IIT-BHU has invited applications for eight contractual positions at the Smart Laboratory on Clean Rivers secretariat in Varanasi, with submissions open until October 29. The vacancies range from project attendants to a senior project scientist, and carry different educational requirements, age limits and monthly salaries.

The advertisement, dated October 7 and listed by the institute on October 8, sets an initial appointment period ending in August 2027, subject to the project duration. These are project appointments with no right to regularisation or absorption at the institute. Candidates should use the complete official recruitment notice to check the conditions for their chosen post.

The secretariat operates under the institutional framework between the National Mission for Clean Ganga and IIT-BHU within Namami Gange Mission-II. Its stated aim is to bring Indian and international knowledge into small-river rejuvenation suited to local environmental, social and economic conditions.

Different qualifications for five categories

There are two Project Attendant vacancies, paying Rs 18,000 a month plus house rent allowance, with an upper age limit of 50. One is for a science graduate with experience in water-quality sampling and testing, including nature-based solutions. The other is for a graduate in fine arts, design or architecture with the software proficiency specified in the notice. The two qualification routes belong to separate positions.

The two Project Assistant posts pay Rs 20,000 a month plus HRA and also have an upper age limit of 50. Applicants require a science or engineering degree, or a three-year engineering and technology diploma, with relevant knowledge of water-quality sampling, testing and nature-based systems. The desirable experience includes office or specialised technical software, communication skills and relevant certifications.

One Junior Research Fellow post offers Rs 37,000 a month plus HRA, with an upper age limit of 30. It requires a master's degree in the specified science or engineering fields, including hydraulics, river engineering, water resources or geoinformatics, and qualification in GATE, NET or an equivalent national examination. Fieldwork, environmental monitoring, data analysis, Python and GIS feature among the desirable skills.

Two Research Associate-I posts offer Rs 58,000 a month plus HRA, with an upper age limit of 40. The qualification route is a PhD or equivalent, or three years of research and teaching experience after an MSc or MTech with at least one paper in an SCI journal. The notice identifies nature-based wastewater treatment and hydrological or hydrogeological modelling as the relevant specialisations. Applicants should preserve that distinction between essential and desirable experience when checking eligibility.

The Senior Project Scientist (Professional Grade-I) vacancy carries monthly pay of Rs 1,25,000 to Rs 1,45,000 plus HRA and an upper age limit of 45. It requires a PhD in environmental science, water resources or a relevant discipline, together with six to eight years of research or teaching experience.

One PDF and the official application form

Candidates must complete the Annexure-I application format and combine the required degrees and certificates into a single PDF. The notice directs applicants to attach that file through its officially linked Google Form. The application window runs from October 8 to October 29; the notice does not specify a closing time.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by email only and are asked to check both their inbox and the institute's recruitment updates. Selection is not automatic on meeting the minimum criteria. The committee may use higher qualifications or experience to limit interviews, and the institute reserves the right to leave posts unfilled.

The notice provides five years of age relaxation for women, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and physically handicapped candidates, and three years for OBC-NCL candidates. HRA follows government norms. No travelling or daily allowance will be paid for the interview, and selected candidates are expected to join within a month. Queries can be directed to slcr@iitbhu.ac.in.

The team will help coordinate proposals, project monitoring, documentation and progress reports, alongside other secretariat responsibilities. The recruitment sits within Varanasi's wider river and engineering research activity, including the separately reported Ganga microplastic monitoring protocol and IIT-BHU's civil-engineering agreement with the University of Wuppertal. Neither earlier development changes the eligibility or contract terms in this advertisement.