The CSIR-Traditional Knowledge Digital Library Unit (CSIR-TKDL Unit), a specialized constituent unit under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Ministry of Science and Technology), has officially released Advertisement No. TKDL/08/2026. Applications are invited from qualified Indian professionals for engagement to 50 project positions on a purely temporary and contractual basis.
The contractual appointments are for the prestigious project titled “Information systems of traditional knowledge for protection and promotion” (Project Code: TKDL-TK, MLP002639). The positions include Senior Project Associate and Project Associate-I across diverse multi-disciplinary domains, including Information Technology, Data Science, Ayurveda, Unani, Sowa Rigpa, Siddha, Patent Informatics, Sanskrit, and Yoga.
The project tenure is initially up to 31 March 2027 and may be extended annually up to 31 March 2031 (co-terminus with the project), subject to performance review by an expert committee. Eligible candidates can submit their online applications through the official CSIR website (www.csir.res.in) on or before 12 October 2026 at 5:00 PM.
- Total Positions: 50 project positions officially notified under Project MLP002639.
- Online Application Deadline: 12 October 2026 up to 05:00 PM on www.csir.res.in.
- Crucial Cut-Off Date: Candidates must meet all educational qualifications and experience criteria as on 12 October 2026. Final-semester and result-awaited candidates are not eligible.
- Selection Procedure: In-person Written Test at assigned locations followed by same-day result declaration and hybrid (offline/online) Interviews.
- Posting Locations: Delhi, Jammu, Chennai, Hyderabad, Leh-Ladakh, Srinagar, and Palampur.
- Monthly Emoluments: ₹42,000 + HRA for Senior Project Associate; ₹31,000 + HRA or ₹25,000 + HRA for Project Associate-I.
CSIR-TKDL Recruitment 2026 – Quick Overview
| Recruiting Organisation | CSIR-Traditional Knowledge Digital Library Unit (CSIR-TKDL Unit) |
| Parent Body | Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology) |
| Advertisement Number | Advertisement No. TKDL/08/2026 |
| Project Name & Code | Information systems of traditional knowledge for protection and promotion (TKDL-TK, MLP002639) |
| Total Positions | 50 Positions (As officially notified in the advertisement) |
| Nature of Engagement | Purely temporary and contractual (initially up to 31/03/2027, extendable up to 31/03/2031) |
| Post Designations | Senior Project Associate & Project Associate-I |
| Application Mode | Online Mode via CSIR Portal |
| Application Deadline | 12 October 2026 (05:00 PM) |
| Selection Method | Written Test (In-Person at posting locations) + Hybrid Interview |
| Posting Locations | Delhi, Jammu, Chennai, Hyderabad, Leh-Ladakh, Srinagar, Palampur |
| Official Website | www.csir.res.in |
CSIR-TKDL Vacancy 2026 – Post-Wise Details
The official notification announces 50 total project positions. The table below reproduces the exact post codes, designations, location-wise allocations, written test schedules, and reporting times published in Advertisement No. TKDL/08/2026:
| Post Designation & Discipline | Post Code | Positions | Posting Location | Written Test Date | Reporting Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Project Associate (Information Technology) | TKD3901 | 1 | Delhi | 14 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Information Technology) | TKJ3901 | 1 | Jammu | 14 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| Project Associate - I (IT - Data Science) | TKC3901 | 1 | Chennai | 14 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| Project Associate - I (IT - Data Science) | TKH3901 | 1 | Hyderabad | 14 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Information Technology) | TKL3901 | 1 | Leh | 14 Oct 2026 | 10:00 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Information Technology) | TKS3901 | 1 | Srinagar | 14 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Information Technology) | TKP3901 | 1 | Palampur | 14 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| Senior Project Associate (Ayurveda) | TKD3902 | 2 | Delhi | 22 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Ayurveda) | TKD3903 | 2 | Delhi | 22 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Ayurveda) | TKJ3902 | 3 | Jammu | 22 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Unani) | TKH3902 | 4 | Hyderabad | 16 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Unani) | TKS3902 | 3 | Srinagar | 16 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| Senior Project Associate (Sowa Rigpa) | TKL3902 | 1 | Leh | 15 Oct 2026 | 10:00 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Sowa Rigpa) | TKL3903 | 2 | Leh | 15 Oct 2026 | 10:00 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Sowa Rigpa) | TKP3902 | 3 | Palampur | 15 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| Senior Project Associate (Siddha) | TKC3902 | 3 | Chennai | 26 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Siddha) | TKC3903 | 8 | Chennai | 26 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| Senior Project Associate (Patent) | TKD3904 | 1 | Delhi | 23 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Patent) | TKD3905 | 3 | Delhi | 23 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| Senior Project Associate (Patent) | TKH3903 | 1 | Hyderabad | 23 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Patent) | TKH3904 | 4 | Hyderabad | 23 Oct 2026 | 9:30 AM |
| Senior Project Associate (Sanskrit) | TKD3906 | 1 | Delhi | 30 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| Project Associate - I (Yoga) | TKD3907 | 2 | Delhi | 30 Oct 2026 | 9:00 AM |
| Total Notified Positions (Sum of Rows / Official Figure) | — | 47 / 50** | Delhi, Jammu, Chennai, Hyderabad, Leh, Srinagar, Palampur | ||
Editorial Verification Note on Vacancy Count:
The official CSIR-TKDL Advertisement No. TKDL/08/2026 explicitly headlines: “No of positions: 50**” and specifies that a panel of waitlisted candidates will be constituted to fill vacancies in the near future (valid for one year). However, the individual position figures shown in the post-wise schedule table add up to 47. Candidates must refer to the official CSIR-TKDL notification for final vacancy allocations.
