UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026 – 111 Vacancies

Uttar Pradesh Shiksha Sewa Chayan Ayog (UPESSC), Prayagraj has released Advertisement No. 02/2026 inviting online applications for 111 Principal posts in government-aided degree colleges of Uttar Pradesh – 89 posts in Co-education Colleges and 22 posts in Women’s Colleges. Online registration begins on 21 July 2026, and the written examination is scheduled for 24 September 2026.

UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026: Notification PDF

The full notification, including the college-wise vacancy table (Sarani-01), syllabus (Annexure-1), API proforma (Annexure-2), disability certificate format (Annexure-3), college preference form (Annexure-4), declaration format for women candidates (Annexure-5), and affidavit format (Annexure-6), is available for download on the official Commission website.

• Official Website: Click Here
• Notification PDF: Download Here
• Online Application: Apply Here

UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026: Overview

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UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026: Important Dates

UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026: Vacancy Details

The Commission has invited applications against 111 Principal posts in aided degree colleges, based on the requisition furnished by the Director of Higher Education, Uttar Pradesh, Prayagraj.

College-wise vacancy details (Sarani-01) are provided in the notification, listing individual colleges, their location, college type (UG/PG College), category (Co-ed/Women), and number of Principal vacancies at each institution. Candidates should refer to the full Sarani-01 table on pages 9–13 of the official notification for the complete college-wise list.

UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026: Age Limit

The maximum age limit for the post of Principal, as on 01 July 2026, is 62 years. The notification does not specify any age relaxation for reserved categories for this recruitment, as the reservation for these 111 posts has been indicated as Nil by the requisitioning authority.

UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026: Educational Qualification & Eligibility

Candidates applying for the post of Principal must fulfil the following essential eligibility conditions:

• A Ph.D. degree.
• A minimum of fifteen years’ teaching/research service or experience as a Professor or Associate Professor in universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education.
• At least 10 research publications in peer-reviewed or UGC-listed journals.
• A minimum of 110 Research Score, computed as per the Academic Performance Indicator (API) format given in Annexure-2 of the notification.

For Principal posts in Law colleges, eligibility will be considered with reference to Bar Council of India norms. For Principal posts in Teacher Training (B.Ed.) colleges, eligibility will be considered as per NCTE norms.

Tenure of Appointment

• A Principal is appointed for a tenure of five years, which may be extended for a second five-year term based on a performance evaluation conducted by a committee constituted by the concerned university as per applicable regulations.
• On completion of tenure as Principal, the incumbent reverts to their substantive post at the rank of Professor, with the designation of Professor, at their original institution.

Candidates who have completed their Ph.D. and have teaching or research experience can also explore more Ph.D. Government Jobs and Professor Jobs available across India.

UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026: Exam Pattern & Selection Process

Selection to the post of Principal will be made through a Written Examination carrying 360 marks (120 objective-type multiple-choice questions), followed by an Interview carrying 40 marks. Only candidates securing a minimum Research Score of 110 will be considered eligible for the post of Principal.

Candidates are awarded 3 marks for each correct answer, and 1 mark is deducted for each incorrect or multiple answer (negative marking). The difficulty level of questions is distributed as 50% average, 30% difficult, and 20% most difficult. Cut-off marks and candidates’ scores will be displayed on the Commission’s website after the selection process is complete.

Shortlisted candidates (based on written exam marks) will be called for interview and must indicate their college-wise preference/priority order (Adhikarita) at the time of interview, as per the format in Annexure-4. The preference order given by a candidate is binding on them. No travelling allowance or daily allowance is payable for appearing in the written exam or interview.

UPESSC Principal  Recruitment 2026: Pay Scale

The post of Principal carries the pay scale of Level-14: Rs. 1,44,200 – Rs. 2,18,200.

UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026: Application Fee

The application fee can be paid online through Credit/Debit Card or Net Banking. Fee payment confirmation is received from the bank after payment; the fee is treated as accepted only after bank confirmation. Fees once paid are non-refundable and cannot be adjusted against any other application, even in case of an erroneous submission.

UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026: Reservation Policy

As per the requisition of 111 Principal posts furnished by the Director of Higher  Education, Uttar Pradesh, Prayagraj, the information on vertical (category-wise) and horizontal (Divyangjan and other) reservation for all categories against this requisition has been indicated as Nil (शून्य).

For Divyangjan candidates, the sub-categories identified as suitable against the requisitioned Principal posts are: OA, OL, B, BA, LV, D, HH, LC, DW, and AAV, as marked in the notification.

