Madhya Pradesh High Court, Jabalpur, has opened one of the largest court-staff recruitment drives of the year. Under Advertisement No. 614/Exam/2026, dated 14 August 2026, the High Court is filling 1,174 Assistant Grade-III posts across District and Sessions Court establishments spread throughout Madhya Pradesh. For scale, that’s more than triple the vacancy count of most state-level clerical recruitments this season, and it’s happening across dozens of district courts simultaneously rather than at one central office.
Online applications began on 17 August 2026 at 12:00 PM and will close on 15 September 2026 at 5:00 PM, through the official MP High Court website. There is no offline or postal mode — applications submitted through any channel other than the official portal will not be accepted.
Why This Recruitment Is Bigger Than the Number Suggests
A vacancy count of 1,174 sounds straightforward, but the real story is in how it’s distributed. These posts sit across District and Sessions Court establishments under the administrative jurisdiction of Principal District Judges across the state — meaning a selected candidate isn’t necessarily posted in Jabalpur or Bhopal. Postings could land anywhere from a major district headquarters to a smaller tehsil court, and candidates don’t get to choose their district in advance the way some state recruitments allow. Anyone applying primarily because they want a job in a specific city should read the notification’s posting-jurisdiction clause carefully before assuming location flexibility.
Reservation follows Madhya Pradesh government rules, with one detail that trips up out-of-state candidates every recruitment cycle: reservation benefits and the extended maximum-age relaxation apply only to original residents of Madhya Pradesh. Candidates from outside MP — including those who would otherwise qualify as OBC, SC, ST, or EWS in their home state — must apply under the Unreserved category here, with no exceptions for their category status elsewhere. There’s also a 20% horizontal reservation carved out for contractual employees who’ve worked at least 5 years in an equivalent or higher post/category within MP High Court or the District Courts on a contract basis — a provision aimed squarely at long-serving court staff already inside the system.
Eligibility — Qualification and Age
The educational requirement here is layered, not a single degree. Candidates need a graduation degree in any discipline from a recognised university, a valid CPCT (Computer Proficiency Certification Test) score card issued by MAP-IT, and a 1-year Computer Application diploma from a government-recognised institution. Missing any one of these three — degree, CPCT score, or diploma — makes an application ineligible regardless of how strong the other two are. Candidates who’ve only cleared CPCT but haven’t yet completed the 1-year diploma should check the notification’s cutoff date for producing these documents before assuming they can apply now and complete the formality later.
Minimum age is 18 years, and maximum age is 40 years for male candidates and 45 years for female candidates, both calculated as on 1 January 2026 — not the application date and not the exam date. Ex-servicemen get their actual military service period deducted from their age, but the resulting eligible age still cannot exceed the upper limit by more than 3 years. Contractual employees of MP High Court or the District Courts, with at least 5 years of qualifying service, get age relaxation equal to their contractual service period, capped so the resulting age doesn’t cross 55 years.
Application Fee
₹943.40 for General/Unreserved candidates and candidates from outside Madhya Pradesh. ₹743.40 for OBC, SC, ST, EWS, and PwBD candidates who are original residents of MP. This figure is a combined amount — it bundles the examination fee with portal/service charges rather than being a plain exam fee, which explains the slightly unusual decimal figure. Payment is accepted only through Debit Card, Credit Card, or Net Banking, and it’s non-refundable and non-adjustable once paid — there’s no provision to carry the fee forward to a future recruitment if you decide not to sit the exam.
Selection Process
Selection runs through two testing stages followed by verification, not a single exam. First comes an Online Preliminary Examination — a 100-mark objective paper covering General Knowledge, Mathematics, Logical Reasoning, Hindi, English, and Computer Knowledge, to be completed in 120 minutes. Candidates who clear the prescribed cutoff in this stage move to a 50-mark Hindi Typing Skill Test. Only after both stages does Document Verification follow, and at least one source references a medical examination as part of the final process for selected candidates — worth confirming directly from the notification since not every source mentions it consistently.
