Nuclear Fuel Complex, Hyderabad put its apprenticeship notification live on 27 August 2026, and the window for applying closes on 16 September 2026. What’s genuinely still open is everything after that: no walk-in interview date has been fixed, and the notification itself calls all 432 vacancies “tentative” — meaning the actual intake could land higher or lower once administrative requirements are finalised. If you’re applying, treat 432 as a working estimate, not a locked-in number.
This one’s worth reading carefully before you get excited about the word “NFC” and “Department of Atomic Energy” sitting next to each other. It’s a one-year training engagement under the Apprentices Act, 1961 — not a job, and the notification says so in plain terms. More on that below, because it changes how you should think about this opportunity.
What This Recruitment Actually Is
| Particular | Detail |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), Hyderabad |
| Parent Body | Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India |
| Advertisement No. | NFC/R-III/1/08/2026 |
| Advertisement Date | 27 August 2026 |
| Engagement Type | ITI Trade Apprentice, under Apprentices Act, 1961 |
| Total Vacancies | 432 (Tentative) |
| Training Duration | 1 Year |
| Application Mode | Online, via NAPS portal |
| Application Closing Date | 16 September 2026 |
| NAPS Establishment Code | E11153600013 |
| Application Portal | www.apprenticeshipindia.gov.in |
| Training Location | NFC Campus, ECIL Post, Hyderabad, Telangana |
NFC makes nuclear fuel bundles and reactor core components for India’s nuclear power plants. That context matters mainly for the kind of hands-on, precision-manufacturing exposure this apprenticeship offers — not for your legal standing at the end of it, which we’ll get to.
Vacancy Breakup — Trade by Trade
The 432 posts are split across 15 trades (a 16th, Stenographer English, is listed with zero current vacancies), and the spread is heavily skewed toward the mechanical and electrical trades.
| Trade | Vacancies | Monthly Stipend |
|---|---|---|
| Fitter | 133 | Rs. 11,040 |
| Computer Operator & Programming Assistant (COPA) | 65 | Rs. 10,560 |
| Electrician | 58 | Rs. 11,040 |
| Turner | 51 | Rs. 11,040 |
| Electronics Mechanic | 26 | Rs. 11,040 |
| Machinist | 24 | Rs. 11,040 |
| Welder | 24 | Rs. 10,560 |
| Instrument Mechanic | 15 | Rs. 11,040 |
| Attendant Operator/Chemical Plant Operator | 13 | Rs. 11,040 |
| Laboratory Assistant (Chemical Plant) | 6 | Rs. 11,040 |
| Carpenter | 5 | Rs. 10,560 |
| Plumber | 5 | Rs. 10,560 |
| Motor Mechanic (Vehicle) | 3 | Rs. 11,040 |
| Diesel Mechanic | 3 | Rs. 10,560 |
| Draughtsman (Mechanical) | 1 | Rs. 11,040 |
| Stenographer (English) | 0 | Rs. 10,560 |
| Total | 432 | – |
Fitter alone is nearly a third of the entire notification, and Fitter plus COPA plus Electrician together account for more than half of it. If your trade certificate is in Draughtsman (Mechanical), you’re looking at exactly one seat nationwide under this notification — worth knowing before you assume trade doesn’t affect your odds.
Stipend — Two Tiers, Not One Flat Rate
Stipend isn’t uniform across all trades. Fitter, Turner, Electrician, Machinist, Chemical Plant Operator, Instrument Mechanic, Electronics Mechanic, Laboratory Assistant, Motor Mechanic, and Draughtsman all pay Rs. 11,040 per month. COPA, Diesel Mechanic, Carpenter, Plumber, Welder, and Stenographer pay Rs. 10,560. The gap is small but real, and it’s fixed by trade under the Apprentices Act rather than negotiable per candidate.
Eligibility and Qualification
You need a Class 10 (SSC) pass and an ITI certificate in the exact trade you’re applying for — a National Trade Certificate matching that trade, not an adjacent or “similar enough” one. Applying for Electrician with an ITI in Electronics Mechanic, for instance, isn’t a workaround; the notification is explicit that the ITI qualification must correspond to the trade applied for.
