Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) has released Advertisement No. 63/9-2026 for recruitment to 23 Agriculture Development Officer (ADO) Group-A (Job Trainee) posts in the Department of Agriculture, Himachal Pradesh. The recruitment is being conducted through the Online Recruitment Application (ORA) system.
Eligible candidates can submit their online applications from the prescribed HPPSC online application portal. The last date to apply is 22 October 2026 up to 11:59 PM, and the examination fee must also be paid by the same date and time.
- Official Notification PDF: HPPSC Agriculture Development Officer Recruitment 2026
- Apply Link: Click Here
HPPSC Agriculture Development Officer Recruitment 2026 - Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Organization | Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission |
| Department | Department of Agriculture, Himachal Pradesh |
| Post Name | Agriculture Development Officer (ADO) |
| Post Category | Group-A (Job Trainee) |
| Advertisement No. | 63/9-2026 |
| Total Vacancies | 23 Posts |
| Emoluments | Rs. 29,500/- per month |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Application Start | 25 September 2026 |
| Last Date | 22 October 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Application Fee | Rs. 600/- |
| Age Limit | 18 to 45 Years |
| Selection Process | Screening Test / Subject Aptitude Test and Personality Test |
| Examination Centre | Shimla |
HPPSC Agriculture Development Officer Vacancy 2026
The Commission has notified 23 Agriculture Development Officer vacancies. All the advertised posts are backlog vacancies reserved for Wards of Ex-Servicemen and the category distribution is as follows:
| Category | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Unreserved - Ward of Ex-Servicemen | 19 |
| Scheduled Caste of Himachal Pradesh - Ward of Ex-Servicemen | 3 |
| OBC of Himachal Pradesh - Ward of Ex-Servicemen | 1 |
| Total | 23 |
HPPSC Agriculture Development Officer Recruitment 2026 - Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Advertisement Number | 63/9-2026 |
| Advertisement Date | 25 September 2026 |
| Application Start Date | 25 September 2026 |
| Last Date to Submit Application | 22 October 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Last Date to Pay Fee | 22 October 2026, 11:59 PM |
Educational Qualification
Candidates applying for the Agriculture Development Officer post must possess the following essential qualification:
- B.Sc. (Agriculture) under a four-year degree programme.
- M.Sc. (Agriculture) in Second Class.
- The qualification must be obtained from a college or university recognized by the State Government, Central Government or ICAR.
Desirable Qualification
M.Sc. (Agriculture) First Class or above is desirable.
Candidates should also have knowledge of the customs, manners and dialects of Himachal Pradesh and suitability for appointment under the peculiar conditions prevailing in the state.
HPPSC Agriculture Development Officer Age Limit
The prescribed age limit is 18 to 45 years. The candidate's age will be reckoned as on 01 January 2026.
Five years' relaxation in the upper age limit is available to Bonafide SC, ST, OBC, WFF and Persons with Disabilities of Himachal Pradesh, subject to the conditions specified in the advertisement. Age relaxation for Himachal Pradesh Government employees and Ex-Servicemen of Himachal Pradesh will be governed by the applicable Government instructions.
The date of birth recorded in the Matriculation or Secondary Examination Certificate or equivalent certificate will be accepted for determining the candidate's age.
Agriculture Development Officer Salary
Selected candidates appointed as Agriculture Development Officer (Group-A Job Trainee) will receive fixed monthly emoluments of Rs. 29,500/- per month.
The recruitment and engagement of job trainees will be governed by the Himachal Pradesh Government scheme for engagement of job trainees on a fixed amount, along with subsequent orders and guidelines issued by the Government.
Application Fee
A uniform examination fee of Rs. 600/- is applicable to all candidates, irrespective of category or gender.
The fee can be paid online through Debit Card, Credit Card, UPI or another prescribed online digital payment mode. The fee must be paid on or before the closing date for submission of the Online Recruitment Application.
The examination fee once paid is non-refundable and cannot be kept in reserve for another examination or selection.
HPPSC Agriculture Development Officer Selection Process
The selection process comprises a written examination followed by a Personality Test. Depending on the number of eligible candidates, the Commission may directly call candidates for the Personality Test where the prescribed candidate-to-post ratio is six or below.
