The Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board has confirmed a 127-post recruitment drive for Junior Engineer (Mechanical) positions in the Public Works (R&B) Department. The online application window opens on 16 November 2026 and closes on 15 December 2026 — a firm cutoff, with no window for document uploads after that date.
This is a direct recruitment drive under Advertisement Notification No. 10 of 2026, dated 21 October 2026. Candidates must be domiciles of Jammu & Kashmir and hold a valid domicile certificate on or before the cut-off date.
- Total posts: 127 Junior Engineer (Mechanical), Public Works (R&B) Department
- Application window: 16 November 2026 to 15 December 2026
- Fee: ₹600 general; ₹500 for SC, ST-1, ST-2, EWS and PwBD
- Age as on 01.01.2026: 40 years for Open Merit, up to 43 for reserved categories
- Selection: objective-type written exam with 1/4 negative marking, followed by document verification
JKSSB JE Mechanical Recruitment 2026 Overview
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Advertisement Name | JKSSB Advertisement Notification No. 10 of 2026 |
| Recruiting Body | Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) |
| Indenting Department | Public Works (R&B) Department, J&K |
| Post Name | Junior Engineer (Mechanical) |
| Total Vacancies | 127 |
| Indent Reference | No. PWD-ADM/122/2021-05 [86549] dated 11.03.2026 |
| Notification Date | 21 October 2026 |
| Job Location | Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir |
| Application Mode | Online only |
| Official Website | www.jkssb.nic.in |
Vacancy Details and Department
All 127 posts belong to a single indent raised by the Public Works (R&B) Department in March 2026. The main notification carries only the total figure. The cadre-wise and category-wise split — Open Merit, SC, ST-1, ST-2, RBA, ALC/IB, EWS, OBC and PwBD — is published in Annexure-A, which candidates need to cross-check before choosing their reservation claim in the form.
Two caveats carry real weight here. The Board has stated that the actual number of posts may rise or fall before the selection process is completed, and it will not be legally liable for that change. The notification also remains subject to the outcome of any writ petition or O.A. pending before a competent court.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Release Date | 21 October 2026 |
| Application Start Date | 16 November 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 15 December 2026 |
| Last Date for Fee Payment | 15 December 2026 |
| Admit Card Release Date | To Be Announced |
| Exam Date | To Be Announced |
| Result Declaration Date | To Be Announced |
Exam date and centre details will be notified separately on the Board's website. The JKSSB has made clear that no request for a change of centre will be entertained, whatever the reason.
Application Fee
| Category | Fee Amount |
|---|---|
| General and all other candidates | ₹600 |
| SC / ST-1 / ST-2 / EWS / PwBD | ₹500 |
| Payment Mode | Online only — Net Banking, Credit Card or Debit Card |
Applications without the prescribed fee are rejected outright, and no representation against that rejection is accepted. The fee is non-refundable and cannot be adjusted against any other exam or selection. Excess-payment refund requests, if any, go only through the official grievance email — chargeback requests are not entertained.
Age Limit
The age is calculated as on 01.01.2026. Note that the upper limit varies by category here rather than following a flat relaxation slab, so candidates should read their row carefully.
| Category | Maximum Age | Not Born Before | Not Born After |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Merit (OM) | 40 years | 01.01.1986 | 01.01.2008 |
| SC | 43 years | 01.01.1983 | 01.01.2008 |
| ST-1 | 43 years | 01.01.1983 | 01.01.2008 |
| ST-2 | 43 years | 01.01.1983 | 01.01.2008 |
| RBA | 43 years | 01.01.1983 | 01.01.2008 |
| ALC / IB | 43 years | 01.01.1983 | 01.01.2008 |
| EWS | 43 years | 01.01.1983 | 01.01.2008 |
| OBC | 43 years | 01.01.1983 | 01.01.2008 |
| Physically Challenged Person | 42 years | 01.01.1984 | 01.01.2008 |
Eligibility Criteria and Domicile Rule
- Domicile of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, with a valid certificate issued by the competent authority on or before 15 December 2026
- Educational qualification as prescribed in Annexure-A of the notification — the main PDF does not carry the qualification text
- Qualification must be complete strictly on or before the cut-off date; candidates still awaiting results are not eligible
- Reserved category certificate in the prescribed format, valid as on the cut-off date, uploaded with the application
The qualification requirement for JE (Mechanical) is laid out in Annexure-A rather than the main body of the notice, so applicants should treat the annexure as compulsory reading. The Board has been explicit on one point: anyone holding a qualification other than the one prescribed is ineligible, and their candidature will be rejected at any stage of the process.
For candidates claiming an equivalent qualification, an equivalence certificate from the competent authority is mandatory when the Board asks for it. The final call on such cases rests with the Board, and its decision is binding.