Documents Required at the Time of Interview

Shortlisted candidates must submit two separate self-attested sets of the following documents at the time of interview, along with the original documents for verification:

• Self-attested copies of the online application form
• College preference/priority order (Annexure-4)
• Declaration for women candidates unwilling to work in Postgraduate/Graduate Women’s colleges (Annexure-5), where applicable
• High School and Intermediate mark-sheets and certificates
• Graduation (1st, 2nd, and 3rd year) mark-sheets and certificate
• B.Ed. mark-sheets and certificate (if applicable)
• LLB mark-sheets and certificate (if applicable)
• Postgraduate (1st and 2nd year) mark-sheets and certificate
• M.A./M.Ed. mark-sheets and certificate, as applicable
• LLM (1st year, 2nd year, and final) mark-sheets and certificate, if applicable
• Ph.D./D.Phil and M.Phil degree certificates
• D.Litt/D.Sc/LL.D degree certificate, if applicable
• Experience certificate confirming a minimum of fifteen years’ teaching/research/administrative experience as Associate Professor (Reader)/Professor
• No Objection Certificate (only for in-service candidates)
• Disability certificate (only for candidates of the relevant category from Uttar Pradesh), as per Annexure-3
• Affidavit (Annexure-6), in two copies
• Character certificate from the last educational institution attended
• Character certificates from two respectable/eminent persons
• Affidavit regarding pendency or non-pendency of any case in a competent court, and details of punishment (if any) in case a case has been filed

How to Apply for UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026

1. Visit the official website: www.upessc.up.gov.in
2. Complete One Time Registration (OTR) – this is mandatory before an application can be submitted.
3. Refer to the Hindi/English User Manual and Tutorial Videos available on the website before applying, if required.
4. Log in and complete the OTR-based online application form for the Principal post. The application form must be filled mandatorily in English (the API proforma may be filled using Roman script).
5. Upload a scanned signature (white background, JPG/JPEG format, 10 KB–200 KB, 140×110 pixel resolution) and a passport-size photo (JPG/JPEG format, 30 KB–300 KB, 300–600 pixel resolution).
6. Upload all required certificates/documents in PDF format, each between 50 KB and 500 KB.
7. Pay the applicable application fee of Rs. 3,000/- through Credit Card, Debit Card, or Net Banking.
8. Once the application is “Final Submitted,” no changes can be made to category, sub-category, date of birth, or gender.
9. Download and print the submitted application and retain at least three copies for future reference; two of these copies must be submitted at the time of interview along with the required documents.

Also Read: IBPS PO Recruitment 2026 Last Date Extended – Apply Online for 6715 Probationary Officers/Management Trainees Posts

Other Important Eligibility Conditions

• A candidate may submit only one online application against all vacant posts covered under this advertisement.
• The Commission does not provide separate counselling to candidates regarding their eligibility; candidates must study the advertisement carefully and apply only if satisfied that they meet all eligibility conditions.
• Applications will not be accepted if the date of birth is not mentioned, or if the candidate is above 62 years of age as on 01 July 2026.
• Only the date of birth recorded in the High School or equivalent examination certificate will be considered valid; no other document will be accepted as proof of date of birth.
• Candidates found to have submitted a declaration that is later found to be false may be debarred from this and future examinations/selections conducted by the Commission, along with other punitive action.
• In case of an erroneous application, the fee already deposited will not be refunded under any circumstances and cannot be adjusted against any other application.
• If a candidate submits more than one application for the post, only the last (final) submitted application will be accepted; all other applications will be treated as cancelled.
• Scribe facility is available to Divyangjan candidates as per  government orders dated 04 December 2019 and 08 September 2022, along with 20 minutes of extra time per hour. Candidates availing a scribe must register the scribe’s complete details with the Commission office at least one week before the written examination. No travelling allowance is payable to the scribe.
• Use of any pen other than a black ball point pen, correction fluid/whitener, eraser, or blade on the OMR sheet is prohibited and will lead to rejection of the OMR sheet.
• No candidate will be entitled to any daily allowance or travelling allowance for appearing in the written examination or interview.
• Male candidates must not indicate any preference for Postgraduate (Women) or Graduate (Women) colleges in the college preference form; any resulting error will be the candidate’s own responsibility.
• Candidates in Law colleges may indicate preference only for Law college posts; candidates for Teacher Training (B.Ed.) college posts may indicate preference only for B.Ed. college posts.
• Male candidates given a college allotment outside their stated preference (in violation of the above conditions) must accept the college allotted by the Director of Higher  Education, Uttar Pradesh, Prayagraj.

UPESSC Principal Recruitment 2026 – Important Links

• Apply Online: Click here
• Official Notification PDF: Click here
• Official Website: Click here  
• Join Telegram Channel: Click Here
• Join WhatsApp Channel: Click Here
• Sarkari Result: Click Here

Candidates looking for more opportunities in higher education can also explore the latest Uttar Pradesh Government Jobs across various departments. Applicants searching for openings closer to Prayagraj can check Prayagraj Government Jobs for upcoming vacancies. Those holding a postgraduate degree with UGC-NET/API eligibility can also browse more Assistant Professor Jobs and Associate Professor Jobs matching their qualification.