One line worth flagging because it surprises people: postgraduate candidates are not eligible to apply. This isn’t unusual for apprenticeship schemes — the intent is entry-level trade training, not a parking spot for over-qualified job seekers between opportunities — but it does mean a candidate who went on to do a BA or MA after their ITI shouldn’t assume that extra degree helps their case here. It doesn’t; per the notification, it disqualifies you outright.
There’s also a rule that’s easy to miss if you’ve already tried apprenticeships elsewhere: you’re not eligible if you’ve already completed, or are currently undergoing, an apprenticeship under the Apprentices Act, 1961 — in any government organisation, PSU, or private company. This is a genuine common mistake. Candidates sometimes do a short apprenticeship stint at a private firm to gain experience, then apply here assuming that experience helps their case. It doesn’t help — it disqualifies. If you’ve been through the apprenticeship system before, under any employer, check this clause carefully before spending time on the application.
Age Limit
Reckoned as on the closing date of application (16 September 2026).
| Category | Maximum Age |
|---|---|
| All candidates, minimum | 18 years |
| General | 25 years |
| OBC | 28 years |
| SC/ST | 30 years |
The notification doesn’t lay out a separate relaxation table beyond these category ceilings — these figures already represent the final applicable age limit per category, not a base age plus add-on relaxation.
Reservation
Reservation follows the Apprentices Act, 1961 and Apprenticeship Rules, 1992, as amended. If you’re claiming SC, ST, or OBC (non-creamy layer) status, you need to select the correct category at the time of NAPS registration itself and hold a valid category certificate ready for production at joining. Here’s the part candidates sometimes get wrong: if you don’t declare your SC/ST/OBC status during NAPS registration, you’re automatically treated as General category for the entire process — there’s no correction window mentioned in the notification to fix this after the fact, so get the category field right the first time.
Selection Process — No Written Exam Involved
This is genuinely different from most government recruitment drives, and worth understanding upfront: there’s no written test at any stage. Selection runs through:
- NAPS registration
- Online application specifically for NFC, Hyderabad
- Scrutiny of applications by NFC’s Selection Committees
- Walk-in Interview
- Certificate verification
- Medical fitness check
- Character and antecedent verification
- Final apprenticeship engagement
Since there’s no written exam to filter candidates, the scrutiny stage before the interview is where your 10th and ITI marks do the heavy lifting — a stronger academic record in your matriculation and ITI likely improves your shortlisting odds for the walk-in round, even though the notification doesn’t spell out an exact scoring formula. No fixed walk-in interview date is given yet; NFC has said it’ll communicate this through registered email, so an inactive or rarely-checked email address is a real risk here, not just a formality.
Application Fee
None. No fee applies to any category of candidate for this recruitment.
Documents to Have Ready
Everything below gets uploaded on the NAPS portal at application stage, and originals get physically verified if you’re shortlisted:
- Class 10/SSC marksheet and certificate
- ITI marksheet
- National Trade Certificate
- Caste certificate (where applicable)
- Disability certificate (where applicable)
- Medical/health insurance from a reputed insurer
- Aadhaar card
- Police Verification Certificate
- Savings bank account number and passbook
- Printout of the online application form
- Photocopies of all documents
- Two recent passport-size photographs
Two of these deserve a head start rather than last-minute scramble. The Police Verification Certificate needs to match the address on your Aadhaar card and should be applied for through your district’s Superintendent of Police or Commissioner of Police — no fixed format is prescribed, but it typically takes time to process, so starting this the day you apply (not the day you’re shortlisted) is the safer call. The medical/health insurance from a reputed institution is a document some first-time applicants don’t expect a training engagement to ask for — arrange this ahead of the verification stage rather than scrambling once called.
How to Apply — Step by Step
- Go to www.apprenticeshipindia.gov.in.
- Register as a Candidate if you haven’t already — fill in personal, contact, educational, and prior-apprenticeship details.
