GSRTC Helper Recruitment 2026: 2,510 Posts, ₹21,100 Fixed Pay

GSRTC Helper Recruitment 2026 has 2,510 posts open to ITI holders, and the written exam is worth 100 marks. But here is the part almost nobody explains: that exam only carries 90% weightage. The other 10 marks come from an apprenticeship certificate. A candidate scoring 70 with that certificate beats a candidate scoring 80 without it. This page covers the trades, the dates, the exam pattern, and the traps that get applications rejected.

GSRTC Helper Recruitment 2026 Overview

The 90/10 Rule That Decides Your Merit

Read this section before you plan anything else. GSRTC does not build the merit list from your raw exam score.

Your exam score is multiplied by 0.9. Then 10 marks are added if you hold a valid apprenticeship certificate in the same trade as your ITI.

What this does to the merit list

Candidate A scored ten marks less and still finished ahead. To beat 73 without an apprenticeship certificate, Candidate B would need to score 82 in the exam.

If you hold an apprenticeship certificate, that is a ten-mark head start. If you do not, you need roughly eleven extra exam marks just to stay level.

The trade-matching trap

The 10 marks are not automatic. The notification is strict, and it gives its own example.

If you passed the ITI Electrician course and completed your apprenticeship in the Electrician trade, you qualify for the 10 marks. If you passed ITI Electrician but did your apprenticeship in Lineman, Wireman or any other trade, you do not qualify.

The apprenticeship must be in the exact trade shown as your minimum qualification. It must be completed in a government, semi-government, public undertaking, or any Limited or Private Limited company, and you need the NCVT certificate along with the marksheet.

The 10 marks are awarded at document verification. No certificate at that stage means no marks, even if you claimed it in the form.

Category-wise Vacancy Details

Two more allocations run horizontally across the categories above:

• Ex-servicemen: 502 posts, which is 20% of the total.
• Divyang (PwD): 52 posts, split as 13 posts each across four disability groups.

Ex-serviceman and Divyang candidates who are selected are adjusted against their own category of General, EWS, SC, ST or SEBC.

Divyang category split

Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

You need a government-recognised ITI course of at least one year, passed in any one of these trades:

• Mechanic Motor Vehicle
• Mechanic Diesel
• General Mechanic
• Fitter
• Turner
• Electrician
• Sheet Metal Worker
• Auto Mobiles Body Repairer
• Welder
• Welder cum Fabricator
• Machinist
• Carpenter
• Painter General
• Auto Mobile Paint Repairer

Computer knowledge is mandatory

This one is easy to miss because it sits deep inside the notification. You must hold proof of basic computer knowledge as per the Gujarat Government GAD resolution dated 13/08/2008.

Any one of these works:

• Certificate or marksheet from a recognised training institute
• Any computer diploma, degree or certificate course
• Computer as a subject inside your degree or diploma
• Standard 10 or Standard 12 passed with computer as a subject

The certificate must be dated before the last date of application. If you cannot produce it at document verification, your application is cancelled.

Age Limit

The base range is 18 to 35 years, counted as on the last date of application. In date terms, your date of birth must fall between 06/10/1991 and 06/10/2008.

Relaxation in the upper age limit works like this:

• General women: 5 years
• Reserved category men: 5 years
• Reserved category women: 10 years
• General Divyang men: 10 years
• General Divyang women: 15 years
• Reserved Divyang men: 15 years
• Reserved Divyang women: 20 years

Whatever combination applies to you, your age after all relaxations must not cross 45 years on the cut-off date. There is no exception to this ceiling.

Vision

The notification lists a separate requirement for this cadre: ચોખ્ખું વિઝન હોવું જોઈએ, meaning clear vision is required.

Date of birth proof

Only your SSC certificate or school leaving certificate is accepted. A birth certificate from the municipality is not valid for this recruitment. Your online form must show the date exactly as printed on that certificate, and it cannot be changed later.

Application Fee

Note carefully that nobody is exempt. SC, ST, Divyang and ex-serviceman candidates all pay ₹200 plus GST. Many Gujarat recruitments waive the fee for these groups. This one does not.

The fee is non-refundable. Even if the advertisement is later cancelled or changed, you do not get it back.

You have until 8 October 2026 to pay, which is two days after the application window closes on 6 October.

GSRTC Helper Salary 2026 and Job Profile

Selected candidates get a contract-based appointment at ₹21,100 fixed per month for five years. No allowances or benefits apply during this period beyond what the rules specifically permit.

