The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has invited online applications for 124 vacancies of Principal in the Education Department of the Government of NCT of Delhi (Vacancy No. 26075101725), under Special Advertisement No. 51/2026. The same advertisement also covers 704 vacancies of Vice-Principal.
Important update (16 October 2026): the online application window is closed: it ran from 25 July 2026 to 14 August 2026 (6:00 pm). UPSC's corrigendum notice dated 16 October 2026 says the Combined Recruitment Test (CRT) for this post will now be held on 9 January 2027 in the forenoon session, 9:30 am to 11:30 am. The advertisement had fixed it for 1 November 2026. The interview date is yet to be announced.
| Organisation | Union Public Service Commission |
|---|---|
| Total Vacancies | 124 posts |
| Qualification | Master's Degree and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) from a recognised university/institute; Ten years' experience of teaching (as Vice Principal, Post Graduate Teacher or Trained Graduate Teacher) in a recognised High School, Higher Secondary School, Senior Secondary School or Intermediate College |
| Age Limit | Maximum 50 years (as on 14 Aug 2026) |
| Salary / Pay Scale | Level 12 in the Pay Matrix as per 7th CPC |
| Employment Type | Permanent, General Central Service Group 'A' Gazetted, Non-Ministerial |
| Job Location | Delhi (Directorate of Education, GNCT of Delhi) |
| Online applications start | 25 Jul 2026 |
|---|---|
| Last date to apply online | 14 Aug 2026 |
| Combined Recruitment Test (CRT) | 09 Jan 2027 |
| Interview | To be announced |
| General/OBC/EWS male candidates | ₹25 |
|---|---|
| Women (any community), SC, ST, PwBD | Nil |
| Post Name | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Principal (UR) | 69 |
| Principal (EWS) | 11 |
| Principal (OBC) | 18 |
| Principal (SC) | 16 |
| Principal (ST) | 10 |
| Qualification | Master's Degree and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) from a recognised university/institute |
|---|---|
| Experience | Ten years' experience of teaching (as Vice Principal, Post Graduate Teacher or Trained Graduate Teacher) in a recognised High School, Higher Secondary School, Senior Secondary School or Intermediate College |
| Maximum age | 50 years (UR/EWS), 53 (OBC), 55 (SC/ST) |
Combined Recruitment Test
2 hours, 300 marks, objective type, one-third negative marking. On 9 January 2027.
Interview
Shortlisted candidates are called for an interview; minimum suitability marks out of 100: UR/EWS 50, OBC 45, SC/ST 40.
Final merit
CRT marks and interview marks are weighed 75:25.
Applications are closed
Online applications on the UPSC ORA portal were open from 25 July 2026 to 14 August 2026 (6:00 pm). The 16 October 2026 corrigendum changes only the test date and does not reopen applications.
Watch the UPSC website
The e-Admit Card for the CRT will be put on upsc.gov.in before the test. No admit card is sent by post or email.
| Category | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| UR | 69 |
| EWS | 11 |
| OBC | 18 |
| SC | 16 |
| ST | 10 |
| Total | 124 |
7 vacancies are reserved for persons with benchmark disability (PwBD): 5 fresh and 2 backlog. The advertisement shows the male and female split of the vacancies too; read it in the advertisement.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Educational qualification | Master's Degree and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) from a recognised university/institute |
| Experience | Ten years' experience of teaching (as Vice Principal, Post Graduate Teacher or Trained Graduate Teacher) in a recognised High School, Higher Secondary School, Senior Secondary School or Intermediate College |
| Desirable qualification | Doctorate degree from a recognised university/institute; experience of administrative charge of a recognised High School, Higher Secondary School or Intermediate College |
| Maximum age | 50 years for UR/EWS, 53 years for OBC and 55 years for SC/ST. The age is further relaxable by up to 10 years for PwBD, subject to a maximum of 56 years |
| Date for eligibility | The closing date for online applications (14 August 2026) |
| Pay | Level 12 in the Pay Matrix as per the 7th CPC |
| Nature of post | Permanent; General Central Service Group 'A' Gazetted, Non-Ministerial; probation one year; headquarters Directorate of Education, GNCT of Delhi, Old Secretariat, Delhi-110054 |
Note 1 of the advertisement lets UPSC relax the qualifications for otherwise well-qualified candidates, and Note 2 lets UPSC relax the experience requirement for SC/ST candidates in the cases it describes; in both, the reasons are recorded in writing. Reservation under OBC is given only to candidates with an OBC certificate issued by the Government of NCT of Delhi; an OBC certificate issued by another State/UT is treated as General/Unreserved.
