The Botanical Survey of India (BSI), under the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, has released a recruitment notice for Junior Research Fellow (JRF) posts. As per Notification No. BSI-292/2/JRF-Rect./2026-Tech., completed applications in hard copy, soft copy, and the mandatory online form must reach BSI on or before 9 August 2026. BSI JRF Recruitment is for candidates who hold an M.Sc. in Botany and want to start a research career in a central government scientific organisation.
BSI has 6 vacancies for Junior Research Fellow. A full breakdown of the fellowship structure and eligibility is given below, along with the complete list of places where selected candidates can be posted. Candidates should check all details in the article below.
Information verified from the official Botanical Survey of India notification No. BSI-292/2/JRF-Rect./2026-Tech. (release date n9th July 2026).
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Quick Summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Ministry of Environment & Forests |
| Post | Junior Research Fellow (JRF) |
| Total Vacancy | 6 (Six) |
| Fellowship | ₹37,000/month (Year 1–2) → ₹42,000/month (Year 3 onward) + HRA |
| Application Mode | Offline (Registered Post) + Email (PDF) + Mandatory Online Google Form |
| Eligibility | M.Sc. (Botany) from a UGC-recognized university, 55% marks, age up to 28 years |
| Selection Process | Written test (MCQ, 3 hours) + Interview; NET (CSIR-JRF) candidates exempted from written test |
| Place of Posting | Any of 14 BSI Regional Centres across India (list below) |
| Last Date | 9 August 2026 |
| Who Can Apply | Indian Nationals with M.Sc. Botany, age up to 28 years (relaxable for reserved categories) |
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About Botanical Survey of India (BSI)
BSI is the central government organisation responsible for surveying, studying, and documenting the plant wealth of India. It functions under the Ministry of Environment & Forests and operates through Regional Centres spread across the country, from the Andaman Islands to the western Himalayas. For a candidate, a JRF post here means direct involvement in taxonomic and floristic research, access to national herbaria, and the option to register for a Ph.D. while working, since selected JRFs are permitted to enrol in a regular Ph.D. programme if they meet a university’s academic eligibility.
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Applications and hard copies go to BSI Headquarters in Salt Lake, Kolkata, an area well connected from both Howrah and Sealdah stations. But the job itself is not fixed to Kolkata — selected JRFs can be posted at any of BSI’s 14 Regional Centres, including Gangtok (Sikkim), Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), and Shillong (Meghalaya), and can later be transferred to any other BSI office.
Added context, not part of the official notification: This fellowship amount, ₹37,000 rising to ₹42,000 in the third year, matches the current national CSIR/UGC-JRF stipend structure used across most government-funded research fellowships in India. It is not a BSI-specific rate but the standard rate applied to JRFs nationwide. Confirm any such comparison with the hiring office; only the figures in the notification are official for this post.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification release date & Start Date | 9th July 2026 |
| Last date for hard copy (by post), soft copy (by email), and online Google Form | 9 August 2026 |
| Written test (MCQ) date and time / Interview Date | will be communicated to eligible candidates and posted on www.bsi.gov.in |
One timing note from the notification: candidates must arrive at the examination centre at least one hour before the scheduled test time. Late arrivals will not be permitted entry.
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Vacancy Details and Fellowship Amount
| Post / Discipline | Grade / Stage | No. of Posts | Fellowship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Research Fellow (JRF) — Botany | JRF (Year 1–2) → SRF on promotion (Year 3 onward) | 6 | ₹37,000/month (Year 1–2, consolidated) → ₹42,000/month (Year 3 onward) + HRA as per central rules |
Verified Total: 6 posts.
Fellowship structure (2+1+2 years): The initial appointment is for two years as JRF. After a performance assessment, suitable candidates are promoted to Senior Research Fellow (SRF) for a third year; otherwise the fellowship may be terminated. The SRF tenure may then be extended for an additional two years, subject to satisfactory progress and institutional requirements. The fellowship is purely contractual and does not carry any right to regularization or absorption in BSI, and fellows are not entitled to benefits beyond HRA.
Place of Work — any of these 14 BSI Regional Centres/Offices: Itanagar, Shillong, Gangtok, Howrah, Kolkata, Prayagraj, Noida, Dehradun, Jodhpur, Pune, Hyderabad, Vijaya Puram, Coimbatore, or Solan (Yercaud). Appointed JRFs may be transferred to any other BSI office based on organisational requirements.
Eligibility
Essential Qualification: Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Botany from a UGC-recognized university with at least 55% aggregate marks at the time of application submission.
Desirable Qualification (preferred, not mandatory):
- M.Sc. in Botany with specialization in Plant Taxonomy or Plant Systematics (any plant group)
- Working knowledge of computers
- Strong analytical ability
- Proficient technical writing skills
NET (CSIR-JRF) qualified candidates: exempted from the written test, but must still apply, select their preferred regional centres, and appear for interview if shortlisted.
Age limit: 28 years as on the last date of application submission (9 August 2026).
- Relaxation of 5 years for SC, ST, Physically Handicapped (PH), and female applicants
- Relaxation of 3 years for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) candidates
This is a single eligibility standard applied to all 6 posts; the notification does not set separate qualifications for different posts.
Selection Process
Selection is done in up to two stages, and candidates should note that NET (CSIR-JRF) qualified applicants skip the first stage.
- Written test: A physical (offline), 3-hour multiple-choice question (MCQ) paper, conducted at BSI Regional Centres. NET (CSIR-JRF) qualified candidates are exempted.
