age is 1 August 2026.

For posts having an upper age limit of 30 years, candidates should have been born:

Not earlier than 02 August 1996 and not later than 01 August 2008.

Age Relaxation

Major relaxations mentioned in the notification include:

Category	Upper Age Relaxation
SC/ST	5 Years
OBC	3 Years
PwBD – UR/EWS	10 Years
PwBD – OBC	13 Years
PwBD – SC/ST	15 Years
Ex-Servicemen	As per applicable rules

Candidates claiming relaxation must have valid supporting documents.

SSC IMD Scientific Assistant Salary 2026

Scientific Assistant in IMD is a Group ‘B’ post placed in:

Pay Level-6

₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400

This is the basic pay matrix mentioned in the notification.

Apart from basic pay, selected candidates may receive applicable Central Government allowances and benefits according to posting and service rules.

This makes IMD Scientific Assistant attractive not only from an academic point of view but also as a stable Central Government career.

SSC IMD Scientific Assistant Exam Pattern 2026

This year, candidates must understand the examination structure carefully because the examination consists of two Computer Based Papers.

Paper-I

Paper-I consists of:

Subject	Questions	Marks
General Intelligence & Reasoning	50	50
General Awareness	50	50
Technical Subject	100	100
Total	200	200

Duration: 2 Hours

For IMD Scientific Assistant, the technical subject will depend on the candidate's eligible stream.

Technical Subject Options for IMD Scientific Assistant

Candidates applying for Scientific Assistant in IMD are required to select one appropriate technical subject according to their stream/branch and eligibility.

The three options are:

Part-D

General Engineering – Computer Science and Information Technology

Part-E

General Engineering – Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

Part-F

Physics

The subject selected in the application form will also determine the relevant technical paper the candidate has to attempt.

This point is extremely important.

Do not select your technical stream casually while filling the application form.

SSC IMD Scientific Assistant Paper-II Pattern

Candidates shortlisted from Paper-I will appear for Paper-II.

For IMD Scientific Assistant:

• Exam Mode: Computer Based

• Questions: 100

• Maximum Marks: 300

• Duration: 2 Hours

• Subject: Candidate's selected technical stream

The technical paper can be Computer Science & IT, Electronics & Telecommunication or Physics according to eligibility and the option selected in the application.

Is Paper-I Qualifying or Merit Based?

This is one of the biggest changes students must understand properly.

The official notification states that Paper-I is qualifying in nature.

Candidates will be shortlisted category-wise for Paper-II based on their normalized Paper-I marks after satisfying the minimum qualifying conditions.

Minimum Qualifying Marks

• UR: 30%

• OBC/EWS: 25%

• Other Categories: 20%

Separate merit lists will be prepared for Scientific Assistant in IMD and the other posts covered under the examination.

What Decides Final Selection for IMD Scientific Assistant?

For the IMD post, final selection is particularly dependent on Paper-II performance.

The notification states that final selection/allocation will consider:

Paper-II performance + Post/Department Preference + Eligibility Conditions

For IMD Scientific Assistant specifically, the normalized marks obtained in the applicable Part-D, Part-E or Part-F of Paper-II will be considered for final selection.

So students should understand one thing clearly:

Paper-I gets you into Paper-II. Paper-II becomes extremely important for your final selection.

Why SSC IMD Scientific Assistant 2026 Is an Important Opportunity

IMD is one of India's key scientific organisations dealing with meteorology, weather observations, forecasting and atmospheric sciences.

For graduates from Physics, Electronics, Computer Science and related technical fields, Scientific Assistant offers the combination of:

• Central Government employment

• Scientific and technical work

• Stable career

• Level-6 pay

• Opportunity to work with weather and meteorological systems

• Long-term departmental career progression

For a serious science graduate, this is not a notification that should be ignored.

What Should Students Do After the IMD Notification?

According to the preparation approach followed by Satyendra Sir at Career Wave, students should avoid spending the next several days only discussing vacancies, cutoff predictions or whether the paper will be easy or difficult.

The first job is to understand your exact technical stream.

Step 1: Confirm Your Eligibility

Check whether you are eligible through:

Physics / Computer Science & IT / Electronics & Telecommunication

Step 2: Understand Paper-I

Prepare:

Reasoning + General Awareness + Technical Subject

Step 3: Build Technical Strength

Since Paper-II carries major importance in final selection, technical preparation cannot be superficial.

Focus on:

Concepts → Topic-wise Questions → PYQs → Revision → Sectional Tests → Full Mocks

Step 4: Prepare for Paper-I and Paper-II Together

Do not prepare Paper-I with the mindset of simply clearing minimum marks.