Selected candidates aren’t free to walk away after joining, either. The post carries a mandatory service bond of ₹2,00,000, with a minimum 3-year service commitment to the court establishment. This is a meaningful financial commitment candidates should factor in before applying, particularly if they’re simultaneously preparing for other government exams and might want to leave early if selected elsewhere.
Salary and Pay Scale
The post carries a 7th CPC Pay Matrix range of ₹19,500 to ₹62,000 (equivalent to the older ₹5,200–₹20,200 plus Grade Pay ₹1,900 under the 6th CPC structure). Actual in-hand salary will include applicable DA, HRA, and other allowances as per Madhya Pradesh government and High Court rules on top of this base figure.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 14 August 2026 |
| Online application starts | 17 August 2026, 12:00 PM |
| Online application closes | 15 September 2026, 5:00 PM |
| Application correction window | 19–21 September 2026 (up to 5:00 PM) |
| Preliminary exam date | Not yet announced |
| Hindi typing skill test date | Not yet announced — to be scheduled after prelims result |
| Admit card release | Approximately 7 days before each exam stage |
A Mix-Up Worth Clearing Up Before You Assume You Have Extra Time
Some job trackers covering this recruitment have listed “21 September” prominently as a deadline, and a few candidates seem to have read that as the last date to apply. It isn’t. 21 September 2026 is the closing date of the application correction window — the period during which candidates who’ve already submitted and paid can fix errors in their form. The actual last date to submit a fresh application along with fee payment is 15 September 2026, 5:00 PM. Anyone who hasn’t applied by then cannot use the correction window to submit a late application; it exists only to edit details in an application that’s already in the system. Confusing the two dates is an easy way to miss the recruitment entirely.
A Practical Note on the CPCT + Diploma Combination
Most Assistant Grade-III recruitments in Madhya Pradesh have historically accepted either a CPCT score or a computer diploma, with some flexibility between the two. This notification’s combination of a CPCT score card and a separate 1-year computer diploma, both required together, is a more layered requirement than candidates preparing off memory of previous MP court recruitments might expect. If your CPCT score is old, check the notification for any validity period — CPCT scores in MP recruitments have carried expiry conditions in past cycles, and applying with an expired score card is a common, avoidable rejection reason.
Important Links |
|
| Aply Online / Official Notification | click here |
| Notification PDF | click here |
| Technical Help Desk | +91-9513632554 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What’s the actual last date to apply — 15 September or 21 September?
15 September 2026, 5:00 PM, is the deadline to submit a fresh application with fee payment. 21 September is only the closing date of the correction window for candidates who’ve already applied — it is not a second chance to apply late.
Q2. I have a CPCT score card but haven’t finished my 1-year computer diploma yet — can I still apply?
The notification requires both the CPCT score card and the 1-year Computer Application diploma as separate eligibility conditions. Check the official notification for the exact cutoff date by which the diploma must be completed, since applying without meeting both requirements risks rejection at the document-verification stage even if you clear the exam.
Q3. I’m from Uttar Pradesh but belong to the OBC category there — can I apply under OBC reservation for this MP recruitment?
No. Reservation benefits and the extended age relaxation apply only to original residents of Madhya Pradesh. Candidates from other states must apply under the Unreserved category regardless of their category status in their home state.
Q4. Is there a bond or service commitment after selection?
Yes. Selected candidates must execute a service bond of ₹2,00,000 with a minimum 3-year commitment to serve in the court establishment.
Q5. When will the preliminary exam be held?
Not announced as of 8 September 2026. The admit card is expected roughly 7 days before the exam date, so candidates should watch the official website regularly once the application window closes rather than expecting an immediate announcement.
Disclaimer: Advertisement number, application dates, correction window, fee structure, age limits, qualification requirements, selection stages, pay scale, and the service bond condition are drawn from the official MP High Court notification as reported. Exam date, admit card date, and result schedule are not yet released and are marked accordingly. Verify all details directly from the official source before applying: https://www.mphc.gov.in/
