IGNCA NMCM Recruitment 2026: Project Assistant & Graphic Designer — 5 contractual positions, walk-in 19 November

Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) has announced five contractual openings for its National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM) Unit through a notice dated 13 November 2026 (F.No.12/375/2026-SD/AM). There are four Project Assistant positions for humanities and cultural-heritage postgraduates and one Graphic Designer position for a postgraduate in design or a relevant equivalent discipline with at least one year of experience. The two roles share the interview date and venue but not their reporting time, form-receipt deadline, maximum age or monthly remuneration.

🗓️ Walk-in date: Thursday, 19 November 2026. Project Assistant candidates report at 10:00 AM, with application forms accepted only up to 11:00 AM. Graphic Designer candidates report at 12:00 noon, with forms accepted only up to 1:00 PM. Arrive with the completed official form, updated CV, original identity document and originals of academic/experience certificates for verification.

🏛️ Positions at a glance

🥧 Official vacancy composition

🥧 Post-wise distribution of IGNCA NMCM vacancies

The 4:1 distribution is based on the five advertised openings. The notice does not provide a UR/SC/ST/OBC/EWS breakdown for either role; no category allocation can therefore be assumed from these figures.

💰 Consolidated pay: compare the roles

📊 Monthly consolidated remuneration by post

Both figures are fixed monthly consolidated remuneration stated in the notice, rather than a Government pay-matrix level. A Graphic Designer's advertised monthly amount is ₹10,000 higher than a Project Assistant's. The advertisement does not separately promise HRA, DA, annual increments or regular-service benefits. The initial contract period is one year for both positions, and extension depends on performance and project requirements rather than arising automatically.

🎂 Age limits are role-specific

📊 Maximum age on interview date by position

The reference date for the age ceiling is 19 November 2026, the interview date. Project Assistant applicants must not exceed 30, and Graphic Designer applicants must not exceed 35 on that day. The notice does not announce a category-wise relaxation schedule; candidates should not apply a presumed additional relaxation to these stated limits.

🎓 Project Assistant: who may appear?

A candidate needs a master's degree from a recognised university in at least one of the following named disciplines:

1. History
2. Art History
3. Folklore
4. Rural Development
5. Anthropology
6. Sociology
7. Archaeology
8. Heritage Management
9. Tribal Studies

These are alternatives, not a requirement to hold multiple degrees. No minimum percentage or mandatory work-experience duration is stated for Project Assistant. The notice specifically describes as desirable the ability to prepare concise write-ups about Indian cultural traditions and practices, competence with MS Office and editing, strong written/spoken English and Hindi communication, and ability to work in a fast-paced environment. These desirable attributes should not be presented as additional mandatory degree or experience conditions.

Role orientation. NMCM seeks to identify, preserve and promote cultural heritage and explore connections with rural livelihoods. For this position, the desirable emphasis on cultural write-ups, editing and communication makes the ability to turn researched cultural material into clear and accurate explanatory text particularly relevant. The notification does not prescribe a discipline-specific test, word-count exercise or formal syllabus.

🎨 Graphic Designer: degree and experience must both be present

The Graphic Designer role requires a master's degree in Design or an equivalent relevant discipline from a recognised university and a minimum of one year of experience in relevant work such as designing, graphics design, publication design or audio-video design. The experience requirement is compulsory for this position; it should not be confused with the Project Assistant's desirable skills.

The notice does not prescribe a mandatory software package, minimum academic percentage, portfolio submission format or a separate practical examination. Candidates can nonetheless document the nature of their previous design work clearly in their CV and experience certificates, because the eligibility and document checks precede entry to the interview.

📍 Interview venue and arrival windows

For both roles: Office of Mission Director (NMCM), 5th Floor, A-Wing, IGNCA, Janpath, New Delhi – 110001.

Reporting time is not the form deadline. The separate one-hour windows are explicit in the original notification. A candidate arriving after the respective form-acceptance cutoff cannot rely on the other role's later deadline. The advertised address is the walk-in interview venue; the notification does not separately promise that all project assignments will be limited to this location.

📄 Official application form: what to prepare

Pages 3–4 of the notice contain the prescribed application form. Candidates should fill in the position applied for, name, date of birth, contact details, correspondence and permanent addresses, educational record in ascending order, employment history, relevant skills or achievements and the signed declaration. The form includes a space for a recent passport-size photograph.

Bring the following to the walk-in:

• Completed and signed application form from the advertisement, with the requested photograph and correct post name.
• Updated résumé/CV.
• Self-attested copies of academic mark sheets from Class 10 onwards and relevant experience certificates.
• Original certificates for verification; only candidates found eligible after original-document checks may attend the interview.
• Original and a copy of one valid identity proof: Aadhaar card, PAN card, Voter ID or Driving Licence.

If selected, the candidate must additionally provide two reference letters/testimonials at the time of joining from former employers, organisations or educational institutions where the candidate worked or studied. The letters must have been issued within one month, as required in the notice. They are a joining requirement, not an additional item expressly required of every interview attendee on 19 November.

🎤 Selection: document verification followed by walk-in interview

The notice identifies walk-in interview as the selection method. Candidates first present their original certificates for eligibility verification; only eligible candidates are permitted to appear before the interview panel. No CBT, OMR test, written paper, negative-marking scheme, skill-test date or interview scoring pattern has been announced for either position.

IGNCA reserves the right to accept or reject applications, and its decision regarding admission to the interview and engagement is final. Candidates should refer to the original notification and form on the IGNCA official recruitment page before travelling.

📌 Distinction from other IGNCA advertisements

This is the 13 November 2026 NMCM notice for Project Assistant (four) and Graphic Designer (one) with interviews on 19 November. It is not the 21 October 2026 NMCM announcement for Project Associate and Domain Experts, nor the separate Rock Art interview of 5 November. The recruiting unit, dated notice, advertised roles and walk-in day identify the opportunity. The administrative file number alone does not distinguish these different notices.

❓ Focused candidate questions

Can a Project Assistant applicant apply with a master's in Tribal Studies? Yes. Tribal Studies is explicitly one of the nine eligible fields.

Does Graphic Designer need work experience? Yes, at least one year in the specified design-related areas. An academic degree alone does not meet the complete stated requirement.

Are the two jobs permanent central-government posts? No. Both engagements are expressly contractual for an initial one-year term, extendable subject to performance and the project.

Is there an application fee? The four-page notice does not specify any fee amount. It would be inaccurate to invent a fee or an exemption.

Where can candidates get the form? The original four-page IGNCA advertisement includes it on pages 3–4; the authority lists the notification on its official recruitment page.

How early must applicants arrive? Follow the advertised reporting time—10:00 AM for Project Assistant or 12:00 PM for Graphic Designer—and note the separate application-form cutoff exactly one hour later.