Checked 30 September 2026. Facts are from the Grade B (DR) PY2026 notice (applications 29.04.2026 to 20.05.2026), its Phase-I result page dated 25.06.2026 and the other 2026 notices. The staff relaxation lives in HRMD circulars G-75 (20.12.2013) and G-132 (09.06.2014) and para 5.16 of the Master Circular on Recruitment, none of them public. The PY2027 notice may change any of it.
A serving RBI Assistant has a second road into the officer cadre that is fully public: apply for Officers in Grade 'B' (Direct Recruit) like any outside candidate, but as a staff candidate. The PY2026 notice says the posts "are also open to the employees of RBI (Staff Candidates) who satisfy the eligibility criteria separately stipulated by the Bank" in HRMD circulars G-75 of 20.12.2013 and G-132 of 09.06.2014, read with para 5.16 of the Master Circular on Recruitment [official]. Staff candidates pay no fee and get an age relaxation. This guide sets out every staff-specific line in the notice, what the rest of the notice demands of everyone, and the one number nobody outside the Bank can tell you: the size of the staff age relaxation.
ProSyllabus is an independent study site. We are not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India, the RBI Services Board or any staff association. Every rule below is quoted or summarised from a published document, and the Bank's Human Resource Management Department (HRMD) decides every promotion and every application.
Read this first: how much is public
Everything on this page is official, except the size of the staff relaxation, which is not published.
- [official] Fee Nil for staff; staff status verified at the interview; age relaxation "according to" circular G-75; the six-attempt bar; the PY2026 dates and 60 vacancies.
- Not public: the eligibility criteria for staff candidates and the size of the age relaxation, both in circulars G-75 and G-132, which are internal HRMD circulars.
- Ours: the birth-date windows for relaxed age limits and the checker's arithmetic.
Grade B (DR) PY2026 notice.
Where other pages get this wrong
There is no separate staff quota of Grade B vacancies in the PY2026 notice.
Commonly published instead: Some pages speak of an "RBI staff quota" in Grade B direct recruitment, as if a share of seats were set aside for serving employees.
The PY2026 vacancy table lists 60 posts by category (General/UR, EWS, OBC, SC, ST) and PwBD sub-category, with no staff column. The staff clauses are about eligibility, fee and age: a staff candidate competes for the same 60 posts. Any promotion quota inside the Bank is a separate matter, covered by the promotion-channel guide in this series.
Staff candidate versus other candidates, clause by clause
| Rule | Staff candidate | Other candidates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who counts as a staff candidate | An RBI employee who satisfies the criteria in circulars G-75 (20.12.2013) and G-132 (09.06.2014) and para 5.16 of the Master Circular on Recruitment | — | PY2026 notice, clause 31(g) (official) |
| Application fee and intimation charges | Nil | GEN/OBC/EWS ₹850 + 18% GST; SC/ST/PwBD ₹100 + 18% GST (intimation charges only) | Clause 13 (official) |
| Upper age limit | Relaxed "according to" circular G-75 (size not published) | 30 on 01.04.2026, with category relaxations | Clause 4(b)(ix) (official) |
| When status is checked | At the interview; if not eligible as staff, apply as a non-staff candidate and pay the fee | Eligibility checked at the interview stage for everyone | Clauses 11, 13, 31(g) (official) |
| Number of attempts | The notice states no separate rule for staff | General/EWS who have appeared six times in Phase-I are barred; no limit for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD where posts are reserved | Clause 6 (official) |
| Minimum education (General cadre) | Same as others | Graduation with 60% (50% SC/ST/PwBD) or post-graduation with 55% (pass marks SC/ST/PwBD) | Clause 5 (official) |
Official: Grade B (DR) PY2026 notice. The same staff clause, with Nil fee and the G-75 age rule, also appears in the Non-CSG PY2026 notice (Grade A and B specialist posts) and the Assistant PY2025 notice.
