Permanent Research Positions for Pharma, Life Sciences & Biotechnology Candidates under Ministry of Science & Technology

The remarkable march of India into the world of bio-sciences and technological advances began in 1986. That year, the then Prime Minister of the country, late Rajiv Gandhi accepted the vision that unless India created a separate Department for Biotechnology, within the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India the country would not progress to the desired extent. This was because many of our macro-economic issues of growth were subsumed within that science’s development.

Applications are invited from Indian citizens for filling up of the posts of Scientist ‘C’ on direct recruitment basis in the Department of Biotechnology as per details given below.

Post : Scientist ‘C’

Scale of Pay : Pay Matrix Level-11 (Rs. 67,700-208700/-) in 7th CPC [Pre-revised scale of Rs. 15600-39100 + GP Rs 6600/-]
Nature of Post : Permanent
No of posts : 10 [UR-04, OBC(NCL)-03, SC-01, ST-01, EWS-01] [Out of the above 10 Posts one Post is reserved for PwBD(D,HH)]

Educational Qualification
ESSENTIAL: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in any discipline of Life Sciences or Biotechnology or Biochemistry or Computational or Pharmaceutical or Agricultural or Veterinary Sciences or related disciplines; or Ph.D. in Engineering or Technology - Chemical or Biomedical or Biotechnology or Biopharma; or Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in any branch of medicine from a recognised University or Institute.
Note I : The candidate must hold a valid degree of any of Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section-3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification as on the closing date of receipt of applications.
Note II : Candidates possessing professional and technical qualifications which are recognized by the Government as equivalent to professional and technical degree would also be eligible to apply.
Note III : Certificate (s) issued by foreign University(s)/institution(s) must be certified by Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi by way of equivalence certificate(s). However, professional in case degrees where AIU does not entertain applications for equivalence of such awarded by foreign universities in disciplines which are presently outside the purview of AIU and where such cases are handled by the respective professional councils (recognised by Government of India), the applicant needs to upload equivalence certificate(s) issued by such professional council. Candidates will have to produce all the original certificates thereof as and when required.
Experience : No minimum requirement.

Duties attached to the post
The incumbent will be responsible for planning, implementation, coordination, and monitoring of research and innovation programs across various sectors of biotechnology. The role involves regulatory appraisal, institutional management, technology facilitation, and strategic partnership development in alignment with national bioeconomy priorities and the mandate of the Department of Biotechnology.
i. Formulate, appraise, and monitor R&D programmes in agriculture, medical, biomanufacturing, environmental, industrial processes, and animal biotechnology.
ii. Organize idea-generation workshops, brainstorming meetings, and expert group consultations to identify and design interdisciplinary research initiatives.
iii. Identify and promote translational potential and commercialization prospects of biotech products and processes emerging from funded projects.
iv. Facilitate evaluation, implementation, and progress monitoring of approved R&D projects, ensuring alignment with national priorities.
v. Matters relating to regulatory and biosafety assessment of biotech products, revision and updating of protocols and Standard Operating Procedures, appraisal of proposals for Foreign Direct Investment, Foreign Technology Agreements, Input / Output norms, Industrial Entrepreneur Memoranda and Industrial Licensing.
vi. Examination and appraisal of IPR issues, managing patent facilitation cell, implementation of innovative research through public-private partnerships with SMEs and large industries, technology management including technology scouting, negotiation with industry, technology assessment and forecasting.
vii. Represent the department in inter-ministerial committees, national task forces, and international collaborations, as assigned.
viii. Support the development, coordination, and administrative management of DBT-supported autonomous institutions. Manage budgetary, governance, and performance oversight of DBT-affiliated institutions in coordination with financial and administrative divisions.

Eligibility Conditions :
1. NATIONALITY : The applicant must be a citizen of India.
2. AGE LIMITS : The upper age limit for direct recruits shall be 35years. The crucial Date for determining the age-limit shall be the closing date for receipt of applications from candidates.
Upper age limit shall be relaxable for the Government servants upto five years in accordance with the instructions or orders issued by the Central Government. [Department of Personnel & Training’s O.M. No.15012/8/87-Estt.(D) dated 15.10.1987]
Relaxation in upper age limit for SC/ST/OBC/ Persons with Benchmark Disabilities shall be in accordance with orders issued by the Central Government from time to time. The Relaxation in upper age limit for SC/ST candidates shall be 5 years; for OBC candidates shall be 3 years; for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities candidates shall be 10 years.

Liability to Serve
(i) The selected candidates appointed as Scientists shall be liable to serve anywhere in India or abroad as and when required in the interest of the Department.
(ii) The Scientists so appointed shall be liable to undergo training and be deputed to courses of instruction, whether in India or abroad, as may be prescribed or decided by the Central Government from time to time.
(iii) A Scientist detailed for training or course, the duration of which is six months or more or a Scientist detailed for training outside India or with private firms or factories in India, irrespective of the duration of the training, shall be required to execute a Bond to serve the Central Government for a minimum period of three years and shall be liable to refund in full the cost of such training, if, for any reason, during the training or within a period of three years after the completion of such training, he/she chooses to discontinue his service from the Department.