- Interview: Conducted online for shortlisted candidates, hosted through five regional centres — Central National Herbarium (Howrah), Eastern Regional Centre (Shillong), Western Regional Centre (Pune), Southern Regional Centre (Coimbatore), and Northern Regional Centre (Dehradun). Centre allocation depends on applicant turnout, and the Director, BSI may centralize all interviews at a single location.
- Document verification at the interview stage — original certificates and testimonials plus one set of self-attested photocopies.
One practical point from the notification: no Travelling Allowance (TA) or daily allowance will be paid for the interview. Candidates must arrange their own travel and stay.
Examination centre options (candidates choose any three, in order of preference, on the application form):
- Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, Vijaya Puram
- Arid Zone Regional Centre, Jodhpur
- Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre, Itanagar
- Botanic Garden of India Republic (BGIR), Noida
- Central National Herbarium (CNH), Howrah
- Central Regional Centre, Prayagraj
- Deccan Regional Centre, Hyderabad
- Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong
- High Altitude West Himalaya Regional Centre, Solan
- Northern Regional Centre, Dehradun
- Sikkim Himalaya Regional Centre, Gangtok
- Southern Regional Centre, Coimbatore
- Western Regional Centre, Pune
Application Fee
The non-refundable examination fee is ₹400 for General candidates, ₹200 for OBC applicants, and ₹100 for SC/ST/PH applicants. Fees must be paid online, exclusively through the Bharatkosh portal (bharatkosh.gov.in). Step-by-step payment instructions are given in Annexure-I of the notification, including Ministry code (079 – Environment and Forests), Purpose (Exam Fees), PAO (075020-PAO(BSI/ZSI), Kolkata), and DDO (275023-DIRECTOR).
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How to Apply
Applications must be submitted through three separate steps, and all three must reach BSI on or before 9 August 2026:
- Pay the exam fee online through the Bharatkosh portal (bharatkosh.gov.in) and download the payment receipt.
- Fill the prescribed application form (proforma), listing educational qualifications, dissertation (if any), and the five best publications with reprint copies.
- Compile the filled form, Bharatkosh receipt, research papers, and prescribed documents into a single PDF, named strictly as BSI_JRF_2026_FN_LN (FN and LN being first and last name), and email it to bsi.jrf.2026@gmail.com.
- Send the same set of documents in hard copy by Registered Post to: The Scientist-in-Charge, Technical Section, BSI-Hqrs., 3rd MSO Building, CGO Complex, F-Wing, DF Block, Salt Lake City, Kolkata – 700064.
- Separately and mandatorily, fill and submit the online Proforma through the Google Form link provided on the official website, www.bsi.gov.in. The exact Google Form URL is not printed in the notification.
Documents to keep ready:
- Recent passport-size photograph (3.5cm x 4.5cm), signed
- Filled application proforma
- Mark sheets/certificates for Secondary, Senior Secondary, Graduation, and Post-Graduation
- List of five best publications with reprint copies (dissertation details, if any)
- Bharatkosh payment receipt
- A valid Government-issued photo ID (Aadhaar, Passport, Driving Licence, etc.) for the written test
- No Objection Certificate (NOC), if currently employed in Government, PSU, or an Autonomous Body — required at interview stage
Important Links
| Link | Details |
|---|---|
| Official website | www.bsi.gov.in — notification, updates, and the Google Form link |
| Official Notification PDF (direct link) | official notification |
| Apply / Online Google Form | Apply through Google Form |
| Bharatkosh fee payment portal | bharatkosh.gov.in |
| Related job in West Bengal | Molecular Biologist Recruitment 2026 — Burdwan Medical College |
| More jobs | West Bengal Jobs on indiajobalerts.com |
Should You Apply?
This post suits an M.Sc. Botany candidate who wants a genuine research career, especially anyone with a specialization in Plant Taxonomy or Plant Systematics, since the notification lists this as preferred. Candidates who already hold a CSIR-JRF (NET) qualification have an advantage, since they skip the written test.
With only 6 posts open to any M.Sc. Botany candidate nationwide, competition is likely to be high, even though the base qualification is common. The fellowship amount matches the standard national JRF/SRF rate, but the role is purely contractual — there is no right to regularization, transfers between BSI centres can happen at any time, and candidates are expected to travel extensively, including to remote terrain, during their tenure. There is no TA/DA for the interview either, so candidates should budget for their own travel. For someone building toward a Ph.D. in plant sciences and a long-term research or academic career, this is a reasonable and well-paying entry point. For someone seeking a fixed posting location or permanent government employment, it is worth weighing the transfer clause and contractual nature before applying.
FAQs
Is the BSI JRF post a permanent government job?
No. It is purely contractual for an initial two years, extendable based on performance. It confers no right to regularization or absorption into BSI at any stage.
Are candidates with a CSIR-JRF (NET) qualification exempted from the entire selection process?
No. NET (CSIR-JRF) qualified candidates are exempted only from the written test. They must still apply, choose their preferred regional centres, and appear for interview if shortlisted.
Can a JRF selected under this notification also pursue a Ph.D.?
Yes. Selected JRFs are permitted to register for a regular Ph.D. programme, provided they meet the academic eligibility criteria of the concerned university.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandeep Khati is the founder of India Job Alerts and a B.Tech in Computer Science from JGEC (2010). He started his career as a Systems Engineer at TCS and has been active in digital publishing since 2011, beginning with SearchDarjeeling.com(2011) and working as a web developer and designer at Darjeeling Informatics. Launched in April 2025, India Job Alerts is his most focused project — dedicated to publishing verified government and PSU job notifications for West Bengal, Sikkim, and All-India candidates. Every post is cross-checked against official notifications before publishing.. Know more