RITES Apprentice Recruitment 2026: 281 Posts, Apply 5 to 25 November

RITES apprentice recruitment 2026 has opened 281 apprentice seats for the 2026-27 training year, with online applications running from 5 November 2026 to 25 November 2026. RITES Limited, a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, issued the notice as Advertisement No. Pers./26-10/Apprentice/2026-27/01, dated 4 November 2026, for a one-year programme for degree, diploma, and ITI pass-outs. The notice itself states the total as 281, and its category figures add up to the same total, which settles a conflicting headline elsewhere that put the figure at 286.

Read the two-step application rule first, because registering on a portal alone does not complete the application. Candidates must first register and apply on the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme portal, for degree and diploma holders, or the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme portal, for ITI pass-outs, then submit scanned documents through the separate RITES form by 25 November 2026. Documents submitted by email or hard copy will not be considered.

At a glance	Details
Organisation	RITES Limited, a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways
Programme	Apprenticeship Training Programme, FY 2026-27, one year, not extendable
Advertisement No.	Pers./26-10/Apprentice/2026-27/01, dated 4 November 2026
Total seats	281
Application window	5 November 2026 to 25 November 2026 on the NATS or NAPS portal, with documents through the RITES form by 25 November 2026
Stipend	Rs. 15,650 a month for Graduate Apprentices, Rs. 13,450 for Diploma Apprentices, Rs. 10,560 for Trade Apprentices
Selection	Merit list on percentage of marks in the essential qualification; no written test and no interview
Minimum marks	60% in aggregate for General and EWS, 50% for SC, ST, OBC (NCL), and PwBD against reserved positions
Age condition	Must have completed 18 years as on 5 November 2026
Posting	Across India; location preference is considered but final posting rests with RITES

RITES apprentice recruitment 2026: seats and stipend by category

Graduate Apprentice (Engineering) carries 125 seats for four-year full-time BE, B.Tech., or B.Arch. degrees, at Rs. 15,650 a month including a direct benefit transfer of Rs. 6,150. Graduate Apprentice (Non-Engineering) carries 43 seats for three-year BA, BBA, B.Com., B.Sc., or BCA degrees, at the same stipend. Diploma Apprentice carries 62 seats for three-year full-time engineering diplomas, at Rs. 13,450 a month including a direct benefit transfer of Rs. 5,450. Trade Apprentice carries 51 seats for full-time ITI pass-outs, at Rs. 10,560 a month. Those four figures add up to 281.

The category-wise split gives 32 Scheduled Caste seats, 12 Scheduled Tribe seats, 68 Other Backward Classes seats, 21 Economically Weaker Section seats, and 144 unreserved seats, with 4 Persons with Benchmark Disabilities seats on a horizontal basis. Within Graduate (Engineering), Civil carries 40 seats and Mechanical 36; Graduate (Non-Engineering) splits into Finance 21 and Human Resources 22; and ITI trades split into Mechanical 23 and Electrical 23. Persons with Benchmark Disabilities candidates must hold a certificate for a disability of not less than 40%.

Who can apply for the RITES apprentice seats

The essential qualification for each trade must come from a recognised university or institute, recognised by the University Grants Commission or the All India Council for Technical Education for degree and diploma qualifications, or by the National Council or State Council for Vocational Training for ITI qualifications. Shortlisting is by a merit list on the percentage of marks in the essential qualification, with no written test or interview. Where the qualification specifies marks in an honours subject, those marks are considered; otherwise the aggregate of all subjects is considered. If two applicants have the same marks, the older applicant is placed higher.

The minimum qualifying marks are 60% in aggregate for General and Economically Weaker Section candidates, and 50% for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes (non-creamy layer), and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities candidates against reserved positions. A candidate may apply for only one post, and if more than one application is submitted, only the latest valid completed application will be considered. A location preference may be indicated in the RITES form, although the final posting is decided on the requirements of RITES.

Who cannot apply for the RITES apprentice seats

The notice lists five exclusions, all counted as on 5 November 2026. Candidates awaiting the result of the essential qualification on that date cannot apply, nor can candidates who have not completed 18 years of age on that date, candidates who have already undergone or are pursuing apprenticeship training under the Apprentices Act, 1961, candidates with training or job experience of one year or more after attaining the essential qualification, or degree and diploma candidates whose final semester result date falls before 5 November 2021. For ITI candidates there is no restriction on the year of attainment.

How to apply for the RITES apprentice seats

The application has two parts, both due by 25 November 2026. First, degree and diploma candidates must register with a complete profile on the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme portal and apply with RITES Limited as the establishment name, while ITI candidates do the same on the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme portal. Applicants must check that all profile details appear correctly, and contact the NATS or NAPS office for any correction.

Second, after applying on the portal, candidates must fill the RITES application form and submit scanned documents by 25 November 2026 through apprentice.rites.com/ApprenticeForm. The documents are the essential qualification certificates, meaning mark sheets for all semesters or years and the final passing certificate, with a conversion formula where a CGPA system applies; date-of-birth proof; identity proof; and a caste or category certificate where applicable. Other Backward Classes (non-creamy layer) certificates must be in the central format and issued on or after 5 November 2025. All documents must be clubbed into a single PDF of at most 10 MB, submitted once only, through the RITES form only.

Selection, joining, and what this apprenticeship is not

After receipt of applications and verification of documents, RITES will prepare a merit list on the criteria in the notice. Shortlisted candidates will be informed by email from apprenticeship@rites.com to join within a stipulated time, and the list will also be uploaded on the RITES website. Original documents are verified at joining only. Unfilled vacancies will be considered from subsequent merit lists.

Applicants should be clear about what the programme does not offer. RITES states that it has no obligation to offer employment during or after the apprenticeship, the training lasts only one year and will not be extended, and mere selection in empanelment confers no right of engagement. Queries go only by email to apprenticeship@rites.com, with the registration number, full name, and contact details. For readers tracking other apprenticeship openings, NICL Graduate Apprentice recruitment for 200 seats closes on 18 November 2026, Indian Bank Apprentice recruitment for 1,500 seats closes on 25 November 2026, and the RRC Central Railway Act Apprentice recruitment for 2,861 seats is also open.

Sources: RITES Limited, Advertisement No. Pers./26-10/Apprentice/2026-27/01, "Engagement of Apprentices" for FY 2026-27, dated 4 November 2026, at https://rites.com/Upload/Career/Advertisment_for_Engagement_of_Apprentices_for_FY_2026_27_(2)_pdf-2026-Nov-04-16-7-17.pdf; Northeast Now, "Assam Career 2026: RITES Recruitment [286 posts]", published 4 November 2026, at https://m.nenow.in/article/assam-career/assam-career-2026-rites-recruitment-286-posts/546772/amp. The official notice states the total as 281, and its category figures sum to 281; the Northeast Now headline figure of 286 does not match its own category breakdown.