- Log in using your registered email ID and password.
- Open Apprenticeship Opportunities.
- Use Search by Establishment Name and look up Nuclear Fuel Complex – E11153600013.
- The list of NFC’s currently open trades will display.
- Pick the trade matching your ITI qualification and click Apply against it.
- Complete the online application form.
- Upload all required documents and certificates.
- Submit before 16 September 2026, 11:59 PM.
- Keep a printout of the submitted application — you’ll need it at document verification.
What Happens After Selection — and What This Apprenticeship Doesn’t Promise
Selected apprentices sign a one-year apprenticeship contract. Accommodation may be provided by NFC, but explicitly subject to quarters being available — it isn’t guaranteed to every selected candidate. No TA/DA is paid for joining, so budget your own travel to Hyderabad for both the interview and joining, if selected.
At the end of the one-year training, apprentices sit a Trade Test to confirm proficiency. Only those who clear it receive the National Apprenticeship Certificate, issued by the Controller of Examination under the Directorate General of Training via the Apprenticeship portal — not something you get automatically just for completing the calendar year.
Here’s the point that matters most and that candidates most often overlook when a recognisable name like “Nuclear Fuel Complex” is attached to an opportunity: completing this apprenticeship creates no right to regular employment at NFC. The notification states this without qualification — there’s no provision anywhere for automatically converting apprentices into permanent staff, no matter how well the training goes. Treat this as what it’s designed to be: a year of structured, hands-on trade exposure inside a central government production facility, useful for your resume and skill-building, not a backdoor into a government job.
There’s also a penalty clause worth knowing before you sign anything: if your apprenticeship contract gets terminated because you failed to fulfil its terms, you may be required to refund the cost of training to NFC, as determined by the Apprenticeship Adviser — and you could become ineligible to enter another apprenticeship contract under the Act with any other organisation. This isn’t a scare tactic; it’s standard under the Apprentices Act framework, but it’s a real consequence, not boilerplate to skim past.
important links |
|
| Apply Online (NAPS Portal) | click here (Search: Nuclear Fuel Complex-E11153600013) |
| Download Official Advertisement PDF | click here |
| Official Website | click here |
| firstjob24 jobs | click here |
| join whatsapp channel | click here |
| subscribe on youtube | click here |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. I completed a 6-month apprenticeship at a private company two years ago — can I still apply here?
Based on the notification’s wording, no. It excludes candidates who have already undergone or are currently undergoing an apprenticeship under the Apprentices Act, 1961, in any government, PSU, or private organisation, without a time-based exception mentioned.
Q2. I have a BA degree along with my ITI certificate — does that improve my chances?
No — it likely disqualifies you. The notification specifically states postgraduate candidates are not eligible to apply. If your query is about a bachelor’s degree specifically rather than postgraduate, that distinction isn’t addressed in the notification; the safest approach is to confirm directly with NFC before applying if you hold any qualification beyond ITI.
Q3. Will completing this apprenticeship lead to a permanent job at NFC?
No. The notification explicitly states that completing apprenticeship training creates no right to regular employment at NFC, and there’s no provision for automatic conversion to permanent staff.
Q4. Is there a written exam I need to prepare for?
No. Selection runs through application scrutiny followed directly by a Walk-in Interview — there’s no written test stage in this recruitment.
Q5. What if my declared category (SC/ST/OBC) wasn’t selected correctly during NAPS registration — can I fix it later?
The notification states that if SC/ST/OBC status isn’t declared during NAPS registration, the candidate is treated as General category. No separate correction process for this is mentioned, so it’s worth getting right at the time of registration itself.
Disclaimer: Vacancy figures (432, tentative), trade-wise breakup, stipend, dates, age limits, and selection process above are drawn from NFC’s official notification (Advertisement No. NFC/R-III/1/08/2026) dated 27 August 2026. The walk-in interview date and training commencement date are not yet announced and will be communicated to applicants by email. For the latest updates, check the official website: https://www.nfc.gov.in.