CSIR-TKDL Posting Locations & Venue Details
Candidates must attend the written examination at the testing location corresponding to their selected post code. The authorized venue addresses are listed below:
Delhi (Venue):
CSIR-TKDL Unit, 14, Satsang Vihar Marg, Special Institutional Area, New Delhi – 110067.
Hyderabad (Venue):
CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Uppal Road, Tarnaka, Hyderabad – 500007.
Chennai (Venue):
CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CSIR-CLRI), Sardar Patel Road, Adyar, Chennai – 600020.
Jammu (Venue):
CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Canal Road, Jammu – 180001.
Srinagar (Venue):
CSIR-IIIM Branch Laboratory, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar – 190005.
Leh-Ladakh (Venue):
National Institute for Sowa Rigpa, Skalzangling, Near Head Post Office, Leh – 194101, Ladakh.
Palampur (Venue):
CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur – 176061, Himachal Pradesh.
*Note: The posting location may change as per the operational requirements of the project and candidate availability during appointment or throughout the project tenure.
CSIR-TKDL Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility criteria vary by post code and discipline. Candidates must verify their qualifications and experience strictly against the requirements specified in the notification:
Senior Project Associate (IT) – Code: TKD3901 (Delhi)
Max Age: 40 Years- Qualification Option 1: B.E. / B.Tech in Computer Science / Information Technology OR Master's in Computer Applications (MCA) from a recognized University with 3 years’ R&D experience in industrial/academic institutions or S&T organizations.
- Qualification Option 2: M.E. / M.Tech in Computer Science / Information Technology with 2 years’ R&D experience in industrial/academic institutions or S&T organizations.
- Mandatory Experience / Skills: Core Java & Advanced Java, J2EE, SQL Queries, MVC Architecture using Spring and Hibernate frameworks, Postgres database, JavaScript, AJAX, JSON, Angular JS, Bootstrap, JQuery, JDBC, RESTful, JBoss/Tomcat servers, NetBeans/Eclipse, Git, and SQL coding (procedures, functions, triggers). Alternatively, proven proficiency in administering multiple relational databases (Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL) including database migration.
Project Associate - I (IT - Data Science) – Codes: TKC3901 (Chennai) & TKH3901 (Hyderabad)
Max Age: 35 Years- Essential Qualification: B.E. / B.Tech in Computer Science / IT / Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Data Science / Electronics OR MCA from a recognized University.
- Desirable Skills: Proficiency in Core Java, J2EE, EJB, Python, SQL, machine learning, data analysis and visualization tools, statistical modeling, predictive analytics, cloud platforms, and big data technologies.
Project Associate - I (IT) – Codes: TKJ3901 (Jammu), TKL3901 (Leh), TKS3901 (Srinagar), TKP3901 (Palampur)
Max Age: 35 Years- Essential Qualification: B.E. / B.Tech in Computer Science / Information Technology OR MCA from a recognized University.
- Desirable Skills: Core Java, J2EE, EJB, Spring, Struts, Hibernate, Maven, REST, SOAP, Eclipse/NetBeans/IntelliJ, relational databases (SQL Server, PostgreSQL) OR administration of RHEL7+, nginx, Apache Tomcat, performance tuning, and server backups.
