UditVani, Ranchi : The Government of Jharkhand has officially notified the “Jharkhand Outstanding Sportsperson Direct Recruitment (Appointment and Service Conditions) Rules, 2026”, paving the way for talented athletes to secure direct government employment in the state.
Issued by the Department of Tourism, Art, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, Jharkhand under the authority of the Governor, the new policy aims to encourage sporting excellence by offering structured government job opportunities to athletes who have represented the state and country at national and international levels.
Eligibility and Age Relaxation
The rules apply to Indian citizens who are local residents of Jharkhand and have either won medals or participated in recognized national or international competitions.
Only sporting achievements recorded after the formation of the state on Creation of Jharkhand State will be considered.
A major highlight of the policy is the significant relaxation in the upper age limit for eligible athletes:
Unreserved/EWS: Up to 45 years
BC/EBC: Up to 47 years
Women (all categories): Up to 48 years
SC/ST (Men & Women): Up to 50 years
Education Criteria with Flexibility
Recruitment will be made across multiple pay matrix levels depending on educational qualifications:
Group B (Level 6–9): Graduation or equivalent
Group C (Level 3–5): Intermediate or equivalent
Group D (Level 2):
Matriculation or equivalent
In exceptional cases, the government may relax educational requirements at the time of appointment for outstanding athletes, though such candidates must later clear prescribed departmental examinations.
Performance-Based Categories
The rules introduce a five-tier achievement-based classification system for recruitment:
Category I (Level 9): Medalists at Olympics, Paralympics and World Championships held at intervals of two years or more.
Category II (Levels 7–8): Medalists at Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and annual World Championships.
Category III (Level 6): Medalists at Asian Championships (four-year interval), World University Games and Commonwealth Championships.
Category IV & V (Levels 2–5): Participants in Olympics/Asian Games and medalists at SAF Games, National Games or Special Olympics.
Strict Integrity Clause
The policy includes a strict code of conduct. Athletes found guilty of doping, match-fixing, sexual harassment or other serious misconduct will be barred from applying.
If such violations come to light after appointment, their services will be terminated immediately.
Selection Process
Under the rules, all government departments will identify vacancies every year on January 1 under a 2 percent horizontal reservation for sportspersons.
Applications will be invited by the Sports Directorate, scrutinized by a screening committee, and reviewed by a high-level panel chaired by the Chief Secretary.
Final approval of appointments will be granted by the Chief Minister.
The new recruitment framework is expected to strengthen the sporting ecosystem in Jharkhand by rewarding excellence and providing long-term career security to outstanding athletes.
