NITK ICMR Project Technical Staff-III 2026 — A Digital-Health Research Recruitment, Not a General IT Vacancy

Document identity: NITK/IT/SK/ICMR/PTS-III/01, dated 26 October 2026; published on NITK's Announcements page 27 October 2026. The Department of Information Technology, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, has advertised two positions under one post title, Project Technical Staff III. Applications are invited from eligible Indian nationals.

The research project is titled “Development, Validation and Evaluation of an Integrated Digital Platform and ASHA-supported Home-based Intervention to Improve Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Moderate and Late Preterm Infants.” Its name establishes a specific technical and research setting: building/evaluating a digital platform while supporting a home-based, ASHA-linked intervention. It does not, by itself, assign separate vacancy quotas to data science, web development or field health work. The employer's actual selection criteria are the technical qualification and skills printed in the first-page vacancy table.

🧾 Applicant's official decision table

| Ref and original notice date | NITK/IT/SK/ICMR/PTS-III/01 — 26 October 2026 | | Website listing date | 27 October 2026; not the advertisement's signing date | | Project | Integrated digital platform and ASHA-supported home-based intervention for moderate/late preterm infants' neurodevelopmental outcomes | | Position and count | Project Technical Staff III — 2 positions in one advertised row | | Qualifying degree | Recognised full-time B.E./B.Tech. or M.E./M.Tech., in stated computing/AI/information-science or relevant allied engineering discipline | | Academic threshold | 6.5/10 CGPA OR 60% aggregate marks; alternative thresholds, not one combined requirement | | Technical skills | Hands-on analytics, ML frameworks, computer vision/deep learning, mobile/web apps, database management, Python | | Preferred exposure | API integration, data visualisation, secure data handling, DevOps, field-level data-collection coordination | | Published upper age | 35 years; reference/cut-off date and category relaxations not given | | Published monthly remuneration | ₹28,000 + 20% HRA = ₹33,600 | | Submission deadline | 10 November 2026; exact closing hour not stated | | Application routes | Email the filled application and separately submit mandatory Google Form | | PI / application email | Dr. Sowmya Kamath S. — sowmyakamath@nitk.edu.in | | Required email subject | Application for Project Technical Staff – ICMR project | | Assessment | Shortlisted applicants: in-person Test/Technical interview, 12 November 2026, 10 AM, Department of IT, NITK Surathkal | | Duration | 3 years, co-terminus with the research project, subject to periodic performance review | | Fee; written-test paper scheme | Not specified in the four-page advertisement |

🎓 Engineering eligibility — read the two alternatives correctly

The original table first defines the route as an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in the field of Engineering, from a recognised technical institute or university, studied as a full-time programme. It then specifies B.E./B.Tech./M.E./M.Tech. and lists the relevant subject families: Computer Science; Information Technology; Artificial Intelligence; AI & Machine Learning; AI & Data Science; Information Science and Engineering; and related disciplines. The last phrase does not mean any unrelated engineering branch is automatically accepted. Candidates with a differently named allied specialisation should use their exact degree nomenclature and let NITK decide its relevance.

Either 6.5 on a 10-point CGPA scale or 60% aggregate marks is stated as sufficient on the academic threshold. Do not rewrite this as a blanket “minimum 65%” or require an applicant to meet both CGPA and percentage. The enclosed form seeks educational records from Class 10 onward, including degree/branch, board or university, regular/part-time status, passing year, percentage/CGPA and class/division. The form also has a note about institutional CGPA conversion norms. Candidates should follow their own institution's documented grading/conversion rules rather than applying an invented universal formula.

How the two degree routes affect an actual application

These examples illustrate the printed rules, not NITK adjudications. The advertisement gives neither extra marks for a master's degree nor an announced quota for GATE/NET-qualified candidates. The application form simply asks whether the candidate has qualified GATE or NET and requests details if yes.

🛠️ What “hands-on experience” actually means in this notification

The detailed qualifications section explicitly names experience in data analytics, machine-learning frameworks, computer vision/deep-learning algorithms, mobile or web application development, database management, and Python programming. It does not prescribe a minimum of one, two, three or more salaried employment years. “Professional Experience (If any)” is a separate section in the official form. Therefore, a candidate should not be rejected solely on an invented employment-duration threshold, but must still be able to substantiate the technical competence NITK asks for. Assessment of what evidence demonstrates sufficient hands-on ability belongs to the selection committee.

The notice separately states that exposure to API integration, data visualisation, secure data handling, DevOps for digital applications and coordinating field-level data collection is preferred. Those preferred areas should improve a candidate's technical narrative when genuine, without being reclassified as compulsory qualifications or certifications.

The right-hand column is application/interview preparation, not a newly published employer checklist, scoring grid, daily task allocation or official syllabus.