UPSC holds a pen-and-paper Combined Recruitment Test (CRT) common to the posts of Principal and Vice-Principal to shortlist candidates for the interview.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Date and time | 9 January 2027 (Saturday), forenoon session, 9:30 am to 11:30 am (as per the corrigendum of 16 October 2026) |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Type | Objective type, multiple choice; English and Hindi |
| Maximum marks | 300; all questions carry equal marks |
| Negative marking | One-third of the marks of a question is deducted for each wrong answer; no penalty if a question is left unanswered |
| Weightage | CRT marks and interview marks are in the ratio 75:25 for the final merit |
| Standard of suitability for the interview | Interview marks (out of 100): General/EWS 50 and above; OBC 45 and above (relaxed standards); SC/ST 40 and above (relaxed standards) |
UPSC says the test will be held at fifteen centres: Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi, Dispur (Guwahati), Jaipur, Jammu, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Port Blair, Ranchi and Visakhapatnam. The list of centres is subject to change and any change will be put on the UPSC website. The e-Admit Card will be put on the UPSC website before the test; no admit card is sent by post or email.
The application fee was ₹25, payable online by Visa/Master/RuPay card, UPI or internet banking. Women candidates of any community and SC/ST/PwBD candidates were exempt from the fee. OBC, EWS and unreserved male candidates paid the full fee. The fee is not refunded in any case.
Online applications were invited on the UPSC Online Recruitment Application portal, upsconline.nic.in/ora, from 25 July 2026 to 14 August 2026, 6:00 pm. The advertisement says candidates could not withdraw or correct an application after submitting it.
AIJobAlert keeps a copy of each UPSC PDF so the link keeps working if the Commission moves a file. Each copy has the same pages and content as the file on upsc.gov.in, with a short AIJobAlert.com source note added.
Official website: upsc.gov.in.
124 vacancies of Principal in the Education Department, Government of NCT of Delhi, under Special Advertisement No. 51/2026.
9 January 2027, forenoon session, 9:30 am to 11:30 am, as per the UPSC corrigendum of 16 October 2026. The advertisement had fixed 1 November 2026.
No. Online applications were open from 25 July 2026 to 14 August 2026 (6:00 pm). The test date was changed later, but the corrigendum does not reopen the application window.
50 years for UR/EWS, 53 years for OBC and 55 years for SC/ST, counted on the closing date. PwBD candidates get a further relaxation of up to 10 years, subject to a maximum of 56 years.
Master's Degree and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) from a recognised university/institute; and ten years' experience of teaching (as Vice Principal, Post Graduate Teacher or Trained Graduate Teacher) in a recognised High School, Higher Secondary School, Senior Secondary School or Intermediate College.
Level 12 in the Pay Matrix as per the 7th CPC.
A 2-hour objective test (multiple choice, English and Hindi) of 300 marks with one-third negative marking. CRT and interview marks are weighed 75:25 for the final merit.
General knowledge, Hindi and English language skills, reasoning and quantitative aptitude, educational policies and measurement and evaluation, management and financial administration, office procedure, pedagogy in education and digital literacy.
₹25, payable online. Women candidates of any community and SC/ST/PwBD candidates were exempt.