On reservation, a few rules carry hard consequences. Reserved category applicants must hold a certificate in the exact prescribed format under the relevant Act or S.O. — certificates in any other format will not be entertained, and the candidate alone is responsible for getting the correct format within the validity period. No second chance to upload a document will be given. A claim based on a fake, forged or invalid certificate invites debarment from Board exams plus penal action.
Horizontal reservation applies for Ex-Servicemen and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities as communicated by the indenting department. ESM reservation is available for posts carrying pay up to Level-6E (₹35,900–1,13,500). Under S.O. 361 of 2021, an Ex-Serviceman who has already joined a post using horizontal ESM reservation cannot claim the same benefit again for later employment, and must file an affidavit sworn before a 1st Class Judicial Magistrate at document scrutiny.
Selection Process and Exam Pattern
The written exam is objective type with multiple-choice questions, set in English only. Every wrong answer costs one-fourth of the marks assigned to that question, so blind guessing is a genuine risk.
There is no detailed scrutiny at the written exam stage. Candidature stays provisional, and an ineligible candidate found at any point will be barred from the later stages. Shortlisted candidates then face document verification, which the notification describes as the most important stage — failing to appear or failing to produce originals on the scheduled date means removal from consideration. No TA/DA is paid for the written test or DV.
The syllabus will be published separately on the JKSSB website.
PwBD Scribe and Compensatory Time
Candidates with benchmark disabilities who opted for PwBD status in the application can request a scribe and/or 20 minutes of compensatory time per hour of examination. The scribe must be arranged by the candidate personally.
Several conditions apply to the scribe: they cannot be a candidate for the same exam, cannot be a student of the same institution or centre, cannot be a relative, and must be a student of a lower grade of education than the candidate. Their qualification also cannot exceed the minimum qualification prescribed for the post. If a candidate is caught acting as scribe for another PwBD candidate, both candidatures are cancelled.
Required documents on exam day include the disability certificate, a certificate of physical limitation to write (Annexure-B), an undertaking for using own scribe (Annexure-C), the admit card, the scribe's qualification certificate, and a photocopy of the scribe's photo ID signed by both parties. Candidates using these facilities should reach the centre at least an hour early. A fraudulent PwBD claim leads to debarment.
How to Apply Online
- Visit the official JKSSB portal at www.jkssb.nic.in and open the online application link for Advertisement No. 10 of 2026.
- Register with your name, date of birth, father's name and mother's name exactly as printed on your matriculation certificate. These cannot be corrected later.
- Fill the application form carefully — once the application number is generated, no field can be changed under any circumstances.
- Upload a live photograph, signature (10 KB to 20 KB), category certificate (PDF, maximum 200 KB) and qualification or experience certificates, self-attested (PDF, maximum 200 KB).
- Pay the fee online through net banking, debit card or credit card.
- Review every entry before final submission, then take a printout of the submitted form for document verification.
Only one online application per item number is allowed. If multiple applications are detected for the same item number, the Board will consider the latest one — and if a candidate appears in the exam more than once for the same item number, the candidature is cancelled along with debarment. Do not send hard copies of the application to the Board office by post, email or in person.
In-service candidates must route a printed, signed and stamped copy of the application through their Head of Department, who forwards it to the Secretary, JKSSB, by or before the last date of document verification.
Also note the security screening: submitting the form means consenting to frisking, door-frame metal detectors, biometric capture, facial recognition and Aadhaar authentication. Mobile phones, smart watches, smart glasses, AI-enabled devices and similar equipment are banned inside the exam hall even in switched-off mode, and the Board will not store any belongings at the venue.
Important Links
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A total of 127 posts in the Public Works (R&B) Department. The figure may be revised up or down before the selection process is completed, and the Board has said it is not legally liable for such variation.
15 December 2026. The application window opens on 16 November 2026. Domicile, qualification and category certificates must all be valid on or before 15 December 2026.
As on 01.01.2026, Open Merit candidates must be born not before 01.01.1986 (40 years maximum). SC, ST-1, ST-2, RBA, ALC/IB, EWS and OBC candidates get 43 years, while Physically Challenged Persons get 42 years.
₹600 for general and all other candidates. SC, ST-1, ST-2, EWS and PwBD candidates pay ₹500. Payment is online only, and the fee is non-refundable.
Yes. One-fourth of the marks assigned to a question are deducted for each wrong answer. The paper is objective type with multiple-choice questions set in English only.
No. Under S.O. 361 of 2021, an Ex-Serviceman who has already joined a post using horizontal ESM reservation cannot claim it again for subsequent employment. An affidavit sworn before a 1st Class Judicial Magistrate is required at document scrutiny.
In Annexure-A of the notification, not in the main text. Candidates should download the full PDF from jkssb.nic.in and check the annexure before applying, since a qualification other than the prescribed one leads to rejection.