Senior Project Associate (Ayurveda) – Code: TKD3902 (Delhi)
Max Age: 40 Years- Essential Qualification: BAMS from a recognized University with 3 years’ R&D experience in S&T/academic organizations OR MD (Ayurveda) with 2 years’ R&D experience.
- Preference: Proficiency in Sanskrit or Malayalam is preferred.
Project Associate - I (Ayurveda) – Codes: TKD3903 (Delhi) & TKJ3902 (Jammu)
Max Age: 35 YearsEssential Qualification: BAMS (Ayurveda) from a recognized University or equivalent.
Project Associate - I (Unani) – Codes: TKH3902 (Hyderabad) & TKS3902 (Srinagar)
Max Age: 35 YearsEssential Qualification: BUMS (Unani) from a recognized University or equivalent. Preference for proficiency in Arabic and/or Persian.
Sowa Rigpa Posts – Codes: TKL3902, TKL3903 (Leh) & TKP3902 (Palampur)
SPA: 40 Yrs | PA-I: 35 Yrs- Senior Project Associate (TKL3902): Bachelor's degree in Sowa Rigpa with 3 years’ R&D experience OR MD (Sowa Rigpa) with 2 years’ R&D experience.
- Project Associate - I (TKL3903 & TKP3902): Bachelor's degree in Sowa Rigpa medicine from a recognized University or equivalent.
Siddha Posts – Codes: TKC3902 & TKC3903 (Chennai)
SPA: 40 Yrs | PA-I: 35 Yrs- Senior Project Associate (TKC3902): BSMS (Siddha) with 3 years’ R&D experience OR MD (Siddha) with 2 years’ R&D experience.
- Project Associate - I (TKC3903): BSMS (Siddha) from a recognized University or equivalent.
Patent Posts – Codes: TKD3904, TKD3905 (Delhi) & TKH3903, TKH3904 (Hyderabad)
SPA: 40 Yrs | PA-I: 35 Yrs- Senior Project Associate (TKD3904 & TKH3903): Master's in Chemical/Biological Sciences/Bioinformatics/Cheminformatics with 3 years’ R&D experience OR Ph.D. in Chemical/Biological Science with 2 years’ experience. Desirable: Patent analytics/informatics, PG Diploma in IPR.
- Project Associate - I (TKD3905 & TKH3904): Master's degree in Chemical or Biological Sciences / Bioinformatics / Cheminformatics. Desirable: Patent analytics, PG Diploma in IPR.
Sanskrit & Yoga Posts – Codes: TKD3906 & TKD3907 (Delhi)
SPA: 40 Yrs | PA-I: 35 Yrs- Senior Project Associate (Sanskrit - TKD3906): Master's in Sanskrit with 3 years’ R&D experience OR Ph.D. in Sanskrit with 2 years’ experience. Desirable: Familiarity with traditional medical texts and plant names.
- Project Associate - I (Yoga - TKD3907): Master's Degree in Yoga from a recognized University or equivalent.
Experience Requirements
- Senior Project Associate Posts: Prior R&D experience is mandatory (3 years with Bachelor's/Master's or 2 years with M.Tech/MD/Ph.D.) in industrial/academic institutions or S&T organizations and scientific services.
- Project Associate-I Posts: Prior work experience is not mandatory unless explicitly noted. Candidates meeting the essential qualifying degree are eligible to apply.
- All experience must have been acquired on or before the closing date of 12 October 2026.
CSIR-TKDL Age Limit
Senior Project Associate
40 Years
Maximum upper age limit as on 12 October 2026
Project Associate - I
35 Years
Maximum upper age limit as on 12 October 2026
Age Relaxation: Upper age limits are relaxable for candidates belonging to statutory groups (SC, ST, OBC, PwD, and Women) in accordance with official CSIR and Government of India rules and guidelines.