Two practical consequences (our reading). First, the Nil fee is conditional: the notice tells anyone unsure of their staff eligibility to register as a non-staff candidate and pay, because a wrong claim is only discovered at the interview, after two phases of exams. Second, the attempt count is the one rule where the notice is silent about staff: if you are General or EWS and have sat Phase-I six times, ask HRMD before you rely on staff status to get round the bar.
A conflict about the Master Circular's date
The Non-CSG notice of February 2026 cites the Master Circular on Recruitment "dated April 01, 2025"; the Grade B notice of April 2026 cites it "dated April 01, 2026" [official]. Both print para 5.16. Our reading is an annual re-issue of the same circular; when you ask HRMD, ask for para 5.16 of the current Master Circular on Recruitment.
Age: what the notice prints, and what it leaves to G-75
The base rule is printed plainly: on 01.04.2026 a candidate must be at least 21 and not yet 30, "born not earlier than April 02, 1996 and not later than April 01, 2005" [official]. The notice then lists relaxations: SC/ST up to 5 years, OBC up to 3 (both only where posts are reserved for them), PwBD up to 10, 13 or 15 years by category, M.Phil. or Ph.D. holders 32 or 34, and ex-servicemen. Two relaxations are about RBI employees.
The two RBI-related relaxations, word for word
- (viii) "For candidates having experience as an officer in Scheduled Commercial Banks, Public Sector Insurance Companies and All India Financial Institutions (AIFI), as also prior experience in Reserve Bank of India, upper age limit is relaxed to the extent of number of completed years of such experience subject to a maximum of three years. For such candidates, upper age limit should not exceed 33 years including experience. For experience, probationary period will not be reckoned."
- (ix) "For eligible Staff Candidates, as per para 5.16 of RBI Master Circular on Recruitment dated April 01, 2026 and RBI circular CO.HRMD.No. G132 / 17000 /05.01.01 /2013-14 dated June 09, 2014, the relaxation in age limit is according to RBI circular CO. HRMD. No. G-75/ 5599/ 05.01.01/ 2013-2014 dated December 20, 2013."
Official: Grade B (DR) PY2026 notice, para 4(b). Note-I adds that cumulative age relaxation is not available except for ex-servicemen or PwBD combined with SC/ST/OBC.
What we cannot tell you (and why the checker below stops short): the size of the staff relaxation under G-75, and whether a serving Assistant's Class III service counts as "prior experience in Reserve Bank of India" under clause (viii), which is written for officer experience elsewhere and "prior" experience in RBI. Both answers are in HRMD's hands. What we can do is apply every printed limit to your date of birth.
Grade B (DR) age checker, Panel Year 2026 rules
Enter your date of birth and the options that apply to you. The checker applies the age limits printed in the PY2026 Grade B (DR) notice (21 to 30 on 01.04.2026, with the relaxations listed there). It cannot apply the staff-candidate relaxation, because that sits in HRMD circular G-75 of 20.12.2013, which is not public.
Rules: PY2026 notice para 4 (age limit, relaxations (i), (ii), (vi), (viii), (ix)) and Note-I (no cumulative relaxation except for ex-servicemen and PwBD within a category). Category relaxations apply only where posts are reserved for that category. Whether a serving Assistant's Class III service counts as "prior experience in Reserve Bank of India" is not stated in the notice; that option is shown for completeness. The birth-date windows for the relaxed limits are our arithmetic. The next notice may use a different cut-off date.
| Case (PY2026 notice) | Upper age on 01.04.2026 | Born on or after | Born on or before | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General or EWS | below 30 | 02.04.1996 | 01.04.2005 | printed in the notice |
| OBC (NCL), posts reserved | below 33 | 02.04.1993 | 01.04.2005 | our arithmetic |
| SC or ST, posts reserved | below 35 | 02.04.1991 | 01.04.2005 | our arithmetic |
| PwBD, General or EