SSC JHT Eligibility 2026: Age Limit and Qualification Guide

SSC JHT eligibility depends on three things: your age on 1 August 2026, a Master's degree with the right Hindi and English combination, and a translation qualification or translation experience. The Staff Selection Commission sets these rules in the notice of the Combined Hindi Translators Examination, 2026, released on 23 April 2026.

This page explains each condition in plain terms, including the category-wise age relaxation, the difference between junior and senior post requirements, and the dates that decide your eligibility. Both the age limit and the essential qualification are checked as on 1 August 2026, while claims for category benefits are checked as on the closing date of applications, 14 May 2026.

Table of Contents

• SSC JHT Eligibility

• Educational Qualification

• Age Limit and Relaxation

• Nationality and Other Conditions

• Category Certificates and Crucial Dates

• Who Is Not Eligible

• Fee and Documents

SSC JHT Eligibility

Educational Qualification

Master's Degree Combinations

For all posts, you need a Master's degree from a recognised university in one of these combinations:

• Hindi as the main subject: Master's in Hindi, with English as a compulsory or elective subject or as the medium of examination at degree level.

• English as the main subject: Master's in English, with Hindi as a compulsory or elective subject or as the medium of examination at degree level.

• Any other subject, Hindi medium: Master's in any other subject with Hindi medium, and English as a compulsory or elective subject or as the medium of examination at degree level.

• Any other subject, English medium: Master's in any other subject with English medium, and Hindi as a compulsory or elective subject or as the medium of examination at degree level.

• Any other subject, both languages at degree level: Master's in any other subject, with Hindi and English as compulsory or elective subjects, or one as the medium of examination and the other as a compulsory or elective subject, at degree level.

Here, degree level means your graduation. So if you hold a Master's in, say, History, check whether Hindi and English appeared in your bachelor's degree as subjects or as the medium of examination.

Translation Diploma or Experience

Translation experience in a private company does not meet this condition as worded in the notice. If you do not have government translation experience, you need the recognised diploma or certificate.

Result Deadline and Distance Degrees

• Result by 1 August 2026: You must hold the essential qualification on 1 August 2026. If your result was declared on or before that date and you passed, you qualify. A result still being processed by the university on that date does not count.

• Open and distance learning: Degrees from universities established by an Act of Parliament or State Legislature, deemed universities and institutions of national importance, earned through open and distance learning, are recognised for Central Government jobs if the programme was approved by the Distance Education Bureau of the UGC for the relevant period.

• Proof at verification: Mark sheets, provisional certificates and the translation or experience certificate are checked in original by the user department at document verification.

Age Limit and Relaxation

You must be 18 to 30 years old as on 1 August 2026. In other words, you must be born not before 2 August 1996 and not later than 1 August 2008. The date of birth in your Matriculation or Secondary certificate is the one SSC accepts, and it cannot be changed later.

The maximum age column simply adds the relaxation to the general limit of 30 years. Relaxation for Ex-Servicemen is not available to their sons, daughters or dependents.

Nationality and Other Conditions

• Nationality: You must be a citizen of India, a subject of Nepal, a subject of Bhutan, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka or specified East African countries or Vietnam to settle permanently in India. Candidates in the last three groups need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India before an offer of appointment.

• Border Roads Organisation posts: Only men are eligible for BRO vacancies, if any are reported, and these posts have physical efficiency, physical and medical standards given in the notice.

• Persons with Benchmark Disabilities: The posts of Junior Hindi Translator, Junior Translator and Senior Hindi Translator are identified as suitable for specified categories of blindness and low vision, deaf and hard of hearing, locomotor disabilities and some other categories, as listed in the notice. Scribe-eligible candidates get 20 minutes of compensatory time per hour.

• Service conditions: Selected candidates serve a two-year probation and can be posted anywhere in India.

Category Certificates and Crucial Dates

• Category claims: For SC, ST, OBC, PwBD and Ex-Servicemen benefits, the crucial date is the closing date of applications, 14 May 2026. You must belong to that category on that date.

• OBC: You must not fall in the creamy layer on 14 May 2026 and must produce the certificate in the format given in the notice when asked.

• EWS: You need an Income and Asset certificate valid for the financial year 2026-27, based on income for 2025-26.

• Serving defence personnel: To claim Ex-Servicemen status, you must complete your engagement within one year of the closing date, that is by 14 May 2027.

• Ex-Servicemen already in civil jobs: Those who already hold a regular Group C or D Central Government civil job secured through Ex-Servicemen reservation cannot claim the reservation or fee concession again, except under the self-declaration rule in the notice.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Over or under age: Anyone born before 2 August 1996 or after 1 August 2008, unless a relaxation applies.

• Graduates without a Master's degree: A bachelor's degree is not enough for any post in this exam.

• No translation qualification: A Master's degree without a recognised translation diploma or certificate, and without government translation experience of the required length.

• Late results: Candidates whose Master's result was declared after 1 August 2026.

• Category without proof: Anyone who cannot produce the category certificate at verification loses the claim, and the candidature is cancelled.

Fee and Documents

The application fee is Rs. 100. Women, SC, ST, PwBD and Ex-Servicemen eligible for reservation are exempted. Keep these documents ready for verification: Matriculation certificate, Master's degree and graduation mark sheets, translation diploma or experience certificate, category certificate if applicable, disability certificate if applicable, and a No Objection Certificate if you are already in government service. read the eligibility section of the official SSC notification.