Paper-I: Screening Test
Paper-I will be a Computer Based Test (CBT) or Offline Screening Test of one hour duration carrying 100 marks.
| Subject | Marks |
|---|---|
| General Knowledge of Himachal Pradesh | 30 Marks |
| General Knowledge of National and International Affairs | 30 Marks |
| Knowledge of Hindi Language | 20 Marks |
| Knowledge of English Language | 20 Marks |
| Total | 100 Marks |
Paper-II: Subject Aptitude Test
Paper-II is a descriptive Subject Aptitude Test (SAT) of three hours carrying 120 marks. The detailed syllabus is made available by the Commission on its official website.
Paper-I and Paper-II are conducted on the same day in morning and evening sessions as decided by the Commission.
Personality Test
The written examination is followed by a Personality Test carrying 30 marks. The Personality Test is held at the Commission's office at Shimla.
The minimum qualifying marks in the Personality Test are 40% for General category candidates and 30% for reserved category candidates.
Negative Marking in Screening Test
Negative marking applies to the objective-type screening test. For every wrong answer, 0.25 mark, or one-fourth of the marks assigned to that question, will be deducted.
Candidates are provided with four answer options and an additional Option E for questions they do not wish to answer. Candidates should select Option E if they want to avoid negative marking. Leaving a question completely blank also attracts the prescribed negative marking.
Minimum Qualifying Marks in Subject Aptitude Test
| Category | Minimum Qualifying Marks |
|---|---|
| General Category | 45% |
| Reserved Categories | 40% |
Candidates securing less than the prescribed qualifying marks in the Subject Aptitude Test will not be considered for the remaining selection process.
How Candidates Are Shortlisted for Personality Test
After Paper-I is evaluated, Paper-II answer sheets are evaluated according to the number of advertised posts and the Commission's prescribed zone of consideration.
| Number of Posts | Answer Sheets Evaluated |
|---|---|
| Up to 25 Posts | 20 times the number of advertised vacancies |
| 26 Posts and Above | 500 + 5 answer sheets for every subsequent post |
For the category-wise zone of consideration for scrutiny of documents, the prescribed ratio is 1:5 + 3 for 1 to 10 posts and 1:5 for 11 posts and above.
Normally, four eligible candidates for a single post and three eligible candidates for every subsequent post are declared qualified for the Personality Test based on the written examination. If fewer candidates qualify in a category, all such candidates may be called.
Final Selection
The final ranking and selection are determined by the marks obtained in the Subject Aptitude Test (120 marks) and Personality Test (30 marks), subject to the selection procedure prescribed by the Commission.
Examination Centre
The advertisement lists Shimla as the examination station/city. For CBT examinations, the Commission may allot a centre anywhere in Himachal Pradesh depending on the availability of computer test laboratories.
The Commission also reserves the right to change examination centres when circumstances require it.
Documents Required for HPPSC ADO Application
Candidates are required to upload the documents supporting their eligibility and category claims on the OTRS portal.
- Matriculation Certificate for age proof
- Degree Certificates
- Marksheets of all years or consolidated marksheet
- Experience Certificate, wherever required
- Valid category certificate, wherever applicable
- Bonafide Himachali Certificate for reserved category candidates
- EWS/BPL Certificate, wherever applicable
- Ex-Servicemen Discharge Certificate/Service Book, wherever applicable
- Other certificates required under the relevant reservation category
- Latest photograph and signature as prescribed
Important Application Instructions
- Candidates must ensure that they fulfil the required qualification, age and category conditions before applying.
- The essential qualification must be possessed on the closing date of the Online Recruitment Application.
- Applications must be submitted only through the official HPPSC online portal.
- Applications submitted through any other mode will not be accepted.
- Candidates must create an OTR profile before applying if they are not already registered.
- All required documents must be uploaded before final submission.
- Once the application is submitted, corrections or modifications are generally not permitted.
- An application without the required scanned photograph or signature will be rejected.
- Candidates should carefully check the application preview before final submission.
- Regular Government employees must inform their Head of Office/Department and produce an NOC where required.
- Original certificates will be checked at the Personality Test/Document Verification stage.
E-Admit Card
No admit card will be sent by post. Provisionally admitted candidates must download their e-admit card and examination instructions from the official HPPSC website.
Candidates should retain their OTR User ID and password for accessing the e-admit card and other examination-related information.