Your Paper-I preparation should simultaneously strengthen the technical foundation required for Paper-II.

Preparation Guidance by Career Wave & Satyendra Sir

At Career Wave, preparation is focused on understanding the real requirements of competitive technical examinations instead of studying randomly.

For SSC IMD Scientific Assistant aspirants, Satyendra Sir recommends a structured approach:

Official Syllabus → Concept Building → Topic-wise Practice → PYQs → Short Notes → Mock Tests → Error Analysis → Multiple Revision

Physics students in particular should avoid assuming that graduation-level knowledge alone will automatically produce a good score.

Competitive examinations require:

• Fast recall

• Concept clarity

• Calculation speed

• PYQ understanding

• Question selection

• Consistent practice

• Revision

• Mock-test temperament

Career Wave will continue providing SSC IMD Scientific Assistant 2026 updates, strategy, preparation guidance and exam-oriented content for students.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A serious IMD aspirant should avoid:

• Starting preparation without reading eligibility

• Confusing 1,748 total vacancies with IMD-only vacancies

• Selecting the wrong technical stream

• Ignoring Reasoning

• Ignoring General Awareness

• Preparing only for Paper-I

• Delaying technical preparation for Paper-II

• Studying from too many random sources

• Not solving PYQs

• Avoiding mock tests

• Waiting for the exam date before becoming serious

The notification has already been released. Preparation time should now be treated as valuable.

Final Advice by Satyendra Sir

The SSC IMD Scientific Assistant Recruitment 2026 is a strong opportunity, particularly for candidates from Physics and relevant technical backgrounds.

But getting an eligible degree and filling the form are only the first steps.

The real difference will be created by how systematically you prepare after the notification.

Do not study randomly.

First understand your technical stream and the examination structure. Build concepts properly, practise questions regularly, revise frequently and start mock tests early.

At Career Wave, Satyendra Sir and the Career Wave academic team will continue helping aspirants with exam updates, preparation planning, technical concepts, PYQs and test-oriented strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions –

Q1. Has the IMD Scientific Assistant 2026 notification been released?

Yes. Scientific Assistant recruitment for India Meteorological Department has been included in the SSC Junior Engineer Examination 2026 notification released on 2 September 2026.

Q2. What is the last date to apply for SSC IMD Scientific Assistant 2026?

The last date for submitting the online application is 22 September 2026 up to 11:00 PM.

Q3. What is the age limit for IMD Scientific Assistant?

The upper age limit is 30 years, with category-wise relaxation according to government rules.

Q4. Can B.Sc. Physics students apply?

Yes. A Bachelor's Degree in Science with Physics as one of the subjects is included in the eligibility criteria.

Q5. Can BCA candidates apply for IMD Scientific Assistant?

The notification includes a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Applications among the listed eligible qualifications. Candidates should verify that all applicable notification conditions are satisfied before applying.

Q6. Can Computer Science candidates apply?

Yes, Computer Science is among the eligible degree areas mentioned in the notification.

Q7. What is the salary of an IMD Scientific Assistant?

The post is in Pay Level-6 with a pay scale of ₹35,400–₹1,12,400.

Q8. How many papers are there?

There are two Computer Based Papers — Paper-I and Paper-II.

Q9. What is the Paper-I pattern?

Paper-I contains 50 Reasoning questions, 50 General Awareness questions and 100 technical questions, for a total of 200 questions and 200 marks.

Q10. Which technical subjects are available for IMD Scientific Assistant?

Candidates can appear in the applicable stream:

• Computer Science & Information Technology

• Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering

• Physics

The choice depends upon eligibility and the stream selected in the application.

Q11. Is Paper-I qualifying?

Yes. The notification describes Paper-I as qualifying in nature, with candidates shortlisted for Paper-II based on normalized performance and qualifying conditions.

Q12. What is the Paper-II pattern?

Paper-II consists of 100 technical questions carrying 300 marks with a duration of 2 hours.

Q13. Where can students prepare for SSC IMD Scientific Assistant 2026?

Students can follow Career Wave and Satyendra Sir for SSC IMD updates, Physics preparation, exam strategy, PYQs, mock-test guidance and structured preparation.

Connect With Career Wave

YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@CAREERWAVE

Telegram Channel:
https://t.me/aai_atc

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/careerwave.atc

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Career Wave | Guidance by Satyendra Sir
Prepare with a clear syllabus, correct strategy and consistent practice.