One Post, One Deadline: CMFRI Vizhinjam’s NICRA Young Professional Opening
The ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has opened applications for one Young Professional-I (YP-I) post at its Vizhinjam Regional Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, under the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project. The pay is Rs. 30,000 per month, and applications must reach the institute by email on or before 18 November 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be called for interview on 25 November 2026.
This is a single-vacancy call, so it will be competitive — but it is also a focused one. If you hold an M.F.Sc. or an M.Sc. in a fisheries-related branch and have any experience in marine ornamental fish rearing, this post is squarely in your lane. Here is everything the notification says, what it does not say, and how to apply without tripping over the one trap in this call: Vizhinjam is running two different recruitments with the same 18 November deadline.
The Post at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Institute | ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) |
| Place of work | Vizhinjam Regional Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala |
| Project | National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) |
| Post | Young Professional-I (YP-I) — 1 vacancy |
| Advertisement No. | F.No.21-3/2025/NICRA-R/Vzm. |
| Pay | Rs. 30,000 per month (fixed) |
| Nature of engagement | Purely contractual, maximum one year, extendable as per ICAR guidelines |
| Application mode | By email, as a single PDF file (see the sourcing note below for the email) |
| Last date to apply | 18 November 2026 |
| Interview | 25 November 2026 — shortlisted candidates only, intimated by email |
| Application fee | None mentioned in the notification |
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification listed on CMFRI career page | 27 October 2026 |
| Last date to send application by email | 18 November 2026 |
| Interview (shortlisted candidates only) | 25 November 2026 |
Two warnings on dates. First, the notification summary states no closing time for 18 November — do not assume you have until midnight, and do not leave the application to the last hours of the day. Second, the interview on 25 November is not a walk-in for everyone: only candidates shortlisted from the emailed applications will be intimated by email. Turning up at Vizhinjam without that email will not get you in.
Who Can Apply: Eligibility
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Essential qualification | M.F.Sc., or M.Sc. in fisheries-related branches |
| Desirable experience | One year of experience in marine ornamental fish rearing, evidenced by publications, or CSIR/ICAR-NET qualification |
| Age limit | 21 to 45 years on the date of the interview |
| Reservation / relaxation | Candidates claiming reservation or age relaxation must submit recent community/caste certificates |
The desirable-experience line is the real filter here. The essential bar is a fisheries-related master’s degree, but with a single vacancy, the candidate who can evidence a year in marine ornamental fish rearing — through publications or a NET qualification — starts ahead. If that is you, say so explicitly in your bio-data and back it with documents; do not bury it in a generic CV. If you do not have it, you are still eligible on the essential qualification, but go in knowing the competition will include people who do.
Do Not Confuse This With Vizhinjam’s Other 18 November Call
This is the trap in this recruitment round. CMFRI’s Vizhinjam centre is running two separate calls that share the same station and the same 18 November 2026 deadline — and they are not interchangeable. Sending the wrong application to the wrong call wastes both.
| This call: YP-I (NICRA) | The other call: Field Assistant | |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancies | 1 | 2 |
| Pay | Rs. 30,000/month | Rs. 20,000/month |
| Qualification | M.F.Sc. / M.Sc. in fisheries-related branches | B.F.Sc. or B.Sc. Zoology, with field-survey and marine fish taxonomy experience |
| Interview | 25 November 2026 (shortlisted only) | 25 November 2026 (shortlisted only) |
| Contract | Maximum one year, extendable per ICAR guidelines | Maximum one year, purely temporary |
Check the post name and advertisement number on your application before you send it. Our earlier report on the Field Assistant call covers that post in full: CMFRI Hiring 2 Field Assistants: Apply by Nov 18!
How to Apply: Step by Step
- Prepare your bio-data in the prescribed format given in the official notification, with the post name (Young Professional-I) and advertisement number (F.No.21-3/2025/NICRA-R/Vzm.) clearly stated.
- Collect your documents (checklist below) and scan the originals — from matriculation onwards.
- Combine everything into a single PDF file. The notification requires one consolidated PDF, not a bundle of separate attachments.
- Email the single PDF on or before 18 November 2026 to the address given in the official notification (see the sourcing note below — confirm it in the notice itself before sending).
