NLC India Limited (NLCIL), the Navratna lignite, coal and power company headquartered at Neyveli in Tamil Nadu, has opened recruitment for 143 Graduate Executive Trainee (GET) posts under Advt. No. 10/2026. The posts are in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Mining engineering. There is no written test of NLC's own: you are shortlisted on your GATE marks and then interviewed. Online registration runs from 13 November to 14 December 2026 on the NLCIL careers page.
The catch is in the year. Every one of NLC's three documents for this recruitment, the press notification, the corrigendum and the detailed advertisement, says GATE-2025. Not GATE 2026. If your only GATE attempt is GATE 2026, this recruitment is not for you, however good your score is. We explain that first, then the area-wise and category-wise posts, eligibility, pay, bond, selection and the application steps. Page numbers from the detailed advertisement are in brackets. For dates and links in one place, see our NLC India GET 2026 job page.
NLC GET 2026 at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Advertisement | Advt. No. 10/2026, Recruitment Cell, NLCIL Corporate Office, Neyveli |
| Post | Graduate Executive Trainee (GET) |
| Total posts | 143 (Mechanical 66, Electrical 44, Civil 23, Mining 10) (p.1) |
| GATE year accepted | GATE-2025 only (p.2, para 2.2) |
| Qualification | B.E./B.Tech in the notified branch, 60% (SC/ST 50%), full time or part time (p.2) |
| Upper age (on 01-11-2026) | UR/EWS 30, OBC (NCL) 33, SC/ST 35 (p.2) |
| Pay during training | E-2 grade, ₹50,000–1,60,000; CTC about ₹14.50 lakh a year (p.2) |
| After training | E-3 grade, ₹60,000–1,80,000 (p.2) |
| Selection | GATE-2025 (80 marks) + Personal Interview (20 marks) (p.3) |
| Fee | ₹854; SC/ST/PwBD/Ex-Servicemen ₹354 (p.4) |
| Service bond | ₹3,00,000 for three years after training (p.4) |
| Apply | Online only, 13-11-2026 (10:00) to 14-12-2026 (17:00) (p.5) |
Read This First: Only a GATE-2025 Score Counts
The detailed advertisement could not be clearer. Para 2.1 says you must have qualified "in GATE 2025 Examination in the relevant GATE code". Para 2.2 says: "Marks of GATE – 2025 will only be valid for this recruitment." Para 12.3 says you register "using their GATE-2025 Registration Number". The press notification and the corrigendum carry the same year in their titles. This is not a typing slip that NLC fixed later; it runs through all three documents.
So here is who can and cannot apply:
- You can apply if you appeared in GATE 2025, qualified in the matching paper (ME, EE, CE or MN), and had your degree with the required percentage by 1 November 2026.
- You cannot apply if your only GATE attempt was GATE 2026. A GATE 2026 score, even a top one, has no place in this form.
- You cannot apply if you wrote GATE 2025 but did not cross the qualifying marks in your paper. Appearing is not enough; para 10.3 says "qualified GATE-2025".
- You cannot apply if you wrote GATE 2025 as a third-year student and your degree is still not complete on 01-11-2026. The qualification must be in hand on the crucial date (p.2, note i).
- If you wrote both years, only your 2025 marks are used, even if 2026 went better.
Open your GATE 2025 scorecard before you do anything else and check four things:
- The paper code. It must match the discipline: ME for Mechanical, EE for Electrical, CE for Civil, MN for Mining. A Mechanical graduate who wrote the Production (PI) paper, or an Electrical graduate who wrote Instrumentation (IN), does not fit the table on page 2.
- Your marks out of 100. Para 8.2 shortlists on "marks (out of 100) scored in GATE-2025". Note this figure, not only the GATE score out of 1000. Para 8.1 then converts GATE into 80 marks of the final 100. The advertisement does not give the conversion formula.
- The qualifying mark for your category. The scorecard prints it. Your marks must be at or above it.
- Your registration number. You need the GATE-2025 Registration Number to create your NLC login (para 12.3). If you no longer have the scorecard PDF, recover it now; you also have to upload it (250 KB, PDF or JPG).
Our view: if you are a 2026 GATE taker, do not pay ₹854 in the hope that NLC will accept it. Keep watching for PSU notices that ask for GATE 2026.
The Corrigendum: 145 Posts Became 143
NLC first announced this recruitment through a press notification dated 24-09-2026. That notice listed 145 posts, including 2 Computer posts in Area 3 (Renewable Energy, Planning & Projects). The corrigendum of 09-10-2026 reprinted the table without the Computer row. Area 3 fell from 20 to 18, and the total from 145 to 143. The detailed advertisement follows the corrigendum: four disciplines, 143 posts, and only ME, EE, CE and MN as GATE codes.
