NABARD Grade A (Assistant Manager) Eligibility 2026

Who can apply for NABARD Grade A (Assistant Manager) in 2026 — the age limit, educational qualification, nationality and attempt rules as specified by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Always confirm against the official notification before applying.

RDBS Grade A — General (Assistant Manager)

Age: 21 to 30 years as on a cut-off date specified in the notification (typically 1 July of the exam year). Age relaxation: SC/ST +5 years, OBC (non-creamy layer) +3 years, PwBD +10 years over and above category relaxation, Ex-servicemen as per Government of India rules. EWS candidates get NO age relaxation.
Education: Bachelor's degree in any discipline with minimum 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwBD) in aggregate from a recognised university, OR Post-Graduate degree with minimum 50% (45% for SC/ST/PwBD), OR PhD from a recognised Indian university. CA / CS / ICWA / CFA professional qualifications are accepted in lieu. Final-year/result-awaited candidates are NOT permitted for General stream.
Nationality: Citizen of India, OR subject of Nepal/Bhutan, OR Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 with intent to settle permanently, OR person of Indian origin migrated from specified countries with intent to permanently settle in India. Candidates other than Indian citizens require an eligibility certificate from the Government of India.
Attempts: No formal cap on number of attempts — candidates may apply as long as they meet the upper age limit on the cut-off date. Application fee: Rs 800 for General/OBC/EWS, Rs 150 for SC/ST/PwBD (intimation charges only). Fee structure may shift by Rs 50-100 in any cycle; the notification is authoritative.

RDBS Grade A — Specialist streams

Age: 21 to 30 years for most specialist disciplines; for streams such as Forestry, Environmental Engineering, Geo-informatics and some technical streams the upper limit may extend by 2-5 years per notification. Standard category relaxations apply (SC/ST +5, OBC +3, PwBD +10).
Education: Discipline-specific. Indicative requirements per notification — Finance: MBA Finance / PGDM Finance / CA / CS / ICWA / CFA with 55-60% marks. Statistics: MA/MSc Statistics / Mathematical Statistics with 60% marks. Computer/IT: BE/BTech/MCA in Computer Science / IT with 60% marks. Civil/Electrical Engineering: BE/BTech in respective discipline with 60% marks. Forestry: MSc Forestry / Wildlife / Environmental Science with 60% marks. Always reference the year's notification PDF for the discipline you intend to apply against — minimum percentages and accepted equivalents vary.
Nationality: Same as General stream — Indian citizen or eligible category from Nepal/Bhutan/Tibetan refugees/PIO migrants.
Attempts: No formal attempt cap; subject to upper age limit on the cut-off date. Specialist vacancies are typically 5-20 per stream per cycle; competition ratio differs sharply across disciplines.

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