Punjab National Bank (PNB) released this recruitment notification on 20 July 2026 on its official website. As per the official notification issued by the HR Division, Head Office, New Delhi, online applications open on 20 July 2026 and close on 9 August 2026. This is for graduates who already have at least one year of banking experience and want a permanent officer post in a large public sector bank.
The bank is filling 545 Local Bank Officer (LBO) posts in the JMGS-I scale across 17 states, including 80 posts in West Bengal, 85 in Assam, and posts in Sikkim, Tripura, Meghalaya and other North East states. Selected candidates stay posted in the state they apply for. A full state-wise and category-wise breakdown follows below. Candidates should check all details in the article below.
Information verified from the official Punjab National Bank LBO recruitment notification dated 20.07.2026 (no separate notification number is mentioned in the official notification). Last verified: 20 July 2026.
Punjab National Bank is recruiting 545 Local Bank Officer (LBO) posts in JMGS-I scale through its notification dated 20 July 2026. The last date to apply online is 9 August 2026 on the IBPS application portal (ibpsreg.ibps.in), through the link on pnb.bank.in. Selection is through an online written test, screening, a Local Language Proficiency Test, and a personal interview.
Quick summary
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Punjab National Bank (PNB) |
| Post | Local Bank Officer (LBO), JMGS-I, Post Code 01 |
| Total vacancy | 545 |
| Salary | Pay scale ₹48,480 – ₹85,920 plus DA, CCA, HRA/leased accommodation and other benefits |
| Application mode | Online only |
| Eligibility | Graduate in any discipline + 1 year bank experience + local language proficiency; age 20–30 |
| Selection process | Online written test → screening → Local Language Proficiency Test → interview |
| Place of posting | Within the state applied for (for 9 years or till promotion to SMG Scale IV) |
| Last date | 9 August 2026 |
| Who can apply | Indian citizens (and other eligible categories) with 1 year Clerical/Officer experience in a Scheduled Commercial Bank or RRB |
Also Read | Union Bank Recruitment 2026 — 395 Officer Posts
About Punjab National Bank
Punjab National Bank is one of India’s largest public sector banks, with its head office in New Delhi. The Human Resources Division at the head office runs this recruitment. For a candidate, an officer post in PNB means a permanent central public sector bank job with a defined pay scale, retirement benefits, medical insurance and a clear promotion ladder from Scale I upwards under the PNB (Officers’) Service Regulation, 1979.
West Bengal, Sikkim and the North East
This recruitment matters for this region because the posts are state-locked. A candidate selected for West Bengal serves in West Bengal for nine years of service or until promotion to SMG Scale IV, whichever is earlier. West Bengal has 80 posts (language: Bengali), Assam has 85 (Assamese/Bodo), Tripura 18 (Bengali/Kokborok), Meghalaya 8 (Garo/Khasi), Manipur 6, and Sikkim, Mizoram and Nagaland 5 each.
Exam centres in West Bengal are Asansol, Burdwan, Durgapur, Kalyani, Kolkata, Siliguri and Howrah, so candidates from North Bengal and the hills can appear at Siliguri instead of travelling to Kolkata. Gangtok is the centre for Sikkim, Guwahati and four other cities for Assam, and Agartala for Tripura. Candidates who did not study the state’s local language in Class 10 or 12 must clear a Language Proficiency Test, so language should guide the choice of state as much as the vacancy count. This paragraph’s guidance on choosing a state is added context, not part of the official notification. Confirm details with the official notification.
Also Read | BSI Field Attendant Recruitment 2026
Important dates
The application window is short — under three weeks. The dates below are from the official notification.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Online registration opens | 20 July 2026 |
| Online registration closes | 9 August 2026 |
| Online written test (tentative) | August / September 2026 |
| Cut-off date for age | 1 July 2026 |
| Cut-off date for education and experience | 9 August 2026 |
One timing note from the notification: the exact test date, centre and venue come only through the call letter, which candidates must download from the bank’s website — no call letter is sent by post.
Vacancy details and salary
The pay scale for the LBO post (JMGS-I) is ₹48,480-2000/7-62,480-2340/2-67,160-2680/7-85,920. In addition to basic pay, selected candidates get DA, CCA, HRA or leased accommodation, leave fare concession, medical insurance and retirement benefits as per bank rules.
The notification gives a state-wise and category-wise breakdown. The full table is below — PwBD posts are horizontal reservations counted within the other categories.
| S.No. | State | Language proficiency | Total | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR | PwBD: OC | HI | VI | ID | PwBD total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | Telugu | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Gujarat | Gujarati | 77 | 15 | 8 | 22 | 10 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Karnataka | Kannada | 78 | 13 | 7 | 17 | 9 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Maharashtra | Marathi | 67 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Telangana | Telugu | 41 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 6 | Tamil Nadu | Tamil | 51 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | West Bengal | Bengali | 80 | 12 | 7 | 23 | 10 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 8 | Jammu & Kashmir | Urdu/Dogri/Kashmiri | 9 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Ladakh | Urdu/Purgi/Bhoti | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Arunachal Pradesh | English | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Assam | Assamese/Bodo | 85 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 9 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 12 | Manipur | Manipuri/Meitei | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Meghalaya | Garo/Khasi | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Mizoram | Mizo | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Nagaland | English | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Sikkim | Nepali/Sikkimese | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Tripura | Bengali/Kokborok | 18 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 545 |
A candidate can apply for one state only, and no change of state is allowed after submission. Officer-cadre candidates from Scheduled Commercial Banks can get up to two advance increments (one increment for subsidiary-bank experience) if their job profile matches a Scale-I Generalist Officer of PNB.
