PGIMER Nursing Officer Eligibility 2026: Age and Qualification

PGIMER Nursing Officer eligibility rests on three checks: an approved nursing qualification, valid State Nursing Council registration and an age within the prescribed limit. For the current cycle (Advertisement No. PGI/RC/055/2026/2276, 243 Group B posts), all of these are tested as on 3 October 2026, the last date of online registration.

The application window has closed, but eligibility still matters. Shortlisted candidates face scrutiny and document verification, and a mismatch in any record can cancel candidature. This page lays out the rules from the notification in plain language. Verify them against the original notice on the official PGIMER website.

Table of Contents

Eligibility at a glance

Educational qualification

You must satisfy either of the two routes below. The qualification must come from a recognised university, board or institute, and you must have completed the qualification and registration on or before 3 October 2026.

Route 1: Degree in nursing

• Qualification: B.Sc (Hons) Nursing, regular B.Sc Nursing or Post Basic B.Sc Nursing from a recognised university or institute.

• Registration: registration as RN or RN and RM with a State Nursing Council.

• Experience: not required.

Route 2: Diploma in nursing with experience

• Qualification: Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) from a recognised board or council.

• Registration: registration as RN or RN and RM with a State Nursing Council.

• Experience: one year in a hospital with a minimum of 50 beds, gained after obtaining the diploma. Experience before the diploma does not count.

Experience certificates should be dated on or before 3 October 2026 and show the period of work, duties, pay scale, reference number and date of issue. If your certificate misses these details, ask your employer to reissue it before document verification.

Age limit and relaxation

The age limit is 18 to 35 years as on 3 October 2026. The date of birth is taken from the Matriculation or secondary certificate only, and the notification does not accept later change requests.

• No stacking of departmental and PwBD relaxation: only the more beneficial one applies.

• No relaxation for unreserved posts: a reserved-category candidate who applies against an unreserved vacancy does not get age relaxation.

• Ex-servicemen: the concession is for ex-servicemen themselves, not for their children or dependants.

• Maximum for PwBD: the notification states a ceiling of 56 years on the reference date after relaxation.

Category and certificate conditions

• SC and ST: upload a valid caste certificate. Candidates using age relaxation are not considered against unreserved vacancies.

• OBC: a non-creamy-layer certificate valid for the period 1 April 2026 to 3 October 2026 in the central government format is needed, along with a declaration at verification. Without these, the candidate is treated as unreserved.

• EWS: an Income and Asset Certificate issued within the prescribed period is required. Family income and asset limits apply, and SC, ST and OBC candidates covered by central lists cannot apply under EWS. EWS posts are tentative and subject to government direction.

• PwBD: a minimum 40% benchmark disability and a certificate under the RPwD Act, 2016 are required for fee exemption and age relaxation. A scribe and compensatory time are available if requested in the application.

• Serving government employees: a No Objection Certificate from the employer is required.

Other conditions

• Provisional candidature: eligibility is checked at every stage and candidature can be cancelled if any claim is found incorrect.

• Medical fitness: selected candidates must be in good mental and bodily health and may face a medical examination by the Institute's Medical Board.

• Single application per post and category: duplicate applications are cancelled.

• Canvassing: any form of canvassing leads to disqualification.

• Name changes: if your name changed after Matriculation, keep supporting documents such as an affidavit, marriage certificate or gazette notification for verification.

There is no limit on the number of attempts mentioned in the notification, and no interview is held. Details of the exam are on the PGIMER Nursing Officer exam pattern page.

Who is not eligible

• Candidates without State Nursing Council registration on the reference date.

• GNM holders whose one-year experience was gained before the diploma or in a hospital with fewer than 50 beds.

• Candidates whose final result or registration came after 3 October 2026.

• Candidates above the age limit after applying the correct relaxation, or those claiming relaxation without the right certificate.

• OBC applicants with a non-creamy-layer certificate that is not in the prescribed format or validity period, who will be treated as unreserved.

Documents and fee

The fee was Rs. 1,500 for General, OBC and EWS candidates and Rs. 800 for SC and ST candidates, plus transaction charges, with PwBD candidates exempt. For the full document checklist, dates and selection stages, read the PGIMER Nursing Officer overview. To prepare for the written test, you can start with online tests on Testkart.