ZSI Recruitment 2026 – Apply Online for 3 Consultant A, Project Associate Posts

ZSI Recruitment 2026 at a Glance

The official notification does not specify the application fee.

About ZSI

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) is an organisation of the Government of India under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Its Director is in Kolkata, and it has a headquarters, regional centres and field sites. These posts serve its project on "Documentation of traditional knowledge in wildlife conservation". The notice invites Indian citizens to work with ZSI as Consultants and Project Associate II.

Vacancy Details

The notice advertises 3 posts: 2 Consultant posts and 1 Project Associate-II post. Its table prints one figure, 02, for Consultant A, B and C together. Each consultant applicant is assessed under the category (A, B or C) that fits their qualifications and experience.

The Director, ZSI, keeps the right to select any number of candidates, even though the notice gives a number of vacancies.

Who Can Apply

The posts are open to Indian citizens. Candidates must be physically fit to travel to different parts of the country, including remote areas, to document traditional knowledge related to wildlife conservation.

Consultant A

• Essential: (i) Master's degree in Science or Arts as the minimum qualification, with good knowledge of M.S. Office; (ii) experience in the relevant field for more than three and up to five years; (iii) publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• OR: Retired Government Employees with (i) Grade pay of Rs. 4600/- and above and good knowledge of M.S. Office, and (ii) experience in the relevant field for more than three and up to five years.
• Desired: Experience in interdisciplinary research involving Archeology, Ecology, Anthropology, History and Conservation Biology; experience in data analysis of questionnaires, interviews, folklore, oral histories and traditional narrative; experience in graphic designing and wildlife-related artwork illustrations.

Consultant B

• Essential: (i) Master's degree in Science or Arts as the minimum qualification, with good knowledge of M.S. Office; (ii) experience in the relevant field for more than five and up to ten years; (iii) publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• OR: Retired Government Employees with (i) Grade pay of Rs. 6600/- and above and good knowledge of M.S. Office, and (ii) experience in the relevant field for more than five and up to ten years.
• Desired: Experience in interdisciplinary research involving Archeology, Ecology, Anthropology, History and Conservation Biology; experience in data analysis of questionnaires, interviews, folklore, oral histories and traditional narrative; experience in graphic designing and wildlife-related artwork illustrations; Generative AI and large language models for document summarization, classification, translation and knowledge extraction.

Consultant C

• Essential: (i) Master's degree in Science/Arts/ PhD from a recognized university and more than 10 years up to 15 years of experience in Research/ Development/ Design/ Academic/ Government Institutions/ Organisations in environment/ Forestry/ Archeology/ Anthropology/ Large Data Analyst; experience in scientific publication, project management and interdisciplinary collaborations.
• OR: Retired Government Employees with (i) Grade pay of Rs. 8700/- and above and (ii) experience in the relevant field for more than 10 and up to 15 years.
• Desired: Experience in interdisciplinary research involving Archeology, Ecology, Anthropology, Historians and Conservation Biology; publication in peer-reviewed journals; programming proficiency in Python, R, SQL and relevant AI frameworks; experience in data analysis of questionnaires, interviews, folklore, oral histories and traditional narrative; experience in graphic designing and wildlife-related artwork illustrations; expertise in large data analysis; Generative AI and large language models for document summarization, classification, translation and knowledge extraction; experience in cloud computing and big data platforms.

Project Associate-II (PA-II)

• Essential: M.A. in Arts (Archeology/ History/other relevant subjects) from a recognized institute/ University AND two years of research experience (after obtaining the Master's degree) in Academic/Research Institutions.
• Desired: Experience in Rock painting and Petroglyphs, Temple archeology, Iconography, Heritage management.

Age Limit

Age is counted up to the last date of the application (30 October 2026).

Age relaxation applies to the PA-II post only. It covers candidates from the SC/ST, OBC or physically handicapped categories, as per government rules. The notice does not print the number of years of relaxation.

Candidates should check the official notification for the discipline-specific eligibility of each post.

Pay and Tenure

• The Consultant posts carry consolidated pay of ₹60,000 (A), ₹80,000 (B) and ₹1,00,000 (C) per month. The PA-II post carries ₹35,000 + HRA.
• House rent allowance is allowed as per the rules of Govt. of India/ ZSI. It can never exceed the rates payable to Central Government employees in that area. HRA is calculated on the actual stipend of the Research Fellow.
• The stipend of a research fellow is exempt from income tax under 10(16) of the IT Act.
• The positions are purely temporary, for a period of 14 months or till the completion of the project.
• The engagement of Consultants is also governed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change guidelines for consultants. These were issued vide OM No. A. 65013/7/2018-P.II dated 22.09.2020, with related instructions and amendments.
• Selection, payment of funds, use of the contingent grant, progress reports, tenure, publications, patents, leave and similar matters follow the general rules for SPA & PAs as per the rules of MoEFCC.

How to Apply for ZSI Recruitment 2026

1. Download the application form from the Zoological Survey of India website, http://zsi.gov.in. The notice has one form for Consultant (A/B/C) and a separate one for Project Associate-II.
2. Fill in the form completely and paste a recent passport-size photograph with your signature in the box on the form.
3. If you are employed, get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from your present employer.
4. Address the email to The Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, with the subject line "APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF ………" and the post name filled in.
5. Fill in the Google Form at https://forms.gle/Qo96cjU4vRvP2dyR6 correctly and before the last date. ZSI uses it for primary screening, and it is mandatory for all candidates.