Why the project title matters without inventing a job description

This ICMR-funded research involves moderate and late preterm infants and an ASHA-supported home-based intervention. A digital platform serving such research may need dependable records, careful data validation, appropriate information access, evaluation logic and understandable interfaces. These are technically relevant inferences from the project aim, not a claim that the vacancy notice expressly mandates handling individual clinical records, prescribing interventions or training health workers. A technical-staff applicant can frame previous computing experience around data correctness and usability while avoiding assertions of clinical authority.

For the analytics/ML path, a persuasive discussion is about how a model was evaluated, what data was excluded, what errors or biases were encountered and how results were verified. For the application/database path, discuss an actual interface, service boundary, database schema, testing strategy and handling of duplicate or incomplete data. For the field-data path, explain only coordination genuinely undertaken. These are separate examples of competence, not fabricated subposts within the advertised two seats.

💰 Actual pay — monthly composition, not two different salaries

NITK publishes ₹28,000 remuneration plus 20% House Rent Allowance. The arithmetic is 20% of ₹28,000 = ₹5,600, yielding ₹33,600 per month. The source says nothing about government pay-matrix levels, 7th CPC basic pay, net take-home, an annual increment, a joining bonus or accommodation benefits. The period is month; the appointment duration does not turn the monthly figure into an unconditional three-year earnings guarantee.

📊 Monthly remuneration: composition of the ₹33,600 total

The two chart slices are non-overlapping monetary components: ₹28,000 + ₹5,600 = ₹33,600. This chart is not a reservation or vacancy pie. NITK did not publish a category-wise distribution of the two posts, so neither a two-slice vacancy reservation graphic nor an invented UR-versus-reserved split is justified.

📅 Recruitment lead time — useful differences between three official dates

📈 Elapsed calendar days between the notified milestones

The 15 and 2 are transparent calendar-date differences, calculated from the source's dates; they are not employer-announced application-opening duration, test duration, or interview preparation time. The notice does not provide an application-start date. The two-day gap matters because a shortlisted candidate may need to reach Surathkal physically soon after the email submission deadline. The actual shortlist-email dispatch date is unannounced; the interval should not be mislabelled as a guaranteed notice period.

📨 Applying correctly — both actions are expressly compulsory

Step 1 — Use the prescribed four-page official PDF. Page 1 contains the signed vacancy notice; pages 2–4 provide the actual application form. Complete the applicant's fields, including the two-referee section and signed declaration. The application number on page 2 is marked “For Office Use Only”—do not invent one. Personal details are labelled “FILL IN CAPITAL LETTERS.” Paste the requested passport-size photograph in the space provided. No electronic file-size cap or upload specification is stated in these four pages.

Step 2 — Email the completed application by 10 November 2026. The address and wording in the official notice are unambiguous:

| Recipient | sowmyakamath@nitk.edu.in | | Subject | Application for Project Technical Staff – ICMR project | | Last receipt date | 10 November 2026 |

The PDF does not prescribe a specific receipt clock time; do not assume an officially extended 11:59 PM window. Follow the notice's email-submission wording and keep verifiable evidence of sending. It does not print a mandatory paper-post address for this recruitment.

Step 3 — Separately complete the mandatory online form: https://forms.gle/bQZ6LWrmErA8gHMF9. The notice states that candidates must also compulsorily fill this form. Email-only submission and Google-Form-only submission are therefore not equivalent to performing both actions. The link is the official recruitment-specific application form referenced in the notice, not a generic university job portal.

Step 4 — Check exactly what the enclosed form requests. This applicant-oriented field map comes directly from pages 2–4:

Step 5 — Audit consistency, not just completeness. The degree nomenclature entered on page 3 should match the source certificate; full-time status should not conflict with the qualification proof. Where experience is reported, the task description should name tools actually used. Referee contact details must be authentic, and GATE/NET should not be invented merely because the fields appear. The notice does not separately establish an application fee amount; “Not specified” is accurate, “free for all categories” would be an unsupported new rule.

🧭 Selection and appointment lifecycle — what is confirmed versus unknown

Stage 1 — Official notice and application preparation

Reference NITK/IT/SK/ICMR/PTS-III/01, dated 26 October, is the controlling instrument. Candidates need an appropriate engineering qualification, the stated academic threshold, relevant hands-on competencies and a fully completed prescribed form. No separate reservation-seat roster, exam syllabus, application fee or opening-time rule is published within it.

Stage 2 — Two-channel submission, deadline 10 November

Email and Google Form are compulsory; page 1 explicitly gives both. The email subject is prescribed. The institute does not state whether a resubmission/correction is permitted, so applicants should verify their material before dispatch rather than assume an editing facility.

Stage 3 — Institute screening and email shortlist

NITK will inform shortlisted candidates via email. The notification does not name screening marks, academic weightages, the number of people to call, a separately scheduled shortlist publication date or a prior qualifying GATE/NET threshold. Technical hands-on experience is relevant, but the printed vacancy table does not give a fixed minimum number of employment years.

