This one’s genuinely urgent: the Bombay High Court, Bench at Aurangabad, released this notification (Advertisement No. Prashasan/1420/2026) on 17 August 2026, and applications must physically reach the office by 10 September 2026, 5:00 PM — that’s two days from today. Since this is an offline, Speed-Post-only recruitment with no online submission option, the actual cutoff that matters isn’t when you post your envelope, it’s when it lands on the Manager (Administration)’s desk. If you’re starting from scratch today, this is not a leisurely timeline.
One detail worth flagging before the numbers: of the 18 posts notified, only 17 are actually being filled through this current process. The 18th — reserved for Persons with Disabilities under the 4% quota — is explicitly held back, to be filled later, once the High Court finalises its own guidelines for PwBD recruitment to this post. So the practical Selection List you’re competing for right now covers 17 seats, with a Waiting List of 4 behind it.
The Basics
| Particular | Detail |
|---|---|
| Recruiting Body | High Court of Bombay, Bench at Aurangabad |
| Advertisement No. | Prashasan/1420/2026, dated 17.08.2026 |
| Post | Cook (Swayampaki) |
| Total Vacancies | 18 (17 for Selection List + 1 PwBD post held back for later, plus a 4-candidate Waiting List) |
| Application Mode | Offline, Speed Post only |
| Last Date | 10 September 2026, 5:00 PM |
| Pay Scale | 7th CPC Pay Matrix S-3, Rs. 16,600 – Rs. 52,400, plus allowances |
| Posting Location | Bombay High Court, Bench Aurangabad, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar |
| Official Website | bombayhighcourt.gov.in |
Eligibility — More Than Just “Can You Cook”
The educational bar here is genuinely low — just a 4th standard pass. But the surrounding conditions carry real weight, and it’s worth reading them as seriously as you would a degree requirement for a white-collar post.
You need to be able to read, write, and speak both Marathi and Hindi, and you must have adequate cooking knowledge and hands-on experience, specifically the ability to prepare both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. If your cooking background is exclusively vegetarian, or you’re not comfortable with Marathi specifically (not just Hindi), this notification’s baseline requirement isn’t fully met regardless of your general culinary skill.
Preference goes to candidates holding a certificate from a recognised cooking course, or with 2 or more years of experience as a chef/cook at a three-star or five-star hotel, or a recognised institution. This preference clause matters more than it might seem at a low educational threshold — among a pool of candidates who all technically clear the basic eligibility bar, a documented hotel or institutional cooking background is likely to be a genuine differentiator during shortlisting.
Age Limit
| Category | Age Limit |
|---|---|
| General | 18 to 38 years |
| Backward Class candidates | Up to 43 years |
| Court/Government Employees | No age limit, but application must be routed through their current office |
Age is reckoned as on the date of publication of the advertisement, not the closing date — worth calculating carefully rather than assuming the closing date applies here.
Application Fee — Not Charged Upfront
This is a detail that catches applicants off guard, since most recruitments ask for fee payment at the application stage itself: no fee is required when submitting your application. Only candidates who get shortlisted are later required to submit a non-refundable Demand Draft or Postal Order of Rs. 200, in favour of “Registrar, High Court Bench at Aurangabad,” at the time of the practical cooking test. If you’re budgeting for this recruitment, the Rs. 200 cost only becomes relevant once you’ve cleared the initial shortlisting stage — don’t send a DD with your application; it isn’t asked for there.
Selection Process — A Practical Test Decides Almost Everything
Selection runs through shortlisting, then a three-stage assessment totalling 50 marks, and the Selection Committee retains full authority over how shortlisting itself is conducted.
| Stage | Marks | Qualifying Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Shortlisting | — | Based on volume of applications, qualification, merit, and cooking experience |
| Practical Cooking Test | 30 | Minimum 15 to qualify — failing this stops you from proceeding further |
| Physical Efficiency Test | 10 | — |
| Oral Interview | 10 | — |
| Total | 50 | — |
The Practical Cooking Test carries the single heaviest weight in the entire process — 30 out of 50 marks — and it’s also the only stage with an explicit minimum qualifying mark. Score below 15 here, and you’re out of contention regardless of how you might have performed in the Physical Efficiency Test or Interview; those later stages simply don’t happen for you. This structure means your actual cooking skill on test day matters more than any other single factor in your final outcome, more so than your written application details once you’ve cleared shortlisting.
