NOTIFICATION OUT NABARD Grade A 2023: Vacancies, Qualification and How To Apply Online

The much-awaited NABARD 2023 notification is out! Like every year, the notification mentions all significant details such as important dates, eligibility, exam pattern, etc. Here are all the highlights that you need to know about the NABARD Grade A 2023 notification simplified for better understanding.

Notification Date of NABARD Grade A 2023

Unlike last year, when the notification was released in the month of July, the NABARD Grade A Exam 2023 notification is released on 2nd September and is now live on the official website of NABARD. This notification has all the details that a candidate is looking for including:

• The number of vacancies, discipline-wise and category-wise
• Eligibility Criteria for various posts
• Selection Procedure
• Exam pattern
• Exam Syllabus
• List of Exam Centres
• Application procedure
• Application Fee

We’ll give you detailed information on all the above points from the latest official notification in this article.

Important Dates Of NABARD Grade A 2023 Exam

First and foremost, let’s have a look at the important dates. The NABARD Grade A Exam, which is conducted every year for the recruitment of Assistant Managers, is held in three phases:

• Prelims (Phase I)
• Mains (Phase II)
• Interview (Phase III)

We have listed below the important exam dates as per the exam calendar for the year 2023.

Number of Vacancies In NABARD Grade A 2023

The number of vacancies advertised by NABARD for the Grade A i.e. Assistant Manager posts had seen an increase in the last two years. 

While there were 148 vacancies in the year 2021, the number increased to 170 in the year 2022.

However, in 2023, there is a small drop in the number, with the total number of vacancies at 150. Apart from posts for the General stream, these 150 vacancies include posts in specialist fields of Agriculture Engineering, Fisheries, Forestry, Land Development, Soil Science and Information Technology

This year, the vacancies for different posts and categories is as follows:

Eligibility Criteria for NABARD Grade A 2023

Now that you know all the important dates and the number of vacancies for the NABARD Grade A 2023 exam, let us understand the eligibility criteria to become an Assistant Manager in NABARD.

The eligibility criteria remain the same as last year i.e. 2022.

There are 2 main eligibility criteria to apply for the NABARD Grade A exam namely:

• Education Qualification, and
• Age Limit

Educational Qualification for NABARD Grade A 2023

The minimum education qualification for the General Post of Assistant Manager in Grade ‘A’ (RURAL DEVELOPMENT BANKING SERVICE) (RDBS) is as follows:

Bachelor’s Degree in any subject from a recognized University with a minimum of 60% marks (SC/ST/PWBD applicants – 55%) in aggregate.

OR

Post Graduate degree, MBA/PGDM with a minimum of 55% marks (SC/ST/PWBD applicants – 50%) in aggregate.

OR

CA/ CS/ICWA OR Ph.D. from Institutions recognized by GOI/UGC.

Age Limit for NABARD Grade A 2023

• The candidate must be between 21-30 years of age as on 01-09-2023, i.e., the candidate must have been born not earlier than 02-09-1993 and not later than 01-09-2002.
• NABARD does give relaxation in the upper age limit, see below:
  • A maximum of 5 years for applicants belonging to SC/ST; Ex-servicemen (including Emergency Commissioned Officers/Short Service Commissioned Officers) provided that the applicants have rendered at least five years continuous Military Service and have been released on completion of assignment; Emergency Commissioned Officers/Short Service Commissioned Officers who have completed their initial period of assignment of five years of Military Service but whose assignment has been extended beyond five years; and Children/family members of victims died in the1984 riots. 
  • 3 years in case of eligible OBC applicants
  • 10 years for PWBD (General)
  • 13 years for PWBD (OBC) and 
  • 15 years for PWBD (SC/ST) applicants

NOTE: The following important points are taken from the official notification of NABARD Grade A 2023:

• A candidate can apply only for ONE Post/Discipline of his/her choice. In case of multiple applications across or within disciplines for Grade A (RDBS), only the last application submitted will be considered valid and the fee against all other applications will be forfeited.
• The result of the final term/semester/year is required to apply for the NABARD Grade A exam. This means that candidates whose final year/semester results have been declared after 01-09-2023 are not eligible to apply.

Selection Procedure for NABARD Grade A Officer

Now let’s understand the pattern of the NABARD Grade A exam. An aspirant should not just start preparing for this exam without understanding the different stages of this exam and the level of difficulty of each stage.