Stage 4 — In-person Test/Technical interview, 12 November 2026

The source explicitly schedules the assessment for Thursday, 12 November 2026 at 10:00 AM, Department of Information Technology, NITK Surathkal. Only shortlisted candidates are told to attend. The term “Test/Technical interview” is announced; the form's questions about GATE/NET are not a substitute for a published exam scheme. NITK does not provide the test's question type, sections, marks, duration, negative marking, qualifying percentage or official written syllabus. We therefore retain the in-person assessment as a recruitment selection stage while leaving unannounced structured Exam/Admit Card/Answer Key records empty.

Stage 5 — Committee decision and immediate joining

The selection committee's decision is final. NITK reserves the right to reject any or all applications without reasons. A candidate selected for the project must be prepared to join immediately when directed. Neither a result declaration date nor an appointment-letter date is printed. There is no published cutoff, waiting-list rule or interview-weighting formula to reproduce as fact.

Stage 6 — Temporary project tenure and review

The post is for a three-year period co-terminus with the research project. The PI may review performance periodically and terminate the engagement at any time if performance is unsatisfactory. The three-year figure expresses the stated project-linked duration, not an irrevocable guarantee of 36 monthly payments or permanent employment. The notification also says selected candidates will be encouraged to apply for NITK M.Tech (Research) / Ph.D. programmes as relevant; this is an invitation to pursue a separate academic process, not guaranteed admission or a prerequisite for joining.

Stage 7 — Later formal updates, if any

No exam answer key, standalone hall ticket, selection-list publication date, medical-test schedule or reserved-category cutoff appears in the source. Such milestones should be added to SarkariSapna only after an official NITK communication. A later project extension or new selection call must not be invented in the present advertisement's record.

🧪 Technical preparation: interview practice, not an official prescribed syllabus

The safest preparation follows the actual skill list in the detailed qualification table, rather than recycling generic GATE Computer Science chapters. The following are editorial practice prompts, not questions, marks or topics formally issued by the institute:

Research-context judgement: a platform for ASHA-linked home-based research should avoid misreporting health-outcome data. An applicant may discuss how consent and authorisation, data minimisation, auditability and responsible model interpretation would inform software design. These are responsible technical considerations inferred from project context, not evidence that the notice mandates a specific clinical workflow, architecture, encryption standard or government digital-health integration. Candidates should discuss only work they understand and can substantiate.

❓ Focused FAQ — the points most likely to affect eligibility or attendance

Are there two different job profiles? No. The table advertises two seats under one Project Technical Staff III title and does not allocate separate specialisations.

Can I apply with an eligible B.Tech but no M.Tech? Yes, the academic route is stated as undergraduate or postgraduate engineering; a second higher degree is not expressly mandatory.

Can a 6.5/10 CGPA applicant apply without 60% shown on the certificate? The printed threshold is 6.5/10 CGPA OR 60% aggregate. Institutional grading records must be accurately reported.

Are GATE or NET qualifying marks compulsory? No such mandate is printed. The form asks Yes/No and supplementary information if qualified.

Is one year of paid software employment compulsory? No numerical minimum work-experience duration is stated. The detailed qualifications nonetheless ask for hands-on technical experience; the committee determines acceptable evidence.

Can a pure non-engineering B.Sc computer graduate apply? The specified essential route is undergraduate/postgraduate engineering, with B.E./B.Tech./M.E./M.Tech. detailed in the notice. Do not replace this with an unannounced B.Sc pathway.

How many vacancies are reserved for UR/OBC/SC/ST? The vacancy table gives 2 total, without category-wise allocation; the candidate-category field on the form is not a reservation roster.

What date determines the maximum age of 35? A separate age reference date is not specified; do not invent one.

Do I only need to complete the Google Form? No. The email application is also expressly required, using the prescribed PI email and subject.

Is an email acknowledgement alone proof that both application actions are complete? No. It does not establish that the independent Google Form was also submitted.

Is there an announced written-test pattern? No. An in-person Test/Technical interview is announced for 12 November, but the paper pattern, duration, marks and syllabus are not provided.

Will the institute reimburse test/interview travel? Not specified in the four-page notice. Do not claim an allowance.

Is ₹33,600 the in-hand salary? The notice gives the sum of ₹28,000 and 20% HRA. In-hand deductions and net amount are not specified.

Are three years guaranteed regardless of performance? No. The engagement is project-co-terminus and expressly subject to periodic review with early termination for unsatisfactory performance.

Is NITK M.Tech (Research) / Ph.D. admission part of the job offer? No; selected candidates are encouraged to apply, not promised admission.

🔗 Official-document boundary

All mandatory facts above come from the original NITK four-page advertisement and enclosed application form. Source page 1 controls the vacancy, academic threshold, detailed skills, age, pay, email/Google Form, test date and tenure. Pages 2–4 control what the prescribed form asks. Computed ₹5,600 HRA and the 15-day/2-day date differences are explicitly labelled arithmetic, not new official recruitment provisions. Practical technology examples are distinguished from employer-issued eligibility, duties and syllabus. Future corrections, shortlist and result notices require fresh official NITK evidence.