Applicants must be citizens of India and satisfy the educational qualification, age limit and minimum sports achievement norms prescribed for the pay level and event they are applying for. Educational Qualification Pay Level Minimum Educational Qualification Level 3 or 2 Passed Class 12th (+2 stage) or equivalent from a Government-recognized Board/Council/Institution Level 1 Passed Class 10th (Matriculation) or ITI or equivalent, or National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) granted by NCVT For Technician-III posts filled against Sports Quota, the minimum qualification is Class 10th pass; the training period is 3 years unless the candidate holds a relevant ITI qualification, in which case it is reduced to 6 months. Age Limit Candidates for both Level 3/2 and Level 1 posts must be between 18 and 25 years of age as on 01 January 2027. The notification does not specify age relaxation details for reserved categories; candidates should refer to the official notification or website for any updates on this. Minimum Sports Norms Candidates must be active players whose achievements fall within the immediately preceding two financial years, and only achievements in recognized events held on or after 01 April 2024 will be considered. Pay Level Minimum Sports Norms Level 3/2 Represented the country in Category-B events, OR 3rd position or better in Category-C events/Senior-Youth-Junior National Championships/National Games/All India Inter University Championships, OR 1st position in Federation Cup (Senior) Level 1 Represented the country in Category-C events, OR 3rd position or better in Federation Cup (Senior), OR represented a state with at least 8th position in Senior National Championships (except marathon/cross-country) Sport-specific norms (Archery, Athletics, Badminton/Table Tennis rankings, Basketball, Boxing, Cricket, Football, Golf rankings, Power Lifting, Volleyball and Weightlifting weight categories) are laid out in detail in the official notification. Candidates should check the exact criteria applicable to their event before applying.

Category Application Fee General/Others Rs. 500/- SC, ST, Ex-Servicemen, Women, Minority and Economically Backward Class (EBC) Rs. 250/- Candidates who appear for the selection trial are entitled to a partial refund of the application fee (after deduction of banking and other charges); bank details must be furnished in the online application to receive the refund. Minority (for fee exemption purposes) includes Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains. EBC means candidates whose total family income is less than Rs. 50,000/- per annum.

Selection is based on a 100-mark merit list comprising a Sports Trial and an Interview. Stage Marks Trial (game skill, physical fitness, coach's observations) 40 Marks Interview - Sports Achievement Assessment 50 Marks Interview - Educational Qualification 10 Marks Total 100 Marks Candidates scoring 25 or more out of 40 in the Trial are declared "FIT" and proceed to the Interview stage; those below 25 are declared "NOT FIT" and are not assessed further. Interviews are normally held on the same day as the trial, or the next day at the latest. For educational qualification, 6 marks are given for meeting the minimum qualification; higher qualifications attract higher marks. Minimum qualifying marks: 65 for Level-3 and Level-2 posts, and 60 for Level-1 posts. In case of a tie in marks, preference is given to the younger candidate.