Final Selection and Waiting lists are built strictly on total marks across all three stages. At document verification (called for the practical test/interview), you’ll need to bring original documents plus a valid original photo ID — Aadhaar, PAN, Driving Licence, or Voter ID — along with your admission certificate for the test.
The Documentation Load Is Heavier Than the Qualification Bar Suggests
Here’s the genuine original-angle worth knowing: despite the entry qualification being just a 4th standard pass, the paperwork requirement for this application is substantial — arguably more than candidates applying for a basic manual/domestic post typically expect. Along with the filled application form (Annexure ‘A’) and a recent passport photo, you need:
- Self-attested photocopies of mark sheets, date of birth proof, caste certificate (if applicable), disability certificate (if applicable), domicile certificate, and cooking experience certificate
- Two character certificates from respectable persons, in the format specified under Annexure ‘B’
- A small family declaration
- A No Objection Certificate, if you’re currently a government employee
- A written list of dishes you can prepare
- A self-addressed envelope with a Rs. 5 postage stamp affixed
- An additional passport-size photograph
Given how many separate pieces this involves — two character references, a family declaration, a dish list — treating this as a “simple form” and assembling it the night before risks missing something. Gather these well ahead of the two days you have left.
How to Apply
- Download the prescribed application format (Annexure ‘A’) from bombayhighcourt.gov.in.
- Fill it in carefully, listing your educational qualifications in ascending order (4th, 7th, SSC, HSC, Graduation, as applicable), and paste a recent colour passport photo where specified.
- Attach self-attested photocopies of every required certificate.
- Attach the original documents listed above — character certificates, family declaration, NOC (if applicable), dish list, self-addressed stamped envelope, and additional photo.
- Write “Application for the post of Cook” clearly in bold on the outer envelope.
- Send the complete package by Speed Post only to: Manager (Administration), Bombay High Court, Bench Aurangabad, Jalna Road, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar – 431009.
- Ensure it arrives by 10 September 2026, 5:00 PM.
If you submit more than one application, only your last submitted one is considered — the earlier attempt doesn’t count, and there’s no benefit to submitting multiple versions hoping one gets through cleaner.
Nature of the Appointment
Selected candidates start on a two-year probationary period, and the Selection List itself stays valid for two years from its date of publication — meaning even candidates on the waiting list could still be called up within that window if a vacancy opens later, rather than the list expiring immediately after initial appointments are made.
important links |
|
| Application Format & Full Notification | click here |
| Official Website | click here |
| Application Sending Address | Manager (Admin), Bombay HC Bench Aurangabad, Jalna Road, Chh. Sambhajinagar – 431009 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. I only know how to cook vegetarian food well — can I still apply?
The notification requires the ability to prepare both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. If your cooking skill is exclusively vegetarian, you may not meet the stated eligibility as written, even with otherwise strong cooking experience.
Q2. Do I need to send a Demand Draft along with my application?
No. No fee is required at the application stage. A Rs. 200 non-refundable Demand Draft or Postal Order is only required later, from shortlisted candidates, at the time of the practical cooking test.
Q3. I clear the shortlisting but score below 15 in the Practical Cooking Test — do I still get evaluated in the Physical Test and Interview?
No. The Practical Cooking Test carries a minimum qualifying mark of 15. Falling below that stops your candidature at that stage; the Physical Efficiency Test and Interview don’t apply to candidates who don’t clear it.
Q4. Is the PwBD-reserved post being filled right now along with the other 17?
No. That single post is explicitly held back, to be filled at a later date once the High Court finalises its specific guidelines for PwBD recruitment to the Cook post. The current process fills 17 Selection List posts plus a 4-candidate Waiting List.
Q5. Can I submit my application online given how time-limited this is?
No. This recruitment accepts applications only through the prescribed offline format sent by Speed Post — there’s no online submission option, and applications sent through any other mode are not accepted.
Disclaimer: Vacancy figures (18, with 17 currently fillable and 1 PwBD post deferred), age limits, fee, selection process, and dates above are drawn from the Bombay High Court, Bench Aurangabad’s official Advertisement No. Prashasan/1420/2026 dated 17 August 2026. For the latest updates, check the official website: https://bombayhighcourt.gov.in.
