HPPSC ADO Recruitment 2026: Apply Online for 23 Agriculture Development Officer Posts

The Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) has issued Advertisement No. 63/9-2026 inviting Online Recruitment Applications (ORA) for the post of Agriculture Development Officer (ADO) Group-A (Job Trainee) in the Department of Agriculture, Himachal Pradesh.

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1. Key Recruitment Highlights

Attribute	Details
Recruiting Authority	Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC)
Department	Department of Agriculture, Himachal Pradesh
Post Title	Agriculture Development Officer (ADO) Group-A (Job Trainee)
Advertisement Number	63/9-2026
Date of Notification	25/09/2026
Total Vacancies	23 Posts (Backlog)
Remuneration / Pay Scale	₹29,500/- per month (Fixed emoluments for Job Trainee)
Job Location	Himachal Pradesh
Application Mode	Online Only (Via OTR Portal)
Selection Mode	Screening Test (Paper-I & Paper-II) + Personality Test

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2. Important Dates & Schedule

Event	Date / Details
Notification Release Date	September 25, 2026
Online Application Start Date	September 25, 2026
Closing Date for Online Application	October 22, 2026 (until 11:59 PM)
Last Date for Fee Payment	October 22, 2026 (until 11:59 PM)
Crucial Date for Age Calculation	January 1, 2026
Crucial Date for Educational Qualifications	October 22, 2026

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3. Vacancy Details & Category Breakdown

Sl. No.	Category / Reservation Head	Number of Vacancies	Nature of Vacancy
1	Unreserved (Ward of Ex-Servicemen of HP)	19	Backlog
2	Scheduled Caste of HP (Ward of Ex-Servicemen)	03	Backlog
3	Other Backward Classes of HP (Ward of Ex-Servicemen)	01	Backlog
Total	All Categories	23	Backlog

Note: Wards of Ex-Servicemen include eligible dependent sons, daughters, and wives of Ex-Servicemen of Himachal Pradesh.

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4. Eligibility Criteria

Criteria Type	Prescribed Requirements
Essential Educational Qualification	• B.Sc. (Agriculture) under a 4-year degree programme. • M.Sc. (Agriculture) 2nd Class from a College/University recognized by the State/Central Government or ICAR.
Desirable Qualification	• M.Sc. (Agriculture) 1st Class or above. • Knowledge of customs, manners, and dialects of Himachal Pradesh and suitability for appointment in prevailing local conditions.
Age Limit	• Minimum: 18 Years • Maximum: 45 Years (as on 01/01/2026)
Age Relaxation	5 years relaxation in upper age limit for Bonafide SC, ST, OBC, WFF, and PWD candidates of Himachal Pradesh (admissible only where a post is reserved for that category).

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5. Application Fee & Payment Mode

Category / Gender	Applicable Fee	Payment Mode
All Candidates (Uniform Fee across all categories & genders)	₹600.00	Online (Debit Card, Credit Card, UPI, Net Banking)

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6. Selection Process & Examination Pattern

Stage 1: Written Examination (Conducted on the same day)

Exam / Paper	Subjects / Components	Duration	Total Marks	Question Type & Marking Scheme
Paper-I (Screening Test - CBT / Offline)	1. General Knowledge of HP: 30 Marks 2. GK (National & International): 30 Marks 3. Hindi Language: 20 Marks 4. English Language: 20 Marks	1 Hour	100	• Objective type Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). • Negative marking: 0.25 marks deducted for wrong answers, multiple choices marked, or unanswered questions left un-darkened without marking Option ‘E’.
Paper-II (Subject Aptitude Test - SAT)	Relevant Agriculture Subject Syllabus (Descriptive)	3 Hours	120	• Evaluated based on Paper-I merit (up to 20 times the number of vacancies). • Qualifying Marks: 45% for General, 40% for Reserved categories.

Stage 2: Personality Test / Interview

Component	Total Marks	Minimum Qualifying Cut-off	Venue
Personality Test	30 Marks	• General Category: 40% (12 Marks) • Reserved Categories: 30% (09 Marks)	HPPSC Office, Shimla
Final Selection Merit	150 Marks	Based on: Paper-II (120 Marks) + Personality Test (30 Marks)	—

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7. Mandatory Documents for Uploading

Document	Specifications & Details
Age Proof	Matriculation / Secondary Examination Certificate.
Degree Certificates	Consolidated Mark Sheet / All-year mark sheets for B.Sc. (Agri) and M.Sc. (Agri).
Category Proof	Valid SC / OBC / Ward of Ex-Servicemen Certificate issued by the competent authority.
Himachali Bonafide	Valid Bonafide Himachali Certificate (parentage-based).
Wards of Ex-SM Documentation	Dependent Certificate and latest non-rehabilitation affidavit on the prescribed proforma.
Photo / Signature Verification	Scanned signature and live photograph capture at the time of OTR submission (matched at exam entry).
No Objection Certificate (NOC)	Required for regular employees currently serving in Government or Public Enterprises.

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8. Steps to Apply Online

Step	Action Required
Step 1	Go to the HPPSC official web portal: hppsc.hp.gov.in/hppsc.
Step 2	Click on “Apply Online” on the home page and select “One Time Registration (OTR) for Examinations”.
Step 3	Register a new profile via “New Registration” or log in with existing User ID and password.
Step 4	Complete profile information, ensuring category, parentage, and qualifications match original certificates.
Step 5	Locate Agriculture Development Officer (Group-A) on the dashboard and click “Apply”.
Step 6	Upload scanned documents, complete live face-capture, and check document legibility in preview mode.
Step 7	Pay the application fee of ₹600/- using digital payment methods.
Step 8	Submit the form and download/print the final application receipt for future records.

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09. Helpdesk & Contact Information

Channel	Contact Detail	Working Hours
Toll-Free Helpline	1800-180-8004	10:00 AM to 05:00 PM (Working Days)
Reception Counter Telephone	0177-2629738	10:00 AM to 05:00 PM (Working Days)
Official Support Email	hppsc_shimla@msn.com	Standard support hours