ITAT Recruitment 2026: 42 Private Secretary posts and the 16 August application checklist

ITAT Recruitment 2026 is currently open for 42 regular vacancies in the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal: 22 Senior Private Secretary posts and 20 Private Secretary posts. The official recruitment portal says online applications opened on 18 July 2026 and close on 16 August 2026 at 23:59 hrs. The immediate task is therefore a document-and-skill check, not a guess based on the vacancy headline. The official ITAT vacancy circular asks for a degree from a recognized university or equivalent, English shorthand at 120 words per minute and working knowledge of computers. The candidate-instructions PDF adds practical upload specifications, while the official application portal is the route for submission.

Both cadres are Group B Gazetted posts at various ITAT benches. The notice gives the Senior Private Secretary role Pay Level 8, with a pay-matrix range of ₹47,600 to ₹1,51,100, and the Private Secretary role Pay Level 7, with a range of ₹44,900 to ₹1,42,400. The circular says the existing and anticipated vacancy count may augment if vacancies are revived, and the reservation bifurcation may change accordingly. Treat the published figures as the official position available at this check, not as a promise that the final number cannot move.

A useful detail is that a person who wants to be considered for both posts submits one application and sits one examination. The notice says the consolidated merit position determines whether Senior Private Secretary or Private Secretary is offered. It also says the selected person may be posted at any ITAT bench across India, so location preference should not be treated as a guaranteed posting condition.

The core requirements apply to both post families in the circular. First, the applicant must be an Indian National and have a degree from a recognized university or an equivalent qualification. Second, the notice specifies English shorthand at 120 words per minute. Third, it asks for working knowledge of computers, including software such as Microsoft Office, Excel or Page-makers. These are separate parts of the stated requirement: a degree alone does not answer the shorthand or computer-knowledge questions.

The upper age stated for all candidates is 35 years. Standard relaxations under Central Government instructions are stated for Government servants and SC, ST and OBC candidates. The crucial date is defined as the 30th day from publication of the advertisement in Employment News. Because the notice uses that rule rather than a simple article-date shortcut, compare your date-of-birth and category documents against the circular and the portal's current instructions. AvsarIQ can place a saved profile beside the stated requirements, but it does not make the final eligibility decision.

The selection sequence is written examination, skill test and personal interview. The written examination has two 100-mark papers in English medium. Paper 1 is General English and covers an essay of at least 250 words, letter writing, précis writing and grammar. Paper 2 combines General Knowledge and Reasoning, including General Studies, logical reasoning and current affairs. The skill test is 100 marks and specifies English shorthand at 120 words per minute plus English typing at 45 words per minute. The personal interview carries 75 marks.

The written-paper qualifying thresholds are category-based: General candidates need 40% in each paper and 50% in the combined written total; OBC and EWS candidates need 35% in each paper and 45% in aggregate; SC, ST and PwBD candidates need 30% in each paper and 40% in aggregate. The skill test is evaluated for candidates who clear the written minimums, and the interview follows shortlisting after the skill test. The written examination and skill test are to be held at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Guwahati, Lucknow, Ahmedabad or Hyderabad. Applicants choose two centres in preference order, but ITAT reserves discretion to cancel a centre if applications are insufficient.

The candidate-instructions annexure is where this recruitment becomes operationally demanding. It asks applicants to keep an active email address and mobile number ready, use clear scans, and avoid illegible, fabricated or password-protected uploads. The following list reflects the official instructions; documents marked as applicable depend on the candidate's situation.

Use the official circular as the authority for the recruitment conditions and the candidate-instructions PDF as the authority for file preparation. Check that the spelling of your name is consistent across the form and certificates, that your shorthand and typing practice reflects the English-medium test, and that the two centre choices are intentional. If you apply for both cadres, do not create a second application merely because there are two post names; the circular specifically describes a single application and a single examination.

This article was checked on 12 August 2026 in Asia/Kolkata. The live AvsarIQ block above is a time-stamped opportunity record and may change after publication. For the final status, use the ITAT recruitment-news page, the official vacancy circular, the candidate instructions and the application portal. AvsarIQ provides structured opportunity data and profile comparison; ITAT remains the final authority on acceptance, rejection, eligibility and selection.