The selection process for the NABARD Grade A exam has 3 phases which are:

• Phase I – Preliminary Examination
• Phase II – Mains Examination
• Interview

NABARD Grade A Phase I Exam Pattern (Prelims Exam)

The Phase I or the Preliminary Examination:

• Comprises of a single paper of 200 questions covering 8 subjects. Each question is of 1 mark, making it a paper of 200 marks.
• Has a time duration of 120 minutes i.e. two hours.
• Has a negative marking. For every incorrect answer, the 1/4^th mark is deducted.
• Has no sectional timing.

The 8 subjects or sections covered in Phase I or Preliminary examination of the NABARD Grade A exam are as follows:

Out of these 8 sections, five are qualifying (non-merit) sections and three are scoring (non-merit) sections.

• Qualifying sections: In these sections, candidates only have to score qualifying marks to get to the next phase. These sections are Reasoning, English Language, Computer Knowledge, Quantitative Aptitude, and Decision Making.
• Scoring Sections: Shortlisting of candidates for the Main exam is based on marks scored in the Merit sections only. These are General Awareness, Economic, and social Issues (with focus on Rural India), and Agriculture & Rural Development with Emphasis on Rural India.

NABARD Grade A Phase II Exam Pattern (Mains Exam)

Candidates who qualify the Preliminary examination get to write the Mains exam. 

Phase II or the Mains exam:

• Consists of two papers of 100 marks each.
• While Paper 1 remains the same for all posts, Paper 2 varies as per the post a candidate has applied for.

Details for Phase II of NABARD Grade A – Generalist Posts

• Out of the 6 descriptive questions asked in Paper 2, 4 questions need to be answered (2 questions of 15 marks and 2 questions of 10 marks each).
• The calling ratio to qualify for the mains examination and interview is a maximum of 1:25 and 1:3, respectively.
• The ratio may be suitably decreased at the discretion of the bank.
• Candidates who qualify and rank sufficiently high as decided by NABARD, shall be called to appear in the Mains examination and Interview.
• There is a negative marking in both Phase I and Phase II exams. 1/4^th of a mark is deducted for every wrong answer.
• Cut-offs in Phase I and Phase II can be applied in two stages: (i) Scores in individual tests, (ii) Total score.

Interview for NABARD Grade A 2023

Next comes the last phase of NABARD Grade A exam i.e. the Interview stage.

• A candidate is selected for the interview stage based only on the marks obtained in Phase 2 (sum of both papers).
• The interview stage carries a total of 50 marks.
• A candidate can opt for the interview in either Hindi or English.
• The final selection of candidates is done on the basis of total marks secured in phase 2 and the Interview stage.

Payscale of a NABARD Grade A Officer

As per the latest notification, candidates selected for NABARD Grade A will draw a starting basic pay of Rs.44,500/- p.m. in the scale of Rs. 44500 – 2500 (4) – 54500 – 2850 (7) – 74450 – EB – 2850 (4) – 85850 – 3300 (1) – 89150 (17 Years) applicable to Officers in Grade ‘A’. This is one of the highest paying government jobs in India and a NABARD Assistant Manager will be eligible for Dearness Allowance, Local Compensatory Allowance, House Rent Allowance, and Grade Allowance as per rules in force from time to time.

At present, the initial monthly gross emoluments are approximately Rs. 1,00,000/- for an officer. If you want to learn more about the CTC, allowances, perks, increments, promotion & job profile of a NABARD Grade A officer, you can check out the article here.

How to Apply Online for the NABARD Grade A Exam

Once the notification of the NABARD Grade A exam is released, the application window is kept open for the candidates for a period of approximately 20 days. This year, the notification is released on 2nd September 2023 and the applications are invited till 23rd September 2023.

It is very important to fill out the online application form correctly so your candidature is not cancelled.

Follow the below given step-by-step guide to save yourself from any discrepancies while filling up the form. 

Documents Required to Fill Up the NABARD Grade A Form

Keep the following documents handy before starting the online application procedure:

You need to have a: 

• Scanned photograph (4.5 cm x 3.5 cm)
• Signature (with Black ink and in running handwriting only)
• Left Thumb impression (on white paper with black or blue ink)
• A handwritten declaration with this text –“I………………….(Name of the candidate), hereby declare that all the information submitted by me in the application form is correct, true, and valid. I will present the supporting documents as and when required.”

The candidates must ensure that:

• The scanned photograph as well as the signature is clear, failing which there is a possibility of the application getting rejected.
• They have a valid email address and mobile number which remains active till the completion of the recruitment process.

Steps to Submit Online Application Form for NABARD Grade A

Step 1: Go to the official NABARD website i.e. https://www.nabard.org/.

Step 2: Now click on the tab named ‘CAREER NOTICES’.

Step 3: Then on the page that follows, click on the link ‘CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE’.

