IGNOU Teaching Recruitment 2026: 43 Professor, Associate Professor & Assistant Professor Vacancies

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has opened direct recruitment for 43 teaching vacancies under Advertisement No. 01/2026/ACD dated 19 September 2026. The recruitment covers Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor posts across 14 Schools of Studies. Online applications opened on 20 September 2026 and the current official closing date is 20 October 2026. A signed hard copy of the submitted online application, with the required self-attested documents, must reach IGNOU by 30 October 2026.

The eligibility is not identical for every discipline. Most Professor and Associate Professor posts follow UGC teaching and research requirements, while Health Science, Nursing and Visual Arts have separate professional conditions. Candidates should therefore match their exact post, discipline and reservation category before submitting the form.

IGNOU Teaching Recruitment 2026 Overview

Vacancy Details

Post-wise total

School and discipline-wise vacancies

IGNOU states that the recruitment also includes backlog SC, ST and OBC vacancies advertised in earlier years. PwBD(a) refers to blindness and low vision in the advertisement.

Pay Scale

The three designations carry different Academic Levels under the 7th CPC, so candidates should use the pay scale for the exact post they apply for.

Important Dates

The advertisement says the online closing date is 20 October 2026 or 30 days from publication in Employment News, whichever is later. IGNOU's current recruitment page lists 20 October 2026 as the online closing date.

Professor Eligibility

For most disciplines, candidates need either the standard UGC route or the alternative outstanding-professional route.

Standard Professor route

• Ph.D. in the concerned, allied or relevant discipline.
• High-quality published work and active research engagement.
• At least 10 research publications in peer-reviewed or UGC-listed journals.
• Research score of at least 120 under the prescribed criteria.
• At least 10 years of teaching experience at University/College level as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor and/or equivalent research experience at University/National-level institutions.
• Evidence of having successfully guided a doctoral candidate.

Outstanding professional route

An outstanding professional with a Ph.D. in the relevant/allied/applied discipline may also be considered where the candidate has made a significant contribution to knowledge and has 10 years of experience, supported by documentary evidence.

Professor – Health Science

For Health Science, the separate eligibility document requires MBBS with MD/MS from an MCI-recognised Medical College in the stated specialisations, 8 years of post-PG experience, and the prescribed Associate Professor experience and indexed research-publication record.

Professor – Nursing

For Nursing, the essential requirements include a Master's degree in Nursing with at least 55% marks and 14 years of teaching experience after M.Sc. Nursing in a College of Nursing/University as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor. Independent high-standard published work, doctorate or M.Phil. is listed as desirable.

Specialisations specifically stated for Professor

• InterDisciplinary & TransDisciplinary Studies: Environmental Studies.
• Foreign Languages: Arabic / French / Russian / Spanish.

Associate Professor Eligibility

For most disciplines, the standard Associate Professor requirements are:

• Good academic record with a Ph.D. in the concerned/allied/relevant discipline.
• Master's degree with at least 55% marks or equivalent grade.
• At least 8 years of teaching and/or research experience in an academic/research position equivalent to Assistant Professor.
• At least 7 publications in peer-reviewed or UGC-listed journals.
• Research score of at least 75 under the prescribed criteria.

IGNOU specifically states that a Ph.D. is mandatory for appointment to the post of Associate Professor under the general conditions.

Associate Professor – Health Science

The Health Science route requires MS/MD in the concerned subject from an MCI-recognised Medical College in the notified specialisations, 5 years of post-PG experience, and 4 years as Assistant Professor in the subject in a permitted/approved/recognised Medical College/Institution, with the prescribed indexed research-publication record.

Associate Professor – Nursing

The Nursing route requires a Master's degree in Nursing with at least 55% marks and 10 years of teaching experience after M.Sc. Nursing in a College of Nursing/University in an academic/research position equivalent to Assistant Professor. Independent high-standard published work, doctorate or M.Phil. is listed as desirable.

Specialisations specifically stated for Associate Professor

• Home Science: Community Resource Management & Extension / Development Communication & Extension / Resource Management and Design Applications / Family Resource Management / Fabric & Apparel Science / Textiles & Clothing.
• InterDisciplinary & TransDisciplinary Studies: Philosophy.
• Foreign Languages: Arabic / French / Russian / Spanish.

