NABARD Recruitment

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is India’s apex development bank, established in 1982 to foster sustainable and equitable agriculture and rural development. NABARD recruitment exams are among the most coveted banking exams, opening opportunities to work on rural credit, agri-project financing, and allied areas. Every year NABARD hires Officers and Assistants across various grades. For 2025, key posts include Assistant Manager (Grade A), Manager (Grade B), and Development Assistant (Hindi and general).

Posts Offered in NABARD 2025

NABARD typically recruits for the following posts:

• Manager (Grade B Officer): Officers in Grade ‘B’ (RDBS General discipline). NABARD Grade B Officers are called Managers. (No official 2025 notification yet, but last Grade B exam was held in 2021. Eligibility is similar to other banks’ Grade B posts.)
• Development Assistant (DA): Group ‘B’ clerical post. NABARD recruits Development Assistants (English and Development Assistants (Hindi)). The last DA recruitment was in 2022; a new cycle is expected soon.
• (Other posts: NABARD also hires Office Attendants (Group C) and various contractual Specialists/Medical Officers. Office Attendant recruitment was held in 2024. These are outside the scope of the main 2025 exam, but aspirants should watch NABARD’s careers page for updates.)

Eligibility Criteria

Each post has specific eligibility. In general, only Indian citizens may apply. Key criteria include age limits, educational qualifications, and experience:

Assistant Manager – Grade A (RDBS/Legal)

Age: 21–30 years as of 01.11.2025. Born between 02-11-1995 and 01-11-2004. (Relaxations apply: +3 years for OBC, +5 years for SC/ST, up to +15 years for PwBD etc.)Education: Bachelor’s degree (any discipline) with ≥60% marks (55% for SC/ST/PwBD) OR a Master’s degree with ≥55%. (Chartered Accountants/CMA/CS are also eligible). Final-year students cannot apply unless their results are declared by the cut-off date (01-11-2025).Note: These criteria apply to RDBS (General) and Legal posts. For Protocol & Security Service, age is 25–40 years with at least 10 years of commissioned military service (including relaxations). This is a specialized category.

Manager – Grade B (RDBS)

Age: Typically 25–32 years as of the eligibility date. (The Grade B exam 2021 required 25–32; expect similar limits, plus age relaxations.)Education: Postgraduate degree with ≥60% marks (55% for SC/ST/PwBD). (Or a professional qualification like CA/CMA/CS.)Experience: Min. 3 years of work experience in banking/finance/agriculture/rural development sectors. (SC/PwBD candidates need 2 years.)Nationality: Indian.

Development Assistant (Hindi and General)

Age: 21–35 years as of 01.09.2025 (relaxation for reserved categories).Education: Bachelor’s degree in any discipline with ≥50% marks (pass class for SC/ST/PwBD). For DA (Hindi), degree must include Hindi and English subjects.Experience: No experience required (freshers eligible).Nationality: Indian.

(NABARD’s official notifications stress that candidates must fulfil all criteria as on the cutoff date, and furnishing false information will lead to disqualification.)

Important Dates (Tentative)

While some dates await official release, the Assistant Manager (Grade A) 2025 notification has been published on 08-Nov-2025. Key dates for Grade A are:

Online Registration: 08 Nov – 30 Nov 2025. (Apply only online via NABARD’s website.)

Preliminary Exam: 20 December 2025.

Mains Exam: 25 January 2026.

Psychometric Test: Date to be announced.

Interview: Expected a few weeks after Mains.

Results: Prelim results (shortlists) will likely be in early January 2026; final results after the interview (tentatively Feb/March 2026).

For Manager Grade B and Development Assistant, official dates are not out yet. Typically, once notified, registration runs for 2–3 weeks, with exams held 1-2 months later. Always check the NABARD “Career Notices” page for the latest schedules and updates.

How to Apply

Online Only: Applications are accepted only online on NABARD’s website (via the “Careers – Apply” link) during the registration window. For Grade A 2025, the portal opened on 08 Nov 2025. No other mode (paper, email, etc.) is allowed.

Registration: Click the relevant link (Officer Grade A / Grade B / DA) and complete the application form. You will need to upload scanned copies of your photo, signature, left thumb impression, and a handwritten declaration.

Fee Payment: Pay the requisite application fee (and intimation charge) online via Netbanking, Debit/Credit card or UPI. (Example: for Grade A 2025, general category pays ₹750 + ₹150.)

Submission: Review all details and submit before the deadline. Print the final application form and fee receipt for your records.

Important: Use a valid email ID and mobile number throughout. Ensure document scans meet NABARD’s specifications. (See the official “How to Apply” section in the notification for detailed guidelines.)

Selection Process

NABARD’s selection typically involves multiple phases:

Assistant Manager (Grade A) – RDBS/Legal: Four phases

1. Preliminary Exam (Phase I): An online objective test (200 marks, 120 minutes) covering Reasoning, English, Computer, Quant, Decision Making (qualifying) and General Awareness, Economic & Social Issues, Agriculture & Rural Development (merit). (Marks in the Merit section alone count for shortlisting to Mains.)

2. Mains Exam (Phase II): A descriptive English paper and an objective/essay paper on Economics, Social Issues & ARD. Total 150 marks (100 for English, 50 for ESI/ARD).

3. Psychometric Test (Phase III): A 90-minute MCQ to assess personality traits (qualifying in nature).

4. Interview (Phase IV): 50 marks, testing professional knowledge and personal suitability.Final ranking is based on Mains + Interview scores.

Manager (Grade B – RDBS)

Typically three phases: Prelims, Mains, Interview. (The 2021 cycle had 8-subject Prelims, followed by descriptive & objective Mains, then an interview.) Psychometric tests are generally not part of Grade B selection.

Development Assistant

Two phases – Preliminary and Main, both objective online tests. (This was the pattern in 2018/2022.) Shortlisting to Mains is merit-based. No interview stage – final merit list is based on Mains scores.

Each phase requires separate qualifying; only shortlisted candidates advance. The exact pattern (number of papers/subjects) will be detailed in the official notification/syllabus.

Pay Scale & Benefits

NABARD officers enjoy attractive pay and perks under the 7th Pay Commission:

Assistant Manager (Grade A): Pay Scale ₹44,500 – 74,450 (with increments). Starting basic pay ₹44,500. With allowances (DA, HRA, LTA, etc.), initial gross ~₹1,00,000 per month. Perks include bank-leased accommodation (subject to availability), vehicle/mileage reimbursement, newspaper/internet allowance, book grants, festival advance, provident fund/Gratuity, and NABARD’s contribution to New Pension Scheme (NPS).

Manager (Grade B): Basic pay ₹35,150 (scale ₹35,150–50,900 plus increments). Initial gross is ~₹78,000/month. Benefits mirror those of Grade A officers (DA, HRA, medical, loans, etc.). (Grade B officers are equivalent to Assistant Managers after probation but with a lower pay scale.)

Development Assistant: Basic pay ₹14,650 (with two advance increments). Gross salary ~₹34,829/month; in-hand ~₹31,500 after deductions. DAs receive allowances like DA, Transport, Grade, HRA, and full NABARD benefits (medical, LTC, concessional loans, etc.).

All posts come with career growth, including periodic promotions (Group B DA → Grade A/Manager posts; Group A → higher officer levels) and defined benefits like pension (NPS), Gratuity, and insurance.