IREL Apprentice Recruitment 2026 — 39 Posts, Apply Offline by 31 Aug (Tamil Nadu)

IREL (India) Limited (IREL) Recruitment 2026 is out — the Manavalakurichi Unit in Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, a Miniratna Category-I Central PSU under the Department of Atomic Energy, has released Advertisement No. IREL(India) Limited/MK/Apprentices Engagement/2026/01 announcing 39 government apprenticeship vacancies for Graduate, Technician and Trade Apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961. IREL is one of India's key strategic minerals PSUs, and this apprenticeship drive spans engineering graduates, diploma holders and ITI-qualified candidates across 16 discipline codes, from Electrical and Civil Engineering to Fitter, Welder and Computer Operator trades. Who is eligible for IREL Apprentice 2026? Candidates aged 18 to 25 years with a BE, Diploma or ITI certificate in the relevant designated trade. Selected apprentices will train at IREL's Manavalakurichi unit for a duration of one year in most trades, extending to two years for Carpenter and Plumber/Fitter trades, gaining hands-on experience in a highly protected strategic-minerals production environment. The selection process for IREL Apprentice 2026 is merit-based — a shortlist is prepared purely from marks scored in the specified qualifying examination, with no written test or interview. Ties are broken first by higher marks, then by seniority of date of birth. Selection carries a defined local-preference order: Land Affected Category candidates first (regardless of marks), followed by wards of IREL employees, then residents of specific villages within a 10 km radius of the plant, then other Kanyakumari District residents, then Tamil Nadu State candidates, and finally all others. The stipend for IREL Apprentice 2026 is paid as per the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992, with reservation for SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PWD applied as per the prescribed percentage for Tamil Nadu State. The IREL Manavalakurichi Apprentice 2026 application process is offline: candidates must first register on the Apprenticeship India portal (for Trade Apprentices, under Establishment Registration No. E05203301006) or the NATS portal (for Graduate/Technician Apprentices, under Establishment Registration No. STNKKC000004), then submit a typed hard-copy application in the prescribed Annexure A format. The completed application, with self-attested documents, must reach IREL Manavalakurichi on or before 31 August 2026. There is no application fee. Candidates must read the complete official IREL(India) Limited/MK/Apprentices Engagement/2026/01 notification PDF at irel.co.in before applying, and note that a Police Verification Certificate is mandatory for entry since IREL is a highly protected area.

Graduate Apprentice: BE in Electrical & Electronics, Civil, or Mechanical Engineering. Technician Apprentice: Diploma in Mechanical, Electrical, or Civil Engineering. Trade Apprentice: ITI certificate (NCVT/SCVT) in Fitter, Electrician, Mechanic (Motor Vehicle), Welder, Instrument Mechanic, Refrigeration & AC Mechanic, Turner, Plumber, Carpenter, or PASAA (Computer Operator and Programming Assistant) trade, as applicable. Candidates with qualifications acquired through Distance Learning, Part-Time or Correspondence mode will not be considered. Candidates holding higher/professional qualifications (ME/M.Tech, MCA, MBA, CA/ICWA, PhD, LLB) are not eligible to apply.

• 18 to 25 years as on the last date of application (31 August 2026)
• SC/ST — relaxation of 5 years (maximum age 30 years)
• OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) — relaxation of 3 years (maximum age 28 years)
• PwBD — additional relaxation of 10 years over the applicable category relaxation

• Graduate Apprentice: BE in Electrical & Electronics, Civil, or Mechanical Engineering
• Technician Apprentice: Diploma in Mechanical, Electrical, or Civil Engineering
• Trade Apprentice: ITI certificate (NCVT/SCVT) in the applicable trade — Fitter, Electrician, MMV, Welder, Instrument Mechanic, Refrigeration & AC Mechanic, Turner, Plumber, Carpenter, or PASAA
• Age 18 to 25 years as on 31 August 2026, with SC/ST/OBC/PwBD relaxation as per Government norms
• Candidates must not have previously undergone or currently be undergoing apprenticeship under the Apprentices Act, 1961 with any organisation
• Candidates may apply for only one trade
• Distance Learning, Part-Time or Correspondence qualifications are not accepted
• Police Verification Certificate mandatory before entry (highly protected area)

No application fee mentioned in the official notification

• Stipend as prescribed under the Apprentices Act, 1961 and Apprenticeship Rules, 1992, as notified by the Government of India from time to time
• Training duration: 1 year for most trades; 2 years for Carpenter and Plumber/Fitter trades

1. Register on the Apprenticeship India portal (apprenticeshipindia.org) if applying for a Trade Apprentice post, under Establishment Registration No. E05203301006
2. Register on the NATS portal (nats.education.gov.in) if applying for a Graduate or Technician Apprentice post, under Establishment Registration No. STNKKC000004
3. Visit irel.co.in and download the complete notification PDF (Advt No. IREL(India) Limited/MK/Apprentices Engagement/2026/01)
4. Fill the application in the prescribed Annexure A format, preferably typewritten on A4 size paper
5. Attach self-attested photocopies of 10th certificate, mark sheets, caste/PwD certificate (if applicable), Aadhaar card, passport-size photographs and Police Verification Certificate
6. Superscribe the envelope: "APPLICATION FOR ENGAGEMENT OF APPRENTICE AGAINST NOTIFICATION NO. IREL(India) Limited/MK/Apprentices Engagement/2026/01"
7. Do not apply for more than one trade
8. Send the completed application to: The Chief Manager – HRM (Legal & ER), IREL (India) Limited, Manavalakurichi, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu – 629252
9. Ensure the application reaches IREL on or before 31 August 2026
10. Retain a photocopy of the submitted application and postal receipt for future reference