After five years of satisfactory service, you move to a regular appointment on the standard Helper pay scale prevailing in the Corporation at that time.

Postings are made at any division or depot across Gujarat, based on the Corporation’s requirement. You do not get to choose your location.

Selection Process

1. Online application through OJAS with the process fee paid.
2. Written exam of 100 marks, MCQ based. It may be conducted by OMR sheet or CBRT, as the Corporation decides.
3. Weightage calculation. Exam marks carry 90%, apprenticeship certificate carries 10%.
4. Merit list prepared from the highest weightage downward, against reserved and unreserved posts.
5. Document verification at a ratio of 1.5 candidates per post. Every candidate with equal marks at the cut-off is called.
6. Provisional selection list and waiting list published after verification.

At 1.5 times 2,510 posts, roughly 3,765 candidates will be called for verification.

Bonus marks for widows and sportspersons

Two groups get an addition of 5% of the marks they scored in the MCQ exam. This is 5% of your score, not 5 flat marks. Score 70 and you gain 3.5.

• Widow candidates, provided they have not remarried at the time of appointment. Widow certificate, husband’s death certificate and a non-remarriage affidavit are needed at verification.
• Sportspersons who represented at national or international level, inter-university level, or All India School Sangh competitions. Participation at any level below these three does not count.

GSRTC Helper Exam Pattern and Syllabus

The paper is worth 100 marks and runs for 2 hours.

Half the paper is your own trade

Look at row 4. Questions on your ITI trade subject carry 50 marks, half the paper.

Most candidates open a general knowledge book first. That block is worth 30 marks. Your trade theory is worth 50, and you already studied it during your ITI course. Revising your own trade syllabus is the fastest scoring you can do here.

Grammar carries only 10 marks across both languages, and everything is set at Standard 10 level. Computer basics carry another 10.

Negative marking is not mentioned anywhere in this notification. Do not assume it applies, and do not assume it does not. GSRTC has said detailed exam information will be published separately on gsrtc.in. Check there before the exam.

How to Apply Online for GSRTC Helper Bharti 2026

1. Open ojas.gujarat.gov.in and click “Apply Online”.
2. Click on the Helper cadre to see the post details, then click “Apply Now”.
3. Fill Personal Details. Every field marked with a red asterisk is compulsory.
4. Open Educational Qualification and enter your ITI details. Calculate your percentage from the total marks on your marksheet.
5. Open Additional Educational Qualification and enter your apprenticeship details if you have them. This is where your 10 marks come from.
6. Fill the Computer Knowledge section, then Self Declaration, then click “Yes” to accept the terms.
7. Click Save. Your Application Number is generated. Write it down.
8. Click Upload Photograph. Enter your Application Number and date of birth. Upload your photo at 5 cm height by 3.6 cm width and signature at 2.5 cm height by 7.5 cm width, both in jpg and both under 10 KB.
9. Click Confirm Application. Preview it, edit if needed, then confirm. Your Confirmation Number is generated. Confirming is compulsory, and an unconfirmed application does not exist.
10. Click “Online Payment of Fees”, enter your Confirmation Number and date of birth, and pay through the payment gateway.
11. Click “print application” and save the printout.

The rejection trap: uploading someone else’s photo or signature gets the form cancelled outright. So does a photo that is unclear, or a photo whose apparent gender does not match a name ending in bhai or ben. The 10 KB limit is tight, so prepare both files before you open the form.

Expert Tips Before You Apply

• Revise your ITI trade theory first. It is 50 of the 100 marks and you have already studied it. General knowledge is only 30.
• Get your certificate dates right before applying. The EWS certificate must be issued between 07/10/2023 and 06/10/2026, or the central Income and Asset Certificate between 01/04/2026 and 06/10/2026. The SEBC Non-Creamy Layer certificate must fall between 01/04/2024 and 06/10/2026 in the Gujarati Parishisht-4 format, or between 01/04/2026 and 06/10/2026 in the central Annexure-A format. A certificate outside these windows means cancellation.
• Married women applying under SEBC must use their parents’ income. A Non-Creamy Layer certificate based on your husband’s income gets the application cancelled. This single rule catches many candidates every year.
• Do not submit multiple applications. Only your last submitted form counts. Paying the fee on several forms generates several call letters, and at the exam only the one matching your ID proof is valid.
• Sort your computer certificate now. If you do not have one, a Standard 10 or 12 marksheet showing computer as a subject also works. You cannot obtain one after the last date.
• Serving government employees need an NOC. You must inform your department within 7 days of applying and produce the NOC at verification. The format is printed in the notification.
• Use the two extra days for fee, but not for the form. The application closes 6 October, the fee window closes 8 October. Submitting the form on the last day and paying on the 8th is legal, but any technical issue leaves you with no time to fix it.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming SC, ST, Divyang or ex-serviceman candidates pay no fee. Everyone pays here.
• Claiming apprenticeship marks when the apprenticeship trade differs from your ITI trade.
• Using a municipal birth certificate as date of birth proof instead of the SSC certificate.
• Entering a percentage that does not match your marksheet totals.
• Saving the form but never clicking Confirm Application.
• Changing your mobile number during the recruitment process.
• Applying under a reserved category but entering a caste different from your certificate. That cancels the form and you lose the general category route as well.