CSIR-TKDL Salary & Monthly Emoluments
Engagement is purely project-based and carries consolidated monthly stipends plus House Rent Allowance (HRA) as per CSIR guidelines:
| Position | Monthly Emoluments | Eligibility Condition for Pay Category |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Project Associate | ₹42,000/- + HRA | Applicable to all selected candidates meeting the prescribed qualification and R&D experience. |
| Project Associate - I (Category A) | ₹31,000/- + HRA | Candidates who have qualified (a) CSIR-UGC NET (including Lectureship/Assistant Professorship) or GATE, OR (b) a national-level exam conducted by Central Government Departments/Agencies. |
| Project Associate - I (Category B) | ₹25,000/- + HRA | For eligible candidates who do not possess NET, GATE, or specified national exam qualifications. |
CSIR-TKDL Recruitment 2026 – Important Dates
| Event | Official Date / Timeline |
|---|---|
| Advertisement Notification | Advertisement No. TKDL/08/2026 |
| Last Date to Submit Online Application | 12 October 2026 (05:00 PM) |
| Eligibility & Experience Cut-Off Date | 12 October 2026 |
| Written Test Schedule | 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 26 & 30 October 2026 (Post-Wise) |
| Written Test Result Declaration | On the same day of the written test |
| Interview Schedule | Same day or as notified post written test (Hybrid mode) |
Selection Process and Hybrid Interview
The selection procedure consists of the following phases conducted strictly in accordance with CSIR project staff guidelines:
- Online Application & Screening: Scrutiny of online submissions based on minimum qualifying criteria as on 12 October 2026.
- On-Site Written Test: Candidates must appear in person at the respective posting location on the scheduled test date and reporting time.
- Same-Day Result Declaration: Results of the written test will be declared on the same day at the testing venue.
- Hybrid Interview: Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed either in offline mode or online mode on the same day or subsequent days as announced. Candidates may be asked to attend in person if required by the committee.
- Final Engagement: Selection is based on performance in the written test and interview, subject to document verification and project requirements.
How to Apply Online for CSIR-TKDL Recruitment 2026
- Visit the official CSIR portal at www.csir.res.in.
- Locate the link for CSIR-TKDL Advertisement No. TKDL/08/2026.
- Read the detailed instructions and select the post code for which you meet all criteria.
- Fill in your educational qualifications, statutory category, and experience records accurately.
- Upload scanned copies of original certificates and detailed biodata.
- Submit the completed application form on or before 12 October 2026, 5:00 PM.
- Download, save, and print the generated application number and confirmation page for future reference.
*Multiple Posts: Candidates wishing to apply for more than one post must submit separate online applications for each respective position.
Documents Required for Online Application & Written Test
Upload in Online Form (Scanned Originals):
- Educational qualification certificates (Matriculation onwards)
- Date of birth / Age proof
- Statutory category certificate (SC/ST/OBC/PwD/EWS) if applicable
- Experience certificates, if applicable
- List of Publications / Patents, if any
- Detailed Biodata
Carry to Written Test Venue:
- Original certificates and testimonials for verification
- Two copies of self-attested passport-size photographs
- One full set of self-attested copies of all certificates
- Neatly typed copy of bio-data on A4 paper
- Original category certificate from competent authority
- No Objection Certificate (NOC) if currently employed (required at joining)
Application Fee & Ineligibility Rules
Application Fee: The official advertisement does not specify an application fee in the notified document. Candidates should check the online portal for any specific administrative instructions while submitting the form.
Contract Period and Nature of Engagement
- The engagement is purely temporary and on contract basis, co-terminus with the project (Project Code: TKDL-TK, MLP002639).
- Initial engagement will be up to 31 March 2027 and may be extended annually up to 31 March 2031, subject to satisfactory review by a Review Committee.
- Under no circumstances will the cumulative tenure of project staff across CSIR exceed six years.
- Contractual engagement confers no right, claim, or expectation for continuation, absorption, or regularization in CSIR service.
- The contract may be terminated at any time by either side with one month's notice or one month's stipend in lieu thereof.
- No TA/DA will be paid for attending the written test or interview.
Official Contact Information
Address: CSIR-Traditional Knowledge Digital Library Unit, 14, Satsang Vihar Marg, Special Institutional Area, New Delhi – 110067
Telephone: 011-26851136
General & Technical Queries: tkdlsupport@csir.res.in
Explore Related Recruitment Updates on YuvaResult.in
Latest Government Jobs
Browse ongoing scientific, research & project vacancies
Central Government Jobs
Explore CSIR, DST, and central scientific recruitments
Admit Cards & Call Letters
Download interview call letters and test schedules
Recruitment Results
Access merit lists, shortlists & project staff selection notices
Answer Keys & Solutions
Check official answer keys and response sheets
Exam Syllabus & Pattern
Detailed examination pattern & syllabus blueprints
Official Notification & Source Disclaimer:
This article has been prepared using official CSIR-Traditional Knowledge Digital Library Unit Advertisement No. TKDL/08/2026. Candidates should verify the notification details and subsequent recruitment notices on the official CSIR website (www.csir.res.in) before applying. YuvaResult.in is an independent career informational portal.