The Calicut Regional Station of ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) is hiring one Young Professional-I (YP-I) for its national-priority project on black seabream farming — and the window is short. The post pays ₹30,000 a month, the work is hands-on marine aquaculture research on the Kerala coast, and applications close on Thursday, 19 November 2026. If you are a fisheries, mariculture, zoology or marine biology graduate looking for a foot in the door at India’s premier marine fisheries institute, this is one of the cleanest openings of the month: one post, one email application, and an interview less than a week after the deadline.
Read this first, because the dates matter more than anything else in this post: email your biodata and documents to cmfricalicut@gmail.com on or before 19 November 2026. Applications received after that date will be summarily rejected — the notification says so in plain words. The walk-in interview is on Wednesday, 25 November 2026 at 10:00 AM at the Calicut Regional Station, and only shortlisted candidates who receive an official email will be allowed to appear.
The vacancy at a glance
| Detail | What the notification says |
|---|---|
| Institute | Calicut Regional Station, ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI), West Hill P.O., Calicut – 673 005, Kerala |
| Post | Young Professional-I (YP-I) — 1 vacancy |
| Advertisement | F.No. 11-2/26-27/Koz, dated 7 October 2026 |
| Project | Central Corpus Fund ICAR–National Priority Project: “Optimization of Farming Practices of Black Seabream, Acanthopagrus berda, for Sustainable Production” |
| Pay | ₹30,000 per month (consolidated, as per revised ICAR guidelines) |
| Duration | Purely temporary — 1 year, extendable by up to 2 more years till project completion, as per ICAR guidelines |
| Age limit | Minimum 21 years; maximum 45 years, relaxed as per rules |
| Place of posting | Calicut Regional Station of ICAR-CMFRI, West Hill P.O., Calicut, Kerala |
| Last date to apply | Thursday, 19 November 2026 (by email) |
| Interview | Wednesday, 25 November 2026, 10:00 AM — report by 9:00 AM |
| Application fee | None mentioned in the notification |
What the job actually involves
The selected candidate will work on a Central Corpus Fund National Priority Project that aims to optimise the farming practices of black seabream (Acanthopagrus berda) for sustainable production. Black seabream is a valued marine food fish found along India’s coasts, and farming it reliably — getting the rearing, feeding and grow-out practices right — is exactly the kind of applied problem CMFRI’s regional stations exist to solve.
This is not a desk-only posting. The notification is explicit about the nature of the work: the selected candidate will be stationed at Barrackpore or at project sites as required from time to time, and the role involves extensive field work with frequent travel, laboratory work, and survey of different sites for sample collection. That is why the desirable qualifications include experience in aquaculture practices and — unusually, but tellingly — skill in swimming. If you enjoy fieldwork on the coast and in hatchery and laboratory settings, the job description should excite you; if you were expecting a purely office-based role, it is better to know now.
CMFRI itself needs little introduction for fisheries graduates: it is the Indian Council of Agricultural Research institute for marine fisheries research, serving the nation since 1947, with its headquarters in Kochi and regional stations along the coast — including this one at Calicut. A year (or up to three, if extended) on a National Priority Project at a CMFRI station is the kind of experience that strengthens any later application for JRF, SRF, PhD or a regular ICAR post.
Who can apply
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Essential qualification | Graduate degree in Fisheries Science, Mariculture, Zoology or Marine Biology |
| Desirable | Experience in aquaculture practices; computer software skills; skill in swimming (certificate, if any, to be produced) |
| Age | 21 to 45 years, relaxed as per rules as on the date of interview; the application form asks for your age as on 31 August 2026 |
| Other conditions | Only shortlisted candidates will be intimated by email; only candidates who receive official communication will be permitted to appear for the interview |
Note what the notification does not ask for: there is no NET/GATE requirement, no demand for a postgraduate degree, and no minimum percentage printed in the notice. A plain graduate degree in one of the four named disciplines makes you eligible. That makes this post genuinely accessible to fresh B.F.Sc. and B.Sc. (Zoology/Marine Biology) graduates — the desirable criteria (aquaculture experience, software skills, swimming) will help you stand out, but they are not entry barriers.