The corrigendum does not give a reason. What matters for you: if you are a Computer Science graduate with a GATE-2025 CS score, there is no post for you in this advertisement. Any article or video still showing 145 posts is working from the old notice.
Discipline, GATE Code and Degree
| Discipline | GATE 2025 code | Degree accepted (full time or part time) | Posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ME | Mechanical Engineering; Mechanical & Production Engineering | 66 |
| Electrical | EE | Electrical Engineering; Electrical & Electronics Engineering; Power Engineering | 44 |
| Civil | CE | Civil Engineering; Civil & Structural Engineering | 23 |
| Mining | MN | Mining Engineering | 10 |
Source: p.2, para 2.3. Note ii on the same page adds that "any other qualifications, which are regarded / classified as equivalent or having combination of branches other than the notified one will not be considered". In plain words: if your degree title is not in this list, NLC can reject you even if your university calls it equivalent. Automobile, Production alone, Electronics & Instrumentation and Mining Machinery degrees are not named. If yours is a borderline title, email help.recruitment@nlcindia.in before paying.
Area-wise Posts: Where You Would Work
You apply for one discipline in one Area. The four Areas are separate merit lists.
| Discipline | Area 1: Thermal Power Stations | Area 2: Mines & Allied Services | Area 3: Renewable Energy, Projects & Planning | Area 4: Services & Support | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical (ME) | 40 | 20 | 6 | – | 66 |
| Electrical (EE) | 30 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 44 |
| Civil (CE) | 10 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 23 |
| Mining (MN) | – | 10 | – | – | 10 |
| Total | 80 | 37 | 18 | 8 | 143 |
Source: p.1 and the corrigendum. The notes under the table on page 1 describe each Area:
- Area 1: thermal power stations in Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. (The column heading on page 1 says "Thermal Power Stations & Renewable Energy", while the note says thermal stations only.)
- Area 2: mines and allied services in Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha.
- Area 3: renewable energy projects and other projects in various states.
- Area 4: services and support functions in various states.
Some quick points that follow from the table. Mining graduates have only one choice, Area 2. Mechanical has no Area 4 posts. Area 1 alone holds 80 of the 143 posts, so Mechanical and Electrical candidates who choose it are competing for the biggest pools (40 and 30). Civil is spread thin: 10, 2, 7 and 4.
Category-wise Posts in Each Area
| Area / discipline | UR | EWS | OBC (NCL) | SC | ST | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 1 – Mechanical | 17 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 40 |
| Area 1 – Electrical | 17 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 30 |
| Area 1 – Civil | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| Area 2 – Mechanical | 9 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| Area 2 – Electrical | 2 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Area 2 – Civil | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 |
| Area 2 – Mining | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | 10 |
| Area 3 – Mechanical | 4 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 6 |
| Area 3 – Electrical | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 5 |
| Area 3 – Civil | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Area 4 – Electrical | 3 | – | 1 | – | – | 4 |
| Area 4 – Civil | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| All areas | 68 | 13 | 34 | 20 | 8 | 143 |
Source: p.1. The area totals (80, 37, 18, 8) are printed in the advertisement; the "All areas" row is our own addition, and it matches 143.
Look for the dashes. There is no EWS post in Area 2 Electrical, Area 2 Civil, Area 3 Mechanical or Area 4. There is no ST post in Area 2 Mining, Area 3 Mechanical, Area 3 Electrical or Area 4 Electrical. If your category has a dash in the cell you want, you can still apply there, but only against the UR posts, and then the general standard applies: age 30 and 60% marks, with no relaxation except the fee (p.2, note iv; para 7.4). Our advice: for reserved categories, choose the Area after checking that your category actually has a post in it.
PwBD posts
PwBD reservation is horizontal (p.1, note v). That means a PwBD post sits inside the UR, OBC or other counts above and is not extra. The table on page 1 marks the PwBD posts with the disabilities each one is open to. Many are marked with ^, meaning they are carried forward from Advt. No. 19/2024.