Step 4: Among the many career notices, go to the notice that reads ‘Recruitment To The Post Of Assistant Manager (RDBS) In Grade ‘A’ – 2023’. Here you have to click on the option ‘Apply here’.

Step 5: A new window will open where you have to click on ‘Click here for New Registration’ on the top right of the screen.

Note: At this stage, a Provisional Registration Number and Password will be generated that the candidate needs to note down.

Step 6: In case the candidate is not able to fill the entire form in one go, there is an option of the ‘SAVE AND NEXT’ button which helps the candidate save their information and not lose the details they have already entered.

Step 7: Once the candidate has filled out the entire form, it is advised to preview the whole form before clicking on the ‘FINAL SUBMIT’ button.

Step 8: After submitting the form, click on the ‘Payment’ tab and proceed with payment.

Step 9: Complete the application process by paying the application fees using a Credit Card/ Debit Card/ Internet Banking/ Wallet/ Cash Card/ QR Code/ UPI.

In the next section, we will tell you about the examination fee, the modes of payment and exemptions (if any).

Application Fee for NABARD Grade A

Every candidate, while filling out the application form needs to pay an application fee which is non-refundable and has to be paid online.

The details of the application fee for the NABARD Grade A exam for different categories is listed below:

* Exclusive of applicable GST

Modes of Payment for NABARD Grade A Application Fee

• The candidate is directed to the payment gateway during the submission of the application form.
• Payment can be made by using only Master/Visa/Rupay Debit or Credit Cards or Internet Banking, IMPS, Cash cards/Mobile Wallets by providing information as asked on the screen.
• The generation of e-receipt confirms the successful payment of fees.
• The candidate must take a print of both, the e-receipt and the online application form.

NABARD Grade A Exam Centres

Examination centres vary with each phase of this exam. Below, we have provided a list of all the examination centres for phases 1 and 2.

NABARD Grade A Phase 1 Online Examination Centres

NABARD Grade A Phase 2 Online Examination Centres

NABARD Grade A Interview Centres

The Interview can be held at a few of the above Centres which will be communicated in the interview call letter.

Admit Card for NABARD Grade A

For Phase I of the NABARD Grade A exam, admit cards are issued approximately 7-10 days before the exam.

How to Download the Admit Card for NABARD Grade A Exam

• An intimation email/SMS to download the admit card will be sent by NABARD to the registered email address or mobile number.
• For both phase I and II, candidates will have to go to the official NABARD website to download the admit cards.
• To download the admit card, the candidate will require:
  • Registration Number/Roll Number, and
  • Password/Date of Birth

Click Here to Download the Admit Card for NABARD Grade A Exam.

Interview Call Letter for NABARD Grade A

Candidates who clear phase II or the mains exam will be called for the interview process. For the same, they will be sent a link on their registered email address and mobile number, to the NABARD recruitment portal. Following which, they will have to fill out an online Bio data form and will be able to download the Interview call letter.

Timings of NABARD Grade A Exam

Candidates need to adhere to the timings mentioned on the admit card strictly. 

While the actual duration of the preliminary examination is 2 hours, the candidates need to reach the examination centre well before that as the reporting time varies from the actual time the exam starts. 

The candidate must go through the admit card thoroughly and keep a note of the reporting time.

Documents to Carry to the NABARD Grade A Exam Centre

On the day of the exam, you can’t be running around stressing over the documents you need to carry with you to the examination centre. It’s always better to be prepared well in advance and we are here to help you with it. 

Here is a list of documents you need to carry with you on the day of the exam:

• Admit card or Call Letter for NABARD Grade A exam- The latest photograph needs to be pasted on the Admit card before going to the exam centre. The photograph needs to match the one provided while filling up the form online.
• A Valid Photo Identity proof- original and a photocopy of the candidate’s currently valid photo identity such as PAN Card/ Passport/ Driving Licence/ Voter’s Card/ Bank Passbook with photograph/ Photo identity proof issued by a Gazetted Officer on official letterhead/ Photo identity proof issued by a People’s Representative on official letterhead/ valid recent Identity Card issued by a recognized College/ University / Aadhar card with a photograph/ Employee ID/ Bar Council Identity Card with photograph.
• No other identity proof apart from the ones mentioned above shall be accepted at the examination centre.

Result for NABARD Grade A Exam

The entire examination process for the NABARD Grade A recruitment is a 6-7 month long process. In 2022, the notification was released in the month of July and the final result was announced in February.

With the information that you have been provided with via this article, it is easy to get overwhelmed. That, however, is not the intention of this article. Our intent is to provide you with all the important details that we believe each aspirant of this exam must be aware of.

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