Assistant Professor Eligibility

For the general Assistant Professor route in the notified academic disciplines:

• Master's degree with at least 55% marks or equivalent grade in the concerned/relevant/allied subject from an Indian University, or an equivalent degree from an accredited foreign University; and
• UGC/CSIR NET, unless the candidate falls under a valid Ph.D. exemption permitted by the applicable UGC regulations.

IGNOU also states that NET is not required for Master's programmes or disciplines for which NET is not conducted by UGC/CSIR. The detailed document contains the conditions that must be met for candidates claiming the applicable Ph.D. exemption.

Assistant Professor – Health Science

The Health Science post requires MBBS with MD/MS from an MCI-recognised Medical College in the notified areas of preventive/social/community medicine or hospital/community health administration, plus 3 years as Junior Resident and 1 year as Senior Resident in the concerned subject in a recognised Medical College.

Official-source discrepancy to note: the main advertisement and IGNOU career-page vacancy table list one OBC Assistant Professor vacancy in Health Science, which is the count used in the 43-vacancy total. The separate Assistant Professor eligibility PDF describes the two Health Science specialisation lines and labels each as “one post.” No separate corrigendum resolving that wording was found during the 4 October 2026 check. Candidates applying to Health Science should confirm the live application portal and any later IGNOU clarification before final submission.

Assistant Professor – Visual Arts (Painting)

The Visual Arts route provides two alternatives. One route requires a Master's degree with at least 55% marks in the relevant subject together with NET/SLET/SET or a qualifying Ph.D. exemption. The second route is for a traditional or professional artist with a Bachelor's degree and the specified professional achievements, including recognised artistic standing and the ability to teach theory with illustrations.

Specialisations specifically stated for Assistant Professor

• InterDisciplinary & TransDisciplinary Studies: Environmental Studies.
• Health Science: Preventive and social medicine/community medicine; Hospital administration/Community health administration.

Marks Relaxation and Reservation Conditions

IGNOU states that reservation will be applied under UGC/Central Government rules. Candidates claiming a reserved post or relaxation need to upload valid supporting documents in the prescribed format.

• A 5% marks relaxation, from 55% to 50%, is available at the relevant Bachelor's/Master's level for SC, ST, OBC-NCL and PwBD candidates under the stated conditions.
• For PwBD-reserved posts, the detailed eligibility documents state that the candidate should have 40% or more benchmark disability and provide a valid disability certificate from the competent authority.
• OBC-NCL candidates must provide a certificate for the 2026–27 financial year, issued between 1 April 2026 and the last date of online application, and valid for Union of India/Central Government jobs.
• OBC creamy-layer applicants are treated as unreserved for these purposes.

Candidates should read the detailed eligibility PDF for their exact designation because the relaxation wording and professional-regulator requirements can differ by discipline.

Is There an Age Limit?

The official teaching advertisement and the three designation-specific eligibility documents reviewed for this recruitment do not state a general upper age limit for the advertised teaching posts. Candidates should not assume an age ceiling from another IGNOU recruitment or another university's rules.

Application Fee

The fee is paid online through the available payment modes. A candidate applying for more than one post/department must submit separate applications and pay the applicable fee separately.

Candidates who had applied earlier to the same post under IGNOU Advertisement No. 02/2022/ACD or 02/2023/ACD must apply afresh with updated information, but IGNOU provides a fee exemption subject to submission of proof of the earlier fee payment.

Selection Process

This recruitment does not advertise a written competitive examination. Applications are first screened and shortlisted using the criteria in the designation-specific eligibility documents, followed by interview/Selection Committee assessment.

For Assistant Professor, the detailed eligibility document expressly states that the academic score is for shortlisting only and selection is based on performance in the interview.

Experience Evidence Candidates Should Prepare

Where experience is claimed, IGNOU asks applicants to support it with appropriate records. Examples listed in the detailed documents include:

• experience certificates clearly showing pay scale and gross pay drawn;
• offer/appointment letters;
• Form 16, passbook entries or payslips showing actual pay drawn for the claimed period; and
• promotion orders, where relevant.

Time spent acquiring M.Phil. and/or Ph.D. is generally not counted as teaching/research experience for these appointments, subject to the specific conditions in the official eligibility documents. Active service while pursuing a research degree without taking leave may be counted under the stated rule.