| Area / discipline | PwBD posts and categories (as printed) |
|---|---|
| Area 1 – Mechanical | 03 (01, ^02) [D, HH]; 01 (^01) [OA, OL, LC, Dw, AAV]; 04 (^04) [SLD, MI / multiple disability] |
| Area 1 – Electrical | 02 (^02) [D, HH]; 02 (01, ^01) [OL, CP, LC, Dw, AAV]; 02 (^02) [ASD (M), SLD, MI / multiple disability] |
| Area 1 – Civil | 01 (^01) [D, HH]; 02 (01, ^01) [SLD, MI / multiple disability] |
| Area 3 – Mechanical | 01 (^01) [SLD, MI / multiple disability] |
| Area 3 – Electrical | 01 (^01) [D, HH]; 01 (^01) [ASD (M), SLD, MI / multiple disability] |
| Area 3 – Civil | 01 (01) [D, HH]; 01 (^01) [SLD, MI / multiple disability] |
| Area 4 – Civil | 01 (^01) [OA, OL, CP, LC, Dw, AAV] |
| Area 2 (all) and Area 4 – Electrical | None |
By our count that is 23 PwBD posts, of which 19 are carried forward and 4 are fresh. Annexure I (p.6) confirms the disability categories are for all Areas "except for Area-2", and it lists "None" for Mining. So a PwBD candidate cannot be considered for Mining or for Area 2 under PwBD reservation. Abbreviations used by NLC: D = Deaf, HH = Hard of Hearing, OA = One Arm, OL = One Leg, CP = Cerebral Palsy, LC = Leprosy Cured, Dw = Dwarfism, AAV = Acid Attack Victims, ASD (M) = Autism Spectrum Disorder (Mild), SLD = Specific Learning Disability, MI = Mental Illness.
If a carried-forward post finds no candidate of the named disability, NLC may move it to another identified disability, and failing that, fill it with a non-PwBD candidate (p.1, note vi).
Eligibility: 60% Means 60.00%
- Minimum marks: 60% for UR, EWS and OBC (NCL); 50% for SC and ST (p.2, para 2.3).
- No rounding: the aggregate of all years or semesters is taken, and "rounding of percentage (%) will not be acceptable under any circumstances" (p.2, note vi). A UR candidate with 59.9% is out.
- CGPA: convert to the "exact equivalent percentage". NLC's own example: a CGPA of 6.0 on a 10-point scale counts as 60% (p.2, note v). Read literally, that is CGPA × 10; NLC does not mention any university formula.
- Degree in hand on 01-11-2026: the crucial date is the first of the month in which the notification was issued, 01-11-2026, and it applies to qualification, age and category (p.2, para 3.2).
- Recognised institution in India: UGC or AICTE recognised (p.2, note iii; p.3, para 10.2). Only Indian nationals can apply (para 10.1).
- Government or PSU employees: bring a No Objection Certificate to document verification, or you will not be allowed to the interview (p.3, para 10.4).
Age Limit as on 01-11-2026
| Category | Upper age | PwBD (40% or more disability) |
|---|---|---|
| UR / EWS | 30 | 40 |
| OBC (NCL) | 33 | 43 |
| SC | 35 | 45 |
| ST | 35 | 45 |
The upper ages are printed on p.2 (para 4.0). The PwBD column is our arithmetic from para 7.3: 10 years' relaxation for PwBD, 13 for PwBD-OBC and 15 for PwBD-SC/ST, all on the UR limit of 30. Ex-Servicemen get relaxation as per Government of India rules, and no one can be older than 58 on the crucial date. OBC candidates in the creamy layer must apply as UR and get no relaxation (para 7.5).
Salary, Training and the Bond
You join as a GET and train for one year. During training NLC pays a basic of ₹50,000 a month in the E-2 scale of ₹50,000–1,60,000, plus Dearness Allowance and a Common Allowance of 35% of basic. NLC puts the CTC at about ₹14.50 lakh a year (p.2, para 5.1). On top of the CTC, the advertisement lists Performance Related Pay every year, medical treatment for you and your dependants, group insurance, and unfurnished township housing at standard rent, if available.
After you complete training, you are absorbed in E-3 grade, ₹60,000–1,80,000, with a basic of ₹60,000, Performance Related Pay and superannuation benefit of 30% of basic plus DA (p.2, para 5.2).
| Stage | Grade and scale | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Training (1 year) | E-2, ₹50,000–1,60,000 | ₹50,000 + DA + 35% Common Allowance |
| After training | E-3, ₹60,000–1,80,000 | ₹60,000 + PRP + superannuation |
The bond: at joining you sign a Service Agreement Bond of ₹3,00,000 to serve NLC for at least three years after training (p.4, para 11.1). With the training year, that is a four-year commitment. If you come from another PSU or government body with an NOC, you can ask to transfer your existing bond after joining (para 11.2).
No transfer request for three years: para 6.2 says you cannot seek a transfer to another plant, unit or office for the first three years from joining. You go where the Area needs you.
Selection: GATE 80 + Interview 20
Section 8 (p.3) sets out the method:
- Shortlisting: eligible candidates are ranked on their GATE-2025 marks (out of 100) and called for interview "in the ratio 1:6 (or 1:10 as the case may be) against the notified vacancies", with reservation applied (para 8.2).