Application Fee : All candidates (except Females/SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability/Ex-servicemen) are required to pay (non-refundable) fees of Rs. 2000/- (Rupees Two Thousand only).
Note I : Applications without the prescribed Fee (Unless remission of Fee is claimed) shall be summarily rejected. No representation against such rejection would be entertained.
Note II : Fee once paid shall not be refunded under any circumstances nor can the fee be held in reserve for any other examination or selection.
Note III : Candidates would be required to bear the cost of online payment of fees (through net-banking/debit card/credit card, etc.)

DETAILED PLAN OF SELECTION
The selection process will be a two stage process consisting of a computer-based written examination to be conducted by the Central Government directly or through any other Central Government agency or organization having experience and expertise in the area, followed by personal interview of the shortlisted candidates (based on the merit in the written examination).
STAGE I - WRITTEN EXAMINATION including both technical and non-technical sections assessing knowledge of the scientific subjects/fields and general aptitude. The paper will consist objective type multiple choice questions and will be bilingual in English and Hindi only. There will be negative marking of 1/2 (half) marks for every wrong/incorrectly marked answers. The paper shall be compulsory for all candidates
Total Questions : 200 Maximum marks: 200.
Duration: 120 minutes {160 minutes for cerebral palsy candidates with loco motor disability where dominant writing extremity is affected to the extent of slowing the performance of function (minimum of 40% impairment)}.
The paper will have two parts i.e. Part - A* and Part - B*.
Part - A - GENERAL APTITUDE (100 Questions of 1 mark each)
It shall assess the knowledge in the field of general aptitude, general knowledge, current affairs, elementary mathematics, comprehension, reasoning, analytical ability and general sciences. The questions will be of Intermediate level.
Part - B - SCIENTIFIC (100 Questions of 1 mark each)
It shall assess the technical knowledge in the subjects/fields as per essential educational qualifications. The questions will be of Graduate level of Universities in India. It will consist 20 questions each in the following subject/fields:
i. Biochemistry/Microbiology
ii. Agriculture/Plant Biology
iii. Animal Science/Medical
iv. Data Science/Bioinformatics
v. Biotechnology
STAGE-2 INTERVIEW : Maximum marks: 200
Based on the total marks obtained in written examination, candidates will be shortlisted for interview in order of merit. Only the shortlisted candidates will be called for Interview. Number of candidates to be called for interview will be five times the number of vacancies in a particular category. However, in case where in a particular category, more candidates having similar cut off marks, all such candidates will be called for Interview and the number of candidates called for Interview would increase accordingly.
The candidates will be allowed to take part in the Interview only after successful completion of the Document Verification process.
FINAL MERIT LIST : Candidates shall be selected category wise on the basis of merit as determined by the total marks obtained in written examination and Interview i.e. out of 400 marks.
CRITERIA FOR DECIDING SENIORITY IN FINAL MERIT : In case a tie occurs in the total marks obtained after interview, the seniority of candidate will be based on the following criteria:
(a) The tie may be resolved based on the marks obtained in written exam with candidate obtaining higher marks given high seniority in the merit list.
(b) In case of further tie, seniority in merit will be based on age of candidates, with candidate having earlier date of birth (i.e. elder in age) will be given higher seniority.
WAITLIST PANEL : A reserve panel of candidates in order of merit will also be prepared from the candidates called for interview which will remain valid for a period of one year from the date of interview. The panel can be utilized to fill up vacancies arising as advertised as well as vacancies that might arise/ may have arisen subsequent to the date of publication of this advertisement due to any reason like retirement/resignation/death, etc.

General Conditions
I. The relevant Recruitment Rules are available under the following link Regulations & Guidelines < Rules & Regulations on' the Department’s website (dbtindia.gov.in). The candidates are advised to refer the same before filling the online application form.
II. The applicants are advised to regularly visit the Department’s website dbtindia.qov.in and the recruitment portal (link: https://rcbdbt26.rcb.ac.in/RCBDBT/). Any addendum/corrigendum or any further announcements/update regarding the recruitment process will be posted on the Department's website/recruitment portal.
III. Candidates are advised in their own interest to submit online applications much before the closing date and not to wait till the last date to avoid the possibility of disconnection/ inability or failure to login to the portal on account of heavy load on the website during the closing days.
IV. No correspondence will be entertained from candidates who are not called for interview/selected for appointment.
V. Results of all eligible candidates shall be available on Department’s website. Communications with the Department in this regard shall not be normally entertained.
VI. No request for withdrawal of candidature received from a candidate after he/she has submitted his/her application will be entertained under any circumstances.

STARTING DATE : From the date of publishing of advertisement in Employment News/Rojgar Samachar
LAST DATE : For Receipt of Applications in Online Mode: 30 days from date of publishing of advertisement in Employment News/ Rojgar Samachar