Pay, tenure and the fine print
- Pay: ₹30,000 per month, consolidated, as per the revised ICAR guidelines for Young Professionals. There is no separate HRA mentioned — the figure is a consolidated monthly emolument.
- Tenure: purely temporary, for 1 year, extendable by up to 2 more years till project completion, subject to the requirement of your services and satisfactory performance.
- No regular appointment: the engagement is contractual and co-terminus with the project. It gives no claim for regular employment at ICAR-CMFRI or any other ICAR institute, and services stand terminated automatically when the project ends.
- No TA/DA: no travel or daily allowance will be paid for attending the interview.
- Vacancies may vary: the notification says the total number of vacancies may vary depending on project requirements on the date of interview — so read the final shortlist communication carefully.
- Relatives in ICAR/CMFRI: if any near or distant relative of yours is an employee of ICAR-CMFRI, you must declare it in writing in Annexure-I and communicate it to the Scientist-in-charge on or before 19 November 2026. Concealing it can end your candidature even after selection.
Important dates — do not miss these
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Advertisement issued | 7 October 2026 (F.No. 11-2/26-27/Koz) |
| Listed on CMFRI careers page | 5 November 2026 |
| Last date to email biodata and documents | Thursday, 19 November 2026 |
| Last date for Annexure-I relative declaration | 19 November 2026 |
| Interview (shortlisted candidates only) | Wednesday, 25 November 2026, 10:00 AM (report by 9:00 AM) |
| Interview venue | Calicut Regional Station of ICAR-CMFRI, West Hill P.O., Calicut – 673 005, Kerala |
How to apply — step by step
The entire application is by email. There is no online portal and no application fee. Follow the notification’s own sequence:
- Download the application form. The one-page application in the prescribed format, with the terms and conditions, is available on the institute’s website (cmfri.org.in, careers section). Fill it in capital letters where asked, and complete every field — including your age as on 31 August 2026, category, educational qualifications from the highest down to Class X with marks/CGPA, experience, and the names and contact details of two referees.
- Attach a recent passport-size photograph (3.5 × 4.5 cm) to the form, self-attested.
- Attach self-attested scanned copies of your certificates: provisional/final degree certificate for your graduation, Intermediate (10+2) certificate, and SSC/Class X certificate. The notification makes the certificate/provisional certificate with final-year mark sheets mandatory — an application without them will be summarily rejected. Also attach copies of your PAN and Aadhaar, and proof of experience (the form asks for experience of one year and above only).
- Write a detailed biodata covering your education, any research papers (with NAAS score/impact factor if published), computer knowledge, and experience.
- If a relative works at ICAR/CMFRI, fill Annexure-I and send it to the Scientist-in-charge on or before 19 November 2026.
- Email everything to cmfricalicut@gmail.com on or before Thursday, 19 November 2026. Send the filled form, biodata and all scanned documents in one email, and keep a copy. Late applications are summarily rejected — there is no grace window in the notification.
- Watch your inbox. Only shortlisted candidates will be intimated by email, with the interview details. Only candidates who receive that official communication will be permitted to appear on 25 November — do not travel to Calicut without it.
On the interview day
Report one hour before the scheduled time — by 9:00 AM on 25 November 2026 — at the Calicut Regional Station, West Hill P.O., Calicut. Bring your original certificates along with self-attested scanned copies; originals will be verified at the interview. Bring one valid ID proof, and a no-objection certificate from your present employer if you are currently employed. If your marks were issued as CGPA/OGPA, bring the approved conversion table or formula — without it, your candidature will not be considered. The Director’s decision is final and binding on all aspects of the selection.