- Separate lists per Area: shortlisting is done independently for Areas 1, 2, 3 and 4. A candidate who opted for one Area "cannot claim selection in other areas" (para 8.3).
- Document verification: originals are checked against what you uploaded. Missing originals, or a missing NOC, OBC (NCL) or EWS certificate, stop you before the interview (paras 7.9, 10.8).
- Personal Interview: 20 marks.
- Final merit: GATE-2025 (80) + interview (20) = 100, with reservation (para 8.5).
- Tie at the cut-off: the older candidate goes higher; if still tied, alphabetical order of first name (para 8.6).
- Medical: a pre-employment medical examination by NLC's Medical Officer before appointment (para 9.0).
What 1:6 means in numbers, using our own arithmetic: for 40 Mechanical posts in Area 1, about 240 candidates could be called at 1:6, and up to 400 at 1:10. For 2 Civil posts in Area 2, about 12 to 20. These are ceilings from the ratio, not predictions, and reservation splits each figure further by category.
What this means for you (our view)
- Your GATE part is already fixed. 80 of the 100 marks are decided by an exam you wrote in early 2025. Your real levers now are the Area you choose, a clean application and the interview.
- The interview still matters. 20 marks is enough to move people around near the cut-off, especially in small pools. Prepare your core subject, your final-year project, and what NLC actually does: lignite mining at Neyveli, thermal stations, and its solar and wind projects.
- Choosing an Area is a strategy decision. Bigger pools (Area 1 ME 40, Area 1 EE 30) mean more interview calls. Small pools like Area 2 Civil (2 posts) can be very tight. We do not know how many people will apply to each, so there is no safe guess; pick the work you want to do.
Where You Could Be Posted
The advertisement names the locations (p.1): Neyveli (Tamil Nadu), Barsingsar (Rajasthan), Talabira (Odisha), South Pachwara (Jharkhand), solar and wind project sites in various states, and the joint ventures at Tuticorin (NTPL, Tamil Nadu) and Ghatampur (NUPPL, Uttar Pradesh). Para 6.1 says you can be posted to any location within the Area you applied for, "based on organizational requirements".
The honest picture, in our view: these are working sites, not metro offices. Mines and thermal plants run in shifts, and places like Talabira, Pachwara and Barsingsar are far from big cities. NLC townships do offer housing at standard rent, subject to availability. If you want a desk job in Chennai, this is not that post. If you want core engineering work with a Navratna PSU and a pay scale that starts at E-2, it is a strong offer.
Application Fee
| Category | Application fee | Processing fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| UR / EWS / OBC (NCL) | ₹500 | ₹354 (₹300 + ₹54 GST) | ₹854 |
| SC / ST / PwBD / Ex-Servicemen | Exempt | ₹354 (₹300 + ₹54 GST) | ₹354 |
Source: p.4, para 13. Payment is online through State Bank of India's e-Collect facility. The fee is non-refundable in any situation, and bank charges are extra. Note that reserved categories are not fully free here: they still pay the ₹354 processing fee.
Important Dates
| Event | Date and time |
|---|---|
| Press notification (145 posts) | 24-09-2026 |
| Corrigendum (143 posts, Computer removed) | 09-10-2026 |
| Crucial date (age, qualification, category) | 01-11-2026 |
| Online registration opens | 13-11-2026, 10:00 hrs |
| Online registration closes | 14-12-2026, 17:00 hrs |
| Last time for online fee payment | 14-12-2026, 23:45 hrs |
| Last date to submit, for those who registered and paid in time | 16-12-2026, 17:00 hrs |
Source: p.5, para 16. Read the last row carefully. The 16 December window is only for candidates who have already registered and paid by 14 December. It is not an extension for new candidates. Our advice: finish everything in one go well before 14 December.
How to Apply, Step by Step
- Check your GATE-2025 scorecard against the four points in the box above. If the paper code or the year is wrong, stop here.
- Check your degree percentage with no rounding, and convert CGPA as NLC's example shows.
- Decide one Area. Para 12.4 allows one post in one Area. The Area "cannot be altered after submission" (para 12.5). If you apply more than once, only the latest application counts.
- Prepare scans as listed below, with multi-page items merged into one PDF each.
- Go to the NLCIL careers page (Current Openings) between 13 November and 14 December 2026 and register once with your GATE-2025 Registration Number, name, email and mobile (para 12.3). Use an email and number you will keep; all communication comes by SMS and email (para 12.2).
- Fill in your details: personal data, qualification, age and category. Your category cannot be changed once filled (para 7.11).
