Punjab Court Clerk Recruitment 2026: 1,270 Posts, Applications Close 4 November

On 4 November 2026, the last day to apply arrives for one of the largest court recruitments of the year in India, as the Punjab Court Clerk Recruitment 2026 closes at 4:00 PM for 1,270 Clerk posts in the District Courts of Punjab. The Punjab Court Clerk Recruitment 2026, run by the Society for Centralised Recruitment of Staff in Subordinate Courts (SSSC) under the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh, opened on 7 October 2026 under Employment Notice No. 37C/SSSC/PB/2026. Only candidates who hold a degree, passed Matriculation with Punjabi as a subject, and can work with computers should apply, and the application, including payment, must be complete before the 4:00 PM cut-off, since no other mode of application is accepted.

Recruiting body	Society for Centralised Recruitment of Staff in Subordinate Courts (SSSC), under the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh
Post	Clerk, District Courts of Punjab
Total posts	1,270 (1,243 existing vacancies as on 31 August 2026 plus 27 anticipated vacancies up to 28 February 2027)
Advertisement	Employment Notice No. 37C/SSSC/PB/2026, released 3 October 2026
Application window	7 October 2026, 4:00 PM, to 4 November 2026, 4:00 PM
Qualification	BA, BSc or equivalent degree; Matriculation with Punjabi as a subject; proficiency in computer operations
Qualification cut-off date	4 November 2026
Age limit	18 to 37 years as on 1 January 2026, with relaxations for reserved categories
Notified pay	Rs. 29,200 (Level 5) for fresh recruitment
Application fee	Rs. 1,200 for all other categories; Rs. 710 for SC, BC, OBC, ex-servicemen and EWS candidates of Punjab; Rs. 875 for PwBD candidates of Punjab
Selection	Computer Based Test (100 marks), then a qualifying Computer Proficiency Test
How to apply	Online only, through sssc.gov.in
Exam date	Not announced

Punjab Court Clerk Recruitment 2026: who can apply

The eligibility rules have a condition that will catch out some graduates. A degree alone is not enough. The notice requires a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or equivalent degree from a recognised university, plus Matriculation passed with Punjabi as one of the subjects, plus proficiency in operating computers, and all of it must be held by 4 November 2026, the closing date. Candidates who studied Punjabi only informally, or who dropped it before Matriculation, do not meet the language rule, and the fee is non-refundable, so checking this point before paying matters more than usual.

The age limit is 18 to 37 years as on 1 January 2026. SC and BC or OBC candidates of Punjab receive five years of relaxation, PwBD candidates of Punjab ten years, and ex-servicemen of Punjab military service plus three years. Eligible in-service employees can apply up to 45 years. Candidates outside Punjab should note that relaxations apply only under Punjab domicile and certificate conditions, and reserved-category candidates from other states may be treated as Unreserved. Read that clause in the official notice before choosing a category.

The vacancy split shows where the posts sit: Unreserved or General 282, EWS of Punjab 143, SC (Balmikis and Mazhbi Sikhs) 170, SC (Others) 147, and BC or OBC of Punjab 139, with ex-servicemen categories together accounting for 248 posts and sportsman and PwBD categories making up the rest. Women-reserved vacancies are set within various categories. The notice says posts may rise or fall without prior notice, so 1,270 is the notified total, not a guarantee for any single category.

Exam pattern, fee and the qualifying computer test

Selection runs through a Computer Based Test of 100 marks over two hours, followed by a Computer Proficiency Test that is qualifying only. The written test carries 50 objective questions on General Knowledge for 50 marks, 20 objective questions on English Composition for 20 marks, and a subjective English Composition section for 30 marks covering a 150-word essay (10 marks), letter writing (5 marks), precis writing (5 marks) and translation from Punjabi to English (10 marks). One-fourth of a mark is deducted for each wrong objective answer, while unattempted questions carry no penalty, and normalisation may apply if the test runs in multiple shifts.

The qualifying marks are strict in a specific way: 33 per cent in each subject and 40 per cent overall, and the subjective English section is marked only for candidates who score at least 33 per cent in General Knowledge. General Knowledge is therefore the gate to the rest of the paper, and preparation that ignores it to focus on English writing risks leaving the subjective marks unmarked.

Candidates who clear the written test face the Computer Proficiency Test: a spreadsheet test of 10 marks in 10 minutes, needing at least 4 marks to pass, and an English typing test at a minimum speed of 30 words per minute, with mistakes counted as prescribed. Only candidates who pass the spreadsheet part have their typing checked. The proficiency marks do not add to final merit, which rests on the written test. Eligible candidates with benchmark disabilities who cannot type at the prescribed speed may seek exemption under the advertisement's conditions, with the required certificates.

How to apply before 4:00 PM on 4 November 2026, and what to do next

Apply only through the SSSC portal at sssc.gov.in, and finish both the form and the payment before 4:00 PM on 4 November 2026. The fee, including facilitation charges and the examination fee, is Rs. 1,200 for all other categories, Rs. 710 for SC, BC, OBC, ex-servicemen and EWS candidates of Punjab, and Rs. 875 for PwBD candidates of Punjab, paid online through the portal. Because the fee cannot be refunded, candidates should confirm their category, their Punjabi-at-Matriculation qualification and their age on 1 January 2026 before paying, and keep the payment receipt with the submitted form.

After submission, the work shifts to the test. The examination date, admit card release and venues have not been announced, and the notice says the test may be held anywhere in Northern India, with details published on the official website. Admit cards will be available online only, not by post, so candidates should watch sssc.gov.in and their registered email. Carry the admit card and identification documents to the centre.

The same care about the closing hour applies elsewhere. Growentix covered the Supreme Court Junior Court Attendant recruitment, open from 4 November 2026 to 25 November 2026, and the UPESSC assistant teacher recruitment for 12,405 posts also closed on 4 November 2026. Court and school recruitments commonly close in the afternoon rather than at midnight, and a form left at the payment step after the cut-off does not count. For the Punjab clerk posts, that cut-off is 4:00 PM on 4 November 2026, and the official notice is the final word on eligibility.

Sources: Society for Centralised Recruitment of Staff in Subordinate Courts, Employment Notice No. 37C/SSSC/PB/2026, released 3 October 2026, as summarised by The Jobs Me and Today Government Jobs; official portal sssc.gov.in.