Indian Coast Guard Recruitment 2026 – Apply Offline for Engine Driver, MTS and More Posts

Indian Coast Guard Regional Headquarters (East), Chennai, under the Government of India, Ministry of Defence, invites applications by Ordinary Post for five Group ‘C’ posts: Store Keeper Grade-II, Engine Driver, Lascar, Civilian Motor Transport Driver (Ordinary Grade) and MTS (MT Cleaner). Applications go to The Commander, Coast Guard Region (East), Near Napier Bridge, Fort St George (PO), Chennai – 600 009, and the last date of receipt of applications is 21 December 2026.

ICG Recruitment 2026 at a Glance

The official notification does not specify the number of vacancies or the application fee.

About the Recruiting Office

The notice is issued from Indian Coast Guard Regional Headquarters (East), near Napier Bridge, Chennai – 600009, under the Government of India, Ministry of Defence. It carries the telephone number 044-29550149. The posts are filled by Direct Recruitment, and the notice gives 7 November 2026 as the date of the advertisement in the Employment News.

Where and How to Send

The duly filled application with all the requisite documents must be sent by Ordinary Post only to the address below.

• Address: The Commander, Coast Guard Region (East), Near Napier Bridge, Fort St George (PO), Chennai – 600 009
• Postal mode: Ordinary Post only
• Form: the prescribed format at Annexure-I, filled in either English or Hindi, with a self-attested colour photograph affixed and a left-hand thumb impression and signature as the form asks
• Envelope: it must be superscribed in BOLD letters “APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF” followed by the post (Store Keeper Grade-II, Engine Driver, Lascar, CMTD(OG) or MTS(MT Cleaner)) and the category applied for (UR/EWS/OBC (Non Creamy Layer)/SC/ST). The notice gives a sample envelope at Annexure-V, and applications without these notations are summarily rejected.
• Government employees: candidates working in Govt. departments must forward their application through proper channel only, before the due date of receipt and along with an NOC issued by the concerned authority.

The notice mentions two time limits: the last date of receipt of applications, 21 December 2026, and “within 45 days from the date of publication of the advertisement in the Employment News”. The article follows the printed last date of 21 December 2026.

Posts, Eligibility and Pay

Age is counted as on the last date of receipt of applications, 21 December 2026. The category-wise vacancy tables are part of the notice, so check the official notification for the break-up of vacancies by category.

Store Keeper Grade-II

• Educational qualification: 12th Pass from recognised Board or University.
• Essential experience: one year’s experience in handling stores from any recognised firm or Central or State Govt. organisation or Public Sector undertaking.
• Age: 18 to 25 years (30 yrs for SC Category and 40 yrs for PwBD of SC category).
• Relaxable for Central Government Servants of SC category up to 45 years of age who have rendered at least 03 years continuous service under Government.

Engine Driver

• Educational qualification: Matriculation pass from a recognised Board or equivalent.
• Certificate of competency as Engine Driver from a recognised Government Institute or equivalent.
• Desirable: two years service as Sarang on a vessel of over four hundred Boat Horse Power.
• Age: 18 to 30 years, relaxable by 05 years for SC candidates.
• Relaxable for Central Government Servants of SC category up to 45 years of age who have rendered at least 03 years continuous service under the Government.

Lascar

• Educational qualification: Matriculation pass or its equivalent from recognised boards.
• Essential experience: three years experience in service on Boat.
• Age: 18 to 30 years for EWS Category.
• Relaxable for Central Government Servants of EWS category up to 40 years of age who have rendered at least 03 years continuous service under the Government.

Civilian Motor Transport Driver (Ordinary Grade)

• Educational qualification: 10th pass from recognised Board, and a valid Driving License for both Heavy and Light Motor Vehicles.
• Essential experience: 02 years experience of driving.
• Knowledge of motor mechanism (should be able to remove minor defects in vehicles).
• Age: 18 to 27 years for UR Category.
• Relaxable for Central Government Servants of UR category up to 40 years of age and who have rendered at least 03 years continuous service under the Government.