Eligibility
The notification sets one standard for the single LBO post.
Age: Minimum 20 years, maximum 30 years as on 1 July 2026.
Education: Graduate in any discipline from a university or institution recognised by the Government of India. The result must be declared on or before 9 August 2026, and the graduation percentage (CGPA converted to percentage where needed) must be entered in the application.
Experience: Minimum one year post-qualification work experience in Clerical or Officer cadre in any Scheduled Commercial Bank or Regional Rural Bank listed in the Second Schedule of the RBI Act, 1934, as on 9 August 2026. Experience in other financial institutions does not count if the role does not substantially match a PNB Scale-I Generalist Officer’s job.
Local language: Candidates must be proficient in reading, writing and speaking the specified language of the state they apply for.
Age relaxation
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| OBC (non-creamy layer) | 3 years |
| PwBD | 10 years |
| Ex-servicemen (minimum 5 years military service) | 5 years |
| Persons affected by 1984 riots | 5 years |
SC/ST/OBC candidates can combine their relaxation with only one of the other categories.
Selection process
Selection has four phases, and the bank may decide which phases apply. Final merit is prepared state-wise and category-wise on the combined marks of the written test and interview.
- Online Written Test — 150 questions, 150 marks, sectional timing:
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time (minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning & Computer Aptitude | 25 | 25 | 35 |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 25 | 25 | 35 |
| English Language | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 25 | 35 |
| General/Economy/Banking Awareness | 50 | 50 | 50 |
There is negative marking of one-fourth of the marks per wrong answer. Minimum qualifying marks per section: 40% for General/EWS and 35% for reserved categories.
- Screening of applications and documents of test-qualified candidates.
- Local Language Proficiency Test (LLPT) — qualifying in nature. Candidates who studied the state’s language as a subject in Class 10 or 12 are exempt, subject to documentary proof.
- Personal Interview — 50 marks. Qualifying marks: 22.50 (45%) for SC/ST and 25 (50%) for others.
One practical point from the notification: unemployed SC/ST candidates called for the interview are paid to-and-fro 2nd Class rail or ordinary bus fare by the shortest route on production of tickets.
Application fee
The fee is non-refundable and paid online only (debit card, credit card, net banking, IMPS, wallets or UPI).
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| SC / ST / PwBD | ₹50 + 18% GST = ₹59 (postage charges only) |
| All others | ₹1,000 + 18% GST = ₹1,180 |
How to apply
- Go to the PNB website pnb.bank.in and open the Recruitment/Career section, or go directly to the online application portal.
- Click “CLICK HERE FOR NEW REGISTRATION” and enter basic details. Note the provisional registration number and password sent by email and SMS.
- Fill the form carefully. Use “SAVE AND NEXT” to verify details — no change is permitted after clicking COMPLETE REGISTRATION.
- Upload the photograph, signature, left thumb impression, handwritten declaration and PDF documents in the prescribed sizes.
- Capture the live photograph through webcam or mobile as prompted.
- Pay the fee online and take a printout of the e-receipt and the application form. Do not send the printout to the bank.
Documents to keep ready: passport-style photo (20–50 KB), signature in black ink (10–20 KB), left thumb impression (20–50 KB), handwritten declaration in English (50–100 KB), Class 10 and 12 mark sheets, semester-wise mark sheets and degree certificate, caste/EWS/disability certificate if applicable, and work experience certificate in the annexure format (each PDF under 500 KB).
Important links
| Link | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| PNB LBO official notification page | Official notification PDF on the PNB website |
| PNB LBO apply online portal | Direct online application form |
| Latest West Bengal government jobs | All current openings in West Bengal |
Should you apply?
This vacancy suits candidates already working as clerks or officers in a public sector bank, private Scheduled Commercial Bank or RRB who want a permanent officer post near home. The state-lock is the defining feature: nine years in one state is a real benefit for someone who wants to stay in West Bengal or the North East, and a real limit for someone who may want inter-state transfers later.
The following assessment is added context, not part of the official notification. The one-year bank experience requirement cuts out fresh graduates, so the applicant pool is smaller than in open exams like IBPS PO — that generally makes the competition less crowded, though the candidates who do apply are experienced and prepared. The trade-offs to weigh honestly: a two-year probation, a three-year service bond of ₹2,00,000 if the candidate leaves early, a minimum CIBIL score of 680 at joining, and the long state posting. Prior service gives up to two pay increments but no seniority. For a Bengali-speaking candidate in this region, 80 posts in West Bengal is one of the larger state quotas in this notification.
FAQs
Can freshers apply for PNB LBO Recruitment 2026?
No. Candidates need a minimum of one year of post-graduation work experience in Clerical or Officer cadre in a Scheduled Commercial Bank or Regional Rural Bank as on 9 August 2026. Fresh graduates without bank experience are not eligible for this recruitment.
Can I apply for two states in PNB LBO 2026?
No. A candidate can apply for the vacancy of one state only, and applying for one state makes the candidate ineligible for any other state. The merit list is prepared state-wise and category-wise, and no change of state is allowed after submission.
What is the bond amount for PNB Local Bank Officer 2026?
Selected candidates must sign an indemnity bond to serve the bank for at least 3 years or pay ₹2,00,000 if they leave before completing three years of active service. There is also a two-year probation period from the date of joining.
What is the difference between PNB LBO and IBPS PO?
This comparison is added context, not part of the official notification. An IBPS PO can be posted anywhere in India and is open to freshers, while the PNB LBO post requires one year of bank experience and keeps the officer in the chosen state for nine years or until SMG Scale IV promotion. Both are Scale-I officer posts on the same pay scale structure.
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