For other Gujarat openings this month, see our [INTERNAL LINK: Gujarat government jobs 2026] and [INTERNAL LINK: ITI pass government jobs] pages.

Important Links

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the last date to apply for GSRTC Helper Recruitment 2026?

The last date to submit your online application is 6 October 2026 at 23:59. The process fee window stays open until 8 October 2026 at 23:59. Applications open on 7 September 2026. Both deadlines are firm, and an unpaid application is filed away without consideration.

What is the GSRTC Helper salary 2026?

Selected candidates receive ₹21,100 fixed per month for five years on a contract basis. No additional allowances or benefits apply during this period except those specifically permitted by the rules. After five years of satisfactory service, you get a regular appointment on the prevailing Helper pay scale.

Which ITI trades are eligible for GSRTC Helper?

Fourteen trades qualify: Mechanic Motor Vehicle, Mechanic Diesel, General Mechanic, Fitter, Turner, Electrician, Sheet Metal Worker, Auto Mobiles Body Repairer, Welder, Welder cum Fabricator, Machinist, Carpenter, Painter General, and Auto Mobile Paint Repairer. The course must be government recognised and at least one year long.

Is apprenticeship compulsory for GSRTC Helper Recruitment 2026?

No, it is not compulsory. But it carries 10 of the 100 weightage marks, so candidates without it start ten marks behind. The apprenticeship must be in the same trade as your ITI qualification and you need the NCVT certificate with the marksheet at document verification.

What is the age limit for GSRTC Helper Recruitment 2026?

The range is 18 to 35 years, meaning a date of birth between 06/10/1991 and 06/10/2008. General women get 5 years relaxation, reserved men get 5 years, reserved women get 10 years, and Divyang candidates get 10 to 20 years depending on category and gender. No relaxation can take you past 45 years.

What is the exam pattern for GSRTC Helper 2026?

The paper carries 100 marks over 2 hours, in MCQ format by OMR or CBRT. General knowledge with Gujarat history, geography and current affairs is 30 marks, Gujarati grammar 5, English grammar 5, trade subject questions 50, and basic computer knowledge 10. All general subjects are at Standard 10 level.

Is there negative marking in the GSRTC Helper exam?

The official notification does not mention negative marking anywhere. GSRTC has stated that detailed exam information will be published separately on gsrtc.in. Check that page before your exam rather than assuming either way. The marking scheme can change how aggressively you should guess.

What is the application fee for GSRTC Helper Recruitment 2026?

Unreserved candidates pay ₹300 plus GST. Women of all categories, SEBC, SC, ST, EWS, Divyang and ex-serviceman candidates pay ₹200 plus GST. There is no full exemption for any group in this recruitment. The fee is non-refundable under all circumstances.

How many candidates will be called for document verification?

GSRTC calls candidates at a ratio of 1.5 per post, which works out to roughly 3,765 candidates for 2,510 posts. Every candidate holding the same marks as the last one inside that cut-off is also called. The provisional selection list and waiting list follow verification.

How long will the GSRTC Helper waiting list stay valid?

The waiting list is prepared category-wise at 20% of the advertised posts, which is about 502 names. It stays valid for two years from publication, or until the result of the next recruitment exam for this cadre is declared, whichever comes first.

Should You Apply?

GSRTC Helper Recruitment 2026 is one of the larger ITI-based openings in Gujarat this year, with 2,510 posts and a clear path to a regular pay scale after five years.

Your real advantage is not general knowledge preparation. It is the 50 marks on your own trade subject, plus 10 more if your apprenticeship matches that trade. Both are things you have already done.

Check your certificate dates today, then apply on OJAS well before 6 October 2026.

Source: Advertisement No. GSRTC/202627/47 published by the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation, Central Office, Ranip, Ahmedabad.