- Upload documents and use the "View Document" option to check each one before submitting (para 12.11).
- Pay the fee through SBI e-Collect by 23:45 on 14 December.
- Submit and print the registration-cum-application form. You need this printout, with self-attested copies, at document verification (para 12.9). Do not post any hard copy to NLC (para 12.13).
Documents and Upload Rules
| Document | Format | Max size |
|---|---|---|
| Passport-size colour photo, 3.5 × 4.5 cm, taken after 01-03-2026 in a studio | JPEG | 50 KB |
| Signature in dark blue or black ink | JPEG | 50 KB |
| Date of birth proof (birth certificate or Class 10 mark sheet) | PDF/JPG | 250 KB |
| Aadhaar card | PDF/JPG | 250 KB |
| Class 10 mark sheet and certificate | 2.5 MB | |
| Class 12 or diploma mark sheet and certificate | 2.5 MB | |
| Degree certificate (provisional or final) | 2.5 MB | |
| Degree mark sheets, consolidated or semester-wise, in order | 2.5 MB | |
| GATE 2025 scorecard | PDF/JPG | 250 KB |
| Community certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS) | PDF/JPG | 250 KB |
| UDID or disability certificate (PwBD) | PDF/JPG | 250 KB |
| Ex-Servicemen proof | PDF/JPG | 250 KB |
Source: p.4–5, paras 13.6 and 14. Two rules catch people out:
- One PDF per item. Where an item has several pages, such as eight semester mark sheets, merge them in date order into a single PDF. Uploading a second file overwrites the first, and only the last one is saved (para 14.2).
- Fresh certificates at verification. OBC (NCL) and EWS candidates must show a certificate issued on or after 01-04-2026 at document verification (paras 7.7, 7.8). The OBC certificate must be in the central government format. Formats are in the "Forms" tab of the NLCIL careers page.
Only candidates who attend the interview get travel reimbursement: second-class sleeper train or bus fare by the shortest route, on producing the ticket (para 10.9).
Who Should Apply, and Who Should Skip
Apply if you qualified GATE 2025 in ME, EE, CE or MN, your degree title matches page 2, you have 60% (50% for SC/ST) without rounding, you are within the age limit on 01-11-2026, and you are ready to spend at least four years at a mine, power plant or project site.
Skip if your only score is from GATE 2026, you wrote a different paper (PI, IN, CS, XE and so on), your degree branch is not in the notified list, you are below 60% (UR/EWS/OBC), or a ₹3 lakh bond and a remote posting do not suit your plans right now.
Our view: for a Mechanical or Electrical candidate with a GATE-2025 score that has not yet turned into a PSU offer, this is worth applying for. It costs ₹854 and an afternoon. The bigger cost is the four-year commitment if you are selected, so think about that before the interview, not after the offer letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I apply with my GATE 2026 score?
No. Para 2.2 says only GATE-2025 marks are valid for this recruitment, and you register with your GATE-2025 Registration Number.
Q: How many posts are there, 145 or 143?
143. The press notification said 145, including 2 Computer posts. The corrigendum removed the Computer posts, and the detailed advertisement lists 143.
Q: Can a Computer Science graduate apply?
No. After the corrigendum, the only disciplines are Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Mining.
Q: Can I apply for two Areas?
No. You may apply for one post in one Area. If you submit more than one application, only the latest is considered.
Q: What is the age limit?
30 for UR/EWS, 33 for OBC (NCL) and 35 for SC/ST, as on 01-11-2026. PwBD candidates get 10 more years (13 for OBC, 15 for SC/ST), up to a maximum of 58.
Q: What is the salary?
During the one-year training, basic ₹50,000 in the E-2 scale (₹50,000–1,60,000) with DA and a 35% Common Allowance; CTC about ₹14.50 lakh a year. After training, E-3 grade ₹60,000–1,80,000.
Q: How are candidates selected?
Shortlisting on GATE-2025 marks in the ratio 1:6 (or 1:10 as the case may be), document verification, then a personal interview. Final merit: GATE 80 marks + interview 20 marks.
Q: My CGPA is 5.95. Am I eligible as a UR candidate?
By NLC's rule, 6.0 CGPA equals 60%, and rounding is not allowed, so 5.95 would fall short of 60%. If your university gives an official percentage on the mark sheet, email NLC to confirm which figure they will use.
Q: Is there a bond?
Yes. A ₹3,00,000 service bond to work for at least three years after the one-year training.
Q: What if I registered and paid but could not finish the form by 14 December?
Candidates who registered and paid within the time limit can complete submission until 17:00 hrs on 16-12-2026.
