The Goa Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has issued a crucial directive to all government departments, mandating them to submit a comprehensive list of all vacant Group C positions before January 31. This move initiates a significant recruitment drive aimed at filling approximately 1,000 government jobs across various departments in 2026.
Major Recruitment Drive for 2026
A senior official confirmed that the large number of vacancies is primarily due to employees reaching retirement age. The commission is proactively gathering data to ensure a streamlined and efficient hiring process for the future. This follows a previous recruitment cycle where the SSC initiated hiring for around 1,200 Group C posts starting in December 2023.
"We have completed most of the recruitment from the previous cycle, and appointment letters have been given," the officer stated. He added that the remaining letters from that batch are expected to be dispatched by the end of December this year.
Fast-Track Hiring After Election Delays
The official acknowledged that the pace of recruitment slowed down in 2024 because of the general elections, as a substantial portion of the staff was deployed for poll duty. However, the process has been put back on a fast track since November of the previous year.
"Since last November, we have started recruitment on a fast track," the officer emphasized, signaling the commission's commitment to clearing the backlog and addressing future staffing needs promptly. More advertisements for these vacant posts are expected to be released soon.
Adhering to the 2023 Regulations
This directive is in strict adherence to the SSC (Examinations, Selection of Candidates to the Sub-ordinate Services/Posts and Procedure for Conduct of the Business of the Commission) Regulations, 2023. As per these rules, every appointing authority must inform the commission of the total number of clear vacancies in subordinate services and posts by January 31 each year.
The regulations specify that the reported vacancies must be current, clear vacancies and should not include anticipated ones. Furthermore, positions to be filled under compassionate appointment schemes and for the children of freedom fighters are to be deducted from the total, with only the remaining vacancies reported to the commission.
"The commission has decided that the heads of departments shall submit the details by Jan 31," the senior officer reiterated. The SSC has also clarified that vacancies already reported in earlier communications will be excluded from this new list for 2026.
A Consolidated and Merit-Based System
This centralized process marks a significant shift from the previous system. Before the establishment of the SSC, individual government departments conducted their own recruitment for Group-C posts. This forced job seekers to apply separately for every position advertised by different departments.
Now, the commission consolidates all vacant posts from various government departments into a single advertisement. This streamlined approach not only simplifies the application process for the youth but also ensures that selections are made purely on the basis of merit for the pooled vacancies.