Do not confuse this with the Karwar post
One honest warning, because it matters: CMFRI’s Karwar Regional Station advertised a Young Professional-I post under the same Black Seabream project, but it is a separate notice with different dates — applications to Karwar close on 20 November 2026 and its interview is tentatively on 9 December 2026. The two stations are recruiting independently. This post is only about the Calicut station (advertisement F.No. 11-2/26-27/Koz, dated 7 October 2026; apply to cmfricalicut@gmail.com by 19 November 2026; interview 25 November 2026). If you apply to the wrong station’s email, your application goes to the wrong shortlist — double-check the address before you hit send.
Why this post is worth your time
A Young Professional stint is often dismissed as “just a contract job”, but for a fisheries graduate it is one of the most practical stepping stones available. You work inside a National Priority Project at a premier ICAR institute, you build field and laboratory skills that no classroom teaches, you publish and network with CMFRI scientists, and you earn ₹30,000 a month while doing it. The eligibility bar is a plain graduation — no NET, no PG — and the application costs nothing but an email. The only real risk is missing the 19 November deadline, which is six days from today. If you are eligible, apply now and sort the documents today rather than on the last evening.
Frequently asked questions
What is the last date to apply for the CMFRI Calicut YP-I post?
Email your biodata and scanned documents to cmfricalicut@gmail.com on or before Thursday, 19 November 2026. Late applications are summarily rejected.
What is the salary of the Young Professional-I at CMFRI Calicut?
₹30,000 per month, consolidated, as per the revised ICAR guidelines. No separate HRA is mentioned in the notification.
Who can apply?
Graduates in Fisheries Science, Mariculture, Zoology or Marine Biology, aged 21 to 45 years (relaxation as per rules). Experience in aquaculture practices, computer software skills and swimming ability are desirable, not essential.
Is there an application fee?
No application fee is mentioned anywhere in the official notification.
When and where is the interview?
Wednesday, 25 November 2026 at 10:00 AM at the Calicut Regional Station of ICAR-CMFRI, West Hill P.O., Calicut – 673 005. Report by 9:00 AM, and only if you have received the shortlisting email.
Is this a permanent government job?
No. The engagement is purely temporary and contractual for one year (extendable up to two more years till project completion), co-terminus with the project, with no claim for regular appointment.
Can I apply if I have a relative working at ICAR-CMFRI?
Yes — but you must declare it in writing in Annexure-I to the Scientist-in-charge on or before 19 November 2026. Concealing it can lead to cancellation of your candidature.
Is the Karwar CMFRI post the same as this one?
No. Karwar station advertised the same Black Seabream project separately, with its own deadline (20 November 2026) and tentative interview (9 December 2026). Apply to the station you want, at that station’s email address.
Related fisheries opportunities on Fisheries India
- ₹42,000/Month: CIBA Hiring for Pearlspot Speed-Breeding — ICAR-CIBA Chennai is hiring one Young Professional-II at ₹42,000 a month for a germ-cell transplantation project on pearlspot; applications close 22 November 2026.
- ₹30,000/Month at CIFT Kochi — Walk In on Nov 13 — ICAR-CIFT Kochi’s Young Professional-I walk-in in its Extension, Information & Statistics Division.
- ICAR PhD 2027: ₹31,000 Fellowship, 120 Questions — everything about the AICE-JRF/SRF PhD entrance: the fellowship, the exam pattern, and the expected 2027 timeline.
Official links
- Official notification PDF — ICAR-CMFRI Calicut YP-I (F.No. 11-2/26-27/Koz, dated 7 October 2026)
- ICAR-CMFRI careers page — check for updates and the shortlist
- ICAR-CMFRI official website
Fact-check note (12 November 2026): every date, figure and eligibility condition in this post was verified against the official CMFRI notification PDF (F.No. 11-2/26-27/Koz, dated 7 October 2026) on cmfri.org.in, corroborated by the CMFRI careers page listing (issue date 5 November 2026, closing date 19 November 2026) and independent job portals that reproduce the notice. The 19 November 2026 deadline and 25 November 2026 interview are both still in the future as of today, 12 November 2026. The application email in this post is the one printed in the official notification. Images in this post are illustrations created for Fisheries India.