Documents and Hard-Copy Requirements

After submitting the online application, candidates must send the printout with self-attested supporting documents. The official instructions say the documents should be arranged in the same sequence as the application entries, properly bound/tagged, and every page should be numbered. Loose sheets are not accepted.

Shortlisted candidates called for interview should bring original certificates/testimonials and valid photo ID, together with the required self-attested copies. Serving candidates may also need a No Objection Certificate and Vigilance Clearance from the employer at the interview stage if these were not uploaded earlier.

Applicants claiming research/publication points should also follow the detailed requirement to enclose supporting journal material where prescribed.

For a simple preparation aid, use the Regal Naukri Government Job Document Checklist and keep only the items that this IGNOU notice actually requires.

How to Apply for IGNOU Teaching Recruitment 2026

1. Open the official IGNOU teaching recruitment page and read the main advertisement.
2. Open the separate eligibility PDF for the exact designation: Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor.
3. Confirm the School, discipline, reservation status and any listed specialisation for the vacancy you want.
4. Register and complete the application on the official IGNOU recruitment portal.
5. Enter qualifications, experience, publications and reservation information carefully. IGNOU warns that data entered in the form cannot be changed after final submission.
6. Upload the required supporting documents and pay the applicable fee.
7. Submit the online application by the notified closing date and save/print the completed form.
8. Arrange the self-attested supporting documents in the same sequence as the application, bind/tag them and number the pages.
9. Send the printout and documents by registered/speed post so that they reach IGNOU by 30 October 2026.
10. Write the post name, discipline, School and Advertisement No. clearly on the envelope as instructed by IGNOU.

Hard-Copy Address

Director, Academic Coordination Division Indira Gandhi National Open University Maidan Garhi, New Delhi – 110068

The hard copy must reach the above office by the prescribed deadline; candidates should allow enough postal time.

Candidate Cautions Before Submission

• Do not apply only from the vacancy table; read the separate eligibility PDF for your designation.
• Health Science, Nursing and Visual Arts do not simply follow the generic UGC wording used for other disciplines.
• Check the reservation status against the exact discipline and post.
• If claiming OBC-NCL, verify the certificate issue period and Central Government validity.
• If applying for multiple posts/departments, separate applications and fees may be required.
• Keep evidence for every experience, publication, category and qualification claim made in the form.
• Recheck the IGNOU recruitment page before final submission for any corrigendum or addendum.

You can also use the Regal Naukri Government Job Eligibility Checker as a personal pre-check after reading the official notice. The official IGNOU documents remain the controlling source.

Official Links

FAQs

How many vacancies are in IGNOU Teaching Recruitment 2026?

There are 43 vacancies: 21 Professor, 16 Associate Professor and 6 Assistant Professor posts.

What is the advertisement number?

The teaching recruitment is under Advertisement No. 01/2026/ACD dated 19 September 2026.

What is the last date to apply online?

The current official closing date is 20 October 2026. The advertisement also contains the clause “20 October 2026 or 30 days from publication in Employment News, whichever is later.”

Is a hard copy required after online submission?

Yes. The printout of the online application with self-attested supporting documents must reach the Director, Academic Coordination Division, IGNOU, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi – 110068 by 30 October 2026 through registered/speed post.

What is the application fee?

The fee is ₹500 for UR/OBC/EWS candidates. IGNOU states that SC/ST/PwBD candidates pay no application fee. Separate applications and fees are required when applying for more than one post/department, subject to the stated exemption for certain earlier applicants.

Is there a written exam?

The detailed teaching documents do not advertise a written competitive examination. They provide for screening/shortlisting followed by interview/Selection Committee assessment.

Is NET compulsory for Assistant Professor?

For the general Assistant Professor route, NET conducted by UGC/CSIR is required unless the candidate qualifies for a valid Ph.D. exemption under the applicable UGC regulations or the discipline is one for which NET is not conducted. Health Science and Visual Arts have separate notified conditions.

Is the IGNOU Non-Teaching recruitment part of this advertisement?

No. Advertisement 01/2026/ACD is the teaching recruitment for Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor posts. IGNOU's separate Non-Teaching recruitment is a different advertisement and should not be mixed with this one.