MTS (MT Cleaner)

• Educational qualification: Matriculation pass from a recognized Board or equivalent.
• Essential experience: two years experience in mechanical workshop.
• Age: 18 to 27 years (32 years for SC Category and 42 years for PWBD of SC candidates).
• Relaxable for Central Government Servants of SC category up to 45 years of age who have rendered at least 03 years continuous service under the Government.

For the discipline-specific eligibility of each post, refer to the official notification.

Enclosures

Attach Xerox copies of the documents below, each self-attested with name and date. No original certificates are to be forwarded along with the application form.

• Valid Photo ID proof (Aadhar/ PAN/ Voter ID/ Passport).
• Matriculation or equivalent mark sheet and certificate.
• 12th/UG/PG/Diploma mark sheet and certificate as per the essential eligibility.
• Latest Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC) for reserved category candidates.
• Experience certificate from the Govt. recognised firm with GST number.
• NOC from the employer, for those presently serving in any Govt. organisation.
• Two latest passport size colour photographs without sunglasses/ cap.

The date of issue of all these documents must be on or before the closing date of application, 21 December 2026. Candidates in reserved categories must produce the category certificate in the prescribed format for appointment to a post under the Government of India; the formats are given at Annexures-II, III and IV (OBC, SC/ST and EWS income and asset certificate).

Selection Process

Selection runs through scrutiny of applications, document verification, a written examination, a trade test where applicable, and a merit list.

Scrutiny and document verification

All applications are scrutinised against the eligibility criteria and required documents. Admit cards or call letters are then issued to shortlisted candidates for document verification and the written examination. Shortlisted candidates bring their original documents, including the original admit card or call letter, and two sets of self-attested Xerox copies, as directed in the admit card.

Biometric verification

Thumb impression and photograph are captured and verified at document verification or before entering the examination hall. Candidates whose biometric does not match at any stage are not allowed for the written examination, and refusal to take part may lead to cancellation of candidature. ICG reserves the right to capture or verify biometric data at other stages, and the Headquarters reserves the right to exempt biometric verification at any stage.

Written examination

The written examination is pen-paper based and lasts one hour. The bilingual question paper has 80 objective type questions with one mark for each correct answer, and there is no negative marking. The syllabus follows the educational qualification and the relevant trade.

Qualifying marks, trade test and merit list

The qualifying mark in the written exam is 50%, and 45% for SC and ST candidates. No relaxation in qualifying marks is admissible to OBC and EWS candidates. Candidates who qualify the written test are shortlisted for the trade test (where applicable). The merit list is prepared strictly on merit position as per marks obtained in the written examination and is published on the Indian Coast Guard website with necessary instructions.

Important Dates

Important Instructions

• Check eligibility before applying. Wrong or false information leads to disqualification, and ICG is not responsible for the consequences.
• Candidature is liable to be rejected at any stage, or after recruitment or joining, if information is found false or not in conformity with the eligibility criteria.
• Applications are summarily rejected if incomplete, over aged on the last day of receipt, overwritten or corrected, without photographs affixed or self-attested, without self-attested photocopies of documents, or not superscribed on the envelope.
• SC/ST candidates are entitled to 2nd class rail / bus fare by shortest route as per Govt. rules, reimbursed at the written examination venue on submission of tickets. This is not admissible to SC/ST candidates already in Central/State Govt. service.
• Appearing or qualifying in the written examination does not give a right to claim appointment unless the candidate meets the eligibility criteria.
• Candidates selected for a Group ‘C’ post are liable for posting initially at any unit / establishment under Coast Guard Region (East), with All India transfer liability.
• Updates on this recruitment will appear on the ICG website, indiancoastguard.gov.in.

ICG Recruitment 2026 Important Links