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The Union Public Service Commission conducts the Combined Section Officers' (Grade-B) Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, 2026. This examination includes Category XI for Assistant Director, Section Officer, and Manager Grade-I in the Employees' State Insurance Corporation. Eligible employees must apply online by 06.10.2026. Candidates must submit a printed copy of their application to their respective Head of Office for verification. The Head of Office must forward the verified application to the Establishment-I Branch, Headquarters Office, by 12.10.2026. The Cadre Controlling Authority must transmit the applications to the Commission by 23.10.2026. The examination takes place on 12.12.2026 and 13.12.2026. The Commission rejects late applications.
What you must do
Key dates
Who is affected
Thresholds
If you do not comply
Ask about this circular
[Image omitted. See the official document.]
F. No. A-33/13/1/AD(LDCE)2019-Estt.I Date:25-09-2026
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject: Combined Section Officers' (Grade-B) Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, 2026 for the post of Assistant Director/Section Officer/Manager Gr-I in ESIC
Union Public Service Commission has published notification for Combined Section Officers' (Grade-B) Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, 2026, vide notification dated 16.09.2026 (copy enclosed), and invited applications from eligible candidates.
The above Combined Limited Departmental Competitive Examination includes the service of ESIC under Category XI for the post of Assistant Director/Section Officer/Manager Grade-I in the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
The Competent Authority has authorized the Heads of all Field Units, including Regional Offices (ROs), Sub-Regional Offices (SROs), Hospitals, and Medical Institutions, to verify and certify the entries made in the application form, from their service records and after due scrutiny of the eligibility of the candidate as per prescribed eligibility conditions.
On due verification and certification of the entries and eligibility, hard copy of the application form are to be forwarded (through Speed Post) by the concerned Head of Office, to Establishment-I Branch, Headquarters Office, on or before 12.10.2026, for onward submission to the UPSC.
In addition to Para-4 above, Scanned copy of the duly verified application form may also be sent through e-mail at estt1-hq@esic.gov.in.
This issues with the approval of Competent Authority.
Digitally signed by Ved Prakash Date: 25-09-2026 15:29:36 DeputyDirector (E-I)
Encl: As above.
To
[Image omitted. See the official document.] UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
COMBINED SECTION OFFICERS' (GRADE-‘B’) LIMITED DEPARTMENTAL COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION, 2026
EXAMINATION NOTICE
| Date of Notification of Examination | 16.09.2026 |
|---|---|
| Last date for filling up of Application | 06.10.2026 |
| Date of Examination | 12.12.2026 & 13.12.2026 |
(The Commission's website - https://upsc.gov.in)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE CANDIDATES
The Online Application Portal of Union Public Service Commission for registration and filling up of application form online, has four cards/modules, three of which namely, Account creation, Universal Registration and Common Application Form are common to all examination applications and can be filled anytime by the candidate, while the fourth card/module is Examination Specific and can be filled during the time period allowed in notification of an examination. Applicants are required to apply online by using the website https://upsconline.nic.in.
Once a candidate has registered on the Online Application Portal, a Universal Registration Number (URN) is generated which is common for all the examinations of the Commission. After filling up of the Examination Specific Form, an Application Number is generated which is examination specific and is to be retained by the applicant alongwith the URN for any future communication with the Commission. The URN has to be registered only once in lifetime. While the URN will be unique and remain constant, the Application Number will be dynamic in nature and will vary from examination to examination.
Detailed instructions are available on the home page of the portal as well as with all profiles/modules to guide the candidates for filling up of the application form and uploading the documents. Candidates are advised to first go through these Instructions carefully and prepare requisite documents in advance to have a smooth flow during filling up of form and uploading of documents.
Applicants are strongly advised to use their Aadhaar Card as ID document for easy, effortless and seamless verification and authentication of ID and other details.
F.No.9/02/2026-E.IB The Combined Section Officers' (Grade-‘B’) Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) for the year 2026 for the Services mentioned in Para 5 below will be held by the Union Public Service Commission on 12th & 13th December, 2026.
2. CENTRES OF EXAMINATION:
The Examination will be held at the following Centres:
| 1 | CHENNAI |
|---|---|
| 2 | DELHI |
| 3 | KOLKATA |
| 4 | MUMBAI |
| 5 | NAGPUR |
NOTE 1: Candidates admitted to the examination will be informed of the time table and place or places of examination. Candidates should note that no request for change of Examination Centre will be entertained.
NOTE 2: If any candidate appears at a venue other than the one indicated by the Commission in his/her e-Admit Card, such candidate will not be allowed to take the examination.
3. The Examination will be held in accordance with the Rules published by the Department of Personnel and Training in the Gazette of India dated the 16th September, 2026. Final Selection of the candidates under different categories shall be decided and results declared inter-alia based on the guidelines issued by the Department of Personnel & Training vide O.M. No. 36012/2016/2019-Estt (Res.) dated 12.04.2022 subject to final outcome of the Civil Appeal No.629 of 2022 arising out of SLP (C) No.30621/2011.
In respect of Category II (Section Officers' Grade of the General Cadre of IFS, Branch 'B'), the appointment/seniority of candidates to Section Officer Grade will be subject to any judicial directive/judgement having a bearing upon the recruitment/seniority in the Section Officers' Grade of the General Cadre of IFS, Branch 'B'.
In respect of Category III (i.e the Section Officers' Grade of RBSS), the seniority list of Assistant Section Officers' grade is under challenge, the result of Category III (i.e. the Section Officers' Grade of RBSS) for the year 2026 would be provisional subject to the outcome of O.A. No.215/2022, before the Hon'ble Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi and revision of seniority list of Assistant Section Officers' (ASOs') Grade of RBSS, if any.
4. The centres and the dates of holding the examination as mentioned above are liable to be changed at the discretion of the Commission. While every effort will be made to allot the candidates to the centre of their choice for the examination, the Commission may at their discretion, allot a different centre to a candidate when circumstances so warrant.
5. The services to which recruitment is to be made on the results of the examination are given below. However, since the number of vacancies to be filled in various categories has not yet been finalized by the concerned Cadre Controlling Authorities (CCAs), no indication can be made in this notice at this stage.
Category I : Section Officers' Grade of the Central Secretariat Service.
Category II : Section Officers' Grade of the General Cadre of the Indian Foreign Service, Branch ‘B’.
Category III : Section Officers' Grade of the Railway Board Secretariat Service.
Category VIII : Section Officers' Grade of the Intelligence Bureau.
Category X : Section Officers in Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service.
Category XI : Assistant Director/Section Officers/Manager Grade-‘I’ in Employees' State Insurance Corporation.
N.B. - Candidates must indicate clearly in their applications the Category for which they are competing.
6. HOW TO APPLY:
Candidates are required to apply online by using the Commission's website https://upsconline.nic.in. Candidates are advised to go through the General instructions, Profile/Module-wise instructions and instructions for uploading of documents before proceeding to fill up the form. These instructions are available on the menu bar of the Home page. A candidate who is willing to apply for Combined Section Officers' (Grade-‘B’) Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, 2026 shall be required to submit the requisite information and supporting documents towards various claims, such as date of birth, educational qualification, etc. as may be sought by the Commission along with the Universal Registration Number (URN), Common Application Form (CAF) and the fourth module i.e. Examination Specific Module (including fees and centre etc.). Failure to provide the required information/documents along with the Common Application Form (CAF) will entail cancellation of candidature for the examination.