No hard copy of the application is required.

Details asked in the application form

• Advertisement number and date
• Name in full (in block letters), sex and date of birth, nationality, and father's/husband's name
• Address for correspondence with mobile number (WhatsApp) and email, plus your permanent address
• Whether you are SC/ST/OBC (attach the certificate)
• Educational/professional qualifications from matriculation onwards, and desirable educational qualifications (examination, year, institution, subjects and marks)
• Details of previous employment (post, institution, duration and title of work)
• Present pay scale, position held, basic pay and total emoluments drawn
• Title of dissertation/thesis with a one-page summary
• List of publications
• Names and complete addresses of three referees
• Any other information, and the signed and dated declaration

Selection and Interview

• Candidates are shortlisted on the basis of their qualification and experience. Meeting the qualification and experience does not by itself entitle a candidate to be called for interview or selection.
• Applicants for Consultant A, Consultant B and Consultant C are evaluated and selected on their educational qualifications, relevant experience and domain-specific expertise, according to the criteria in the advertisement.
• Shortlisted candidates are informed through email / WhatsApp. They then appear before an interview committee virtually or in hybrid mode.
• Original documents are verified, and this can happen even after selection. An applicant found to have wilfully concealed or misrepresented facts, or to have canvassed, is not considered for selection, and due action is taken.

Important Dates

Important Instructions

• Incomplete applications are rejected, and no further correspondence is entertained.
• Selected candidates are liable to be posted anywhere in the country, including field sites, HQ and regional centres of ZSI. They will have to join immediately after selection.
• Project Fellows submit monthly and yearly progress reports through the PI in the prescribed proforma. At the end of the tenure they submit a comprehensive report of the work to the Director, ZSI, through the PI.
• Research results are encouraged for publication at the discretion of the Director, ZSI. The right to commercial exploitation of the results, and any patent arising from them, rests exclusively with ZSI.
• Leaving the fellowship before the end of the tenure needs the prior approval of the Director, ZSI. A Research Fellow can be terminated if the Director is not satisfied with the fellow's progress or conduct.
• No paid or honorary, part-time or full-time employment, and no private practice even in an honorary capacity, is allowed during the tenure of the fellowship.
• Officers from HQ may visit the ZSI Regional Centres to review the work, accounts and attendance.
• The Director, Zoological Survey of India, reserves the right to select or reject any candidature, or cancel the advertisement, without assigning any reason.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many vacancies are there in ZSI Recruitment 2026?

There are 3 vacancies: 2 Consultant posts across Consultant A, B and C, and 1 Project Associate-II post.

What is the last date for ZSI Recruitment 2026?

The last date is 30 October 2026, both for emailing the application to zsidtkwcproject@gmail.com and for filling the mandatory Google Form.

What qualification is needed for the ZSI Project Associate-II post?

You need an M.A. in Arts (Archeology/ History/other relevant subjects) from a recognized institute/University. You also need two years of research experience in Academic/Research Institutions after the Master's degree.

What qualification is needed for the ZSI Consultant posts?

Consultant A and B need a Master's degree in Science or Arts with good knowledge of M.S. Office and publications in peer-reviewed journals, plus more than 3 to 5 years (A) or more than 5 to 10 years (B) of experience. Consultant C needs a Master's degree in Science/Arts/ PhD with more than 10 to 15 years of experience.

What is the age limit for ZSI Recruitment 2026?

The age limit is 65 years for Consultant (A/B/C) and 35 years for PA-II, counted up to the last date of the application. Relaxation for SC/ST, OBC and physically handicapped candidates applies to the PA-II post only, as per government rules.

What is the salary for ZSI Consultant and PA-II posts?

Consultant A gets ₹60,000, Consultant B ₹80,000 and Consultant C ₹1,00,000 per month, all consolidated. Project Associate-II gets ₹35,000 + HRA.

Is HRA paid on top of the pay?

HRA is added only to the Project Associate-II pay of ₹35,000. It follows Govt. of India/ZSI rules and never exceeds the rate payable to Central Government employees in that area. The Consultant pay is consolidated.

How do I apply for ZSI Recruitment 2026?

Email the filled application form, with an NOC if you are employed, to zsidtkwcproject@gmail.com by 30 October 2026. Also fill the mandatory Google Form at https://forms.gle/Qo96cjU4vRvP2dyR6. No hard copy is required.

What is the selection process?

ZSI shortlists candidates on their qualification and experience, and uses the Google Form for primary screening. Shortlisted candidates are told by email/WhatsApp to appear before an interview committee virtually or in hybrid mode.

Can retired government employees apply for ZSI Consultant posts?

Yes. Retired government employees can apply if they meet the grade pay and experience required for each post. Consultant A needs grade pay of Rs. 4600/- and above with more than 3 to 5 years of experience. Consultant B needs Rs. 6600/- and above with more than 5 to 10 years. Consultant C needs Rs. 8700/- and above with more than 10 to 15 years.