The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has released the KEA Nursing & Pharmacy Officer Eligibility Criteria 2026 for 233 Group-C posts under the ESI Scheme Medical Services Department and other concerned government institutions. Candidates must fulfill the prescribed educational qualification, age limit, professional registration, cadre-specific, and other eligibility conditions before applying.
KEA Nursing & Pharmacy Officer Eligibility Criteria 2026
The eligibility criteria differ slightly according to the post and cadre. The KEA Recruitment includes 188 vacancies under the Residual Parent Cadre (RPC) and 45 vacancies under the Kalyana-Karnataka (KK) Cadre.
| Particulars | Details |
| Recruiting Authority | Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), Bengaluru |
| Department/Institutions | ESI Scheme Medical Services Department & concerned Government institutions |
| Posts | Nursing Officer & Pharmacy Officer |
| Total Vacancies | 233 Posts |
| General/RPC Cadre Vacancies | 188 Posts |
| Kalyana-Karnataka Cadre Vacancies | 45 Posts |
| General/RPC Notification No. | ED/KEA/34/Recruitment/2026(RPC) |
| Kalyana-Karnataka Notification No. | ED/KEA/35/Recruitment/2026(KK) |
| Notification Date | 06 August 2026 |
| Recruitment Type | Direct Recruitment |
| Selection Method | Competitive Examination |
| Exam Mode | CBT/Offline OMR |
| Online Application Starts | 07 August 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | 30 August 2026 |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Job Type | Group-C Government Posts |
KEA Nursing & Pharmacy Officer Eligibility Criteria 2026: Educational Qualification
Candidates must possess the required educational qualification on or before the last date of application. The qualification varies according to the post and, in some cases, the institution under which the vacancy is available.
Educational Qualification – RPC Cadre
For the RPC cadre, Pharmacy Officer candidates require a Diploma in Pharmacy, while Nursing Officer candidates must possess the prescribed GNM qualification along with the relevant professional registration.
| Post | Educational Qualification | Registration |
| Pharmacy Officer – ESIS Medical Services Department | Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm) from an institution recognized by the Government of Karnataka | Karnataka Pharmacy Council |
| Nursing Officer – ESIS Medical Services Department | Diploma in General Nursing (GNM) issued by an authority authorized by the Government of Karnataka | Karnataka Nursing Council |
- Candidates awaiting their final examination results on the last date of application are not eligible. All required mark sheets, passing certificates, and educational documents must be obtained on or before the application deadline.
Educational Qualification – KK Cadre
The qualification for Pharmacy Officer and Nursing Officer posts under the ESIS Medical Services Department remains similar in the KK cadre. However, Nursing Officer posts under KREIS have additional qualification options.
| Post/Institution | Required Qualification |
| Pharmacy Officer – ESIS Medical Services Department | Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm) from an institution recognized by the Government of Karnataka |
| Nursing Officer – ESIS Medical Services Department | Diploma in General Nursing (GNM) issued by an authority authorized by the Government of Karnataka |
| Nursing Officer – KREIS | B.Sc. Nursing from a recognized university/institution recognized by INC or KSNC OR PUC/equivalent along with GNM from an institution recognized by INC/KSNC |
- For Pharmacy Officer posts, candidates must be registered with the Karnataka Pharmacy Council. Nursing Officer candidates under ESIS must have registration with the Karnataka Nursing Council.
- Candidates whose final results are awaited on the closing date of applications will not be considered eligible.
KEA Nursing & Pharmacy Officer Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit
The age limit is common for candidates applying under both RPC and KK cadres. The prescribed age is calculated as on the last date of application, including the applicable one-time five-year general age relaxation.
| Category | Maximum Age Limit |
| Minimum Age | 18 Years |
| General Merit (GM) | 40 Years |
| 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B | 43 Years |
| SC, ST, Category-1 | 45 Years |
Upper Age Relaxation
Additional age relaxation is available to candidates belonging to certain service and special categories. The applicable relaxation is given below.
| Category | Age Relaxation |
| Karnataka State Government/Corporation/Local Body Employees | Number of years in service or 10 years, whichever is less |
| Ex-Servicemen | Military service period + 3 years |
| Persons with Disabilities (PwD) | 10 years |
| Widows | 10 years |
| Released Bonded Labourers | 10 years |
| Full-time NCC Cadet Instructors | Number of years served as instructor |
| Census Department Employees in Karnataka | Number of years in service or 5 years, whichever is less |
| Village Group Inspectors under Rural Industrialization Scheme | Number of years in service |
KEA Nursing & Pharmacy Officer Eligibility Criteria 2026: Domicile Eligibility
Candidates should carefully check the cadre-specific conditions before applying. The RPC and KK cadres have different requirements regarding local eligibility.
RPC Cadre
- The Residual Parent Cadre is open to candidates who fulfill the prescribed eligibility conditions.
- There is no separate local eligibility certificate requirement for applying under the RPC cadre.
KK Cadre
- Candidates claiming reservation or local cadre benefits under the Kalyana-Karnataka quota must fulfill the requirements under Article 371(J).
- They must possess a valid Eligibility Certificate (Annexure-A / ನಮೂನೆ ‘ಎ’) issued by the Assistant Commissioner of the concerned Revenue Sub-Division.
Other Important Eligibility Requirements
Apart from educational qualifications and age limits, candidates must satisfy the general eligibility conditions prescribed by KEA. These conditions apply to candidates under both RPC and KK cadres.
| Eligibility Condition | Requirement |
| Citizenship | Candidate must be an Indian citizen |
| Health & Physical Fitness | Must be of sound mental and bodily health and free from physical defects likely to interfere with duties |
| Result Awaited | Candidates awaiting final examination results on the last date of application are not eligible |
| Debarment | Candidates debarred by UPSC, KPSC, KEA, or any University may be disqualified |
| Criminal Conviction | Candidates convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude are ineligible |
| Male Candidates | A male candidate having more than one living spouse is ineligible without prior government permission |
| Female Candidates | A female candidate who has married a person already having a living wife is ineligible without prior government permission |
Compulsory Kannada Language Test Eligibility
- The Compulsory Kannada Language Examination requirement depends on the candidate’s previous Kannada language qualification. Certain candidates are exempted from appearing in the examination.
- Candidates who have studied Kannada as a first or second language in SSLC or an equivalent/higher examination, studied in Kannada medium, or previously passed the departmental/KEA/KPSC Compulsory Kannada Examination are exempted.
- Candidates who are not exempted must appear for the 150-mark Compulsory Kannada Language Examination and secure a minimum of 50 marks to qualify for selection.
ONGC Medical Officer Eligibility Criteri...
JKSSB Junior Pharmacist Eligibility Crit...
JKSSB Staff Nurse Eligibility Criteria 2...
Adda247 Job portal has complete information about all Sarkari Jobs and Naukri Alerts, its latest recruitment notifications, from all state and national level jobs and their updates.