- Watch your inbox. Shortlisted candidates will be intimated by email for the interview on 25 November 2026.
- Carry one valid ID proof to the interview, along with your originals for verification.
Documents Checklist
- Bio-data in the prescribed format
- Scanned copies of original supporting documents from matriculation onwards
- Caste or claim certificate issued by the Tahsildar, if claiming reservation or age relaxation
- Declarations in Annexure-I and Annexure-II, duly signed
- Approved CGPA/OGPA conversion table or formula, if your marks were issued as CGPA/OGPA
- One valid ID proof, to be produced at the interview
How Selection Works
Selection runs in three stages: screening of applications on qualifications and experience, shortlisting, and an interview for shortlisted candidates. There is no written test mentioned in the notification summary, and no application fee is mentioned either. Keep your application complete — an incomplete single PDF (missing Annexure declarations, missing certificates from matriculation onwards) is the easiest way to fall at the screening stage, before anyone judges your merit.
What This Job Is — and Is Not
Treat this for what it is: a one-year, project-linked contract at one of India’s best-known marine research centres, working on climate-resilient fisheries research at a coastal station with a strong ornamental-fish programme. That year, done well, puts CMFRI on your CV and real marine research experience behind you. Treat it as a permanent job and it disappoints — the notification is explicit that the engagement is purely contractual, with no claim to a regular post. Apply because the research and the institute move your career forward, not because it leads automatically to anything else.
Vizhinjam itself matters for this post. It is CMFRI’s regional centre on the Kerala coast at Thiruvananthapuram, with hatchery and mariculture work that fits the ornamental-fish experience this call asks for. If you are applying from elsewhere in India, factor in that the interview is at Vizhinjam and no travel allowance is mentioned — plan the trip only once the shortlisting email arrives.
Other Live CMFRI Openings Worth Checking
CMFRI’s November calendar is crowded, and several sister calls close within days of this one. If Vizhinjam does not fit you, these might:
- CMFRI Hiring 5 Climate YPs: Apply by Nov 6! — the Kochi NICRA call, one YP-II at Rs. 42,000/month and four YP-I posts at Rs. 30,000/month.
- Work on an Island: ₹30,000/Month CMFRI Job! — one YP-I at the Kavaratti Field Laboratory, Lakshadweep, closing 17 November 2026.
- CMFRI Veraval Hiring: 2 Seaweed Jobs, Apply by Nov 19 — a Project Associate-II and a Project Assistant on the Kappaphycus seaweed project in Gujarat.
If you are applying to more than one CMFRI call, keep each application separate, name the right post and station in each email, and never recycle one station’s form for another without checking that it matches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many vacancies are there? One — a single Young Professional-I post at Vizhinjam.
What is the last date? 18 November 2026, by email. No closing time is stated in the notification summary, so do not leave it to the last hours.
What qualification do I need? An M.F.Sc. or M.Sc. in fisheries-related branches. One year of marine ornamental fish rearing experience (evidenced by publications) or CSIR/ICAR-NET is desirable.
Is there an application fee? None is mentioned in the notification.
Is the interview a walk-in? No. Only shortlisted candidates, intimated by email, appear for the interview on 25 November 2026.
Where is the official notification? On the official CMFRI website (cmfri.org.in), in the Career section — listing “Interview for the Post of Young Professional-I (NICRA Project) – Vizhinjam Regional Centre”, closing 18 November 2026.
Fact-check note: Details in this post were verified on 31 October 2026 against the published summary (27 October 2026) of the official CMFRI notification for the Vizhinjam Young Professional-I post (Advt. No. F.No.21-3/2025/NICRA-R/Vzm., notification dated 16 October 2026), cross-checked against CMFRI’s official career page (cmfri.org.in/career, crawled 31 October 2026), which lists the same post — “Interview for the Post of Young Professional-I (NICRA Project) – Vizhinjam Regional Centre” — with issue date 27 October 2026 and closing date 18 November 2026. The deadline falls after today’s date, 31 October 2026, so the window is still open. One honest gap: the application email address was masked in the notification summary available to us, so this post deliberately prints no email address — readers must confirm it in the official notice on cmfri.org.in before sending their application. No closing time, application fee, interview venue beyond Vizhinjam, or travel allowance is stated in the sources, so none is claimed here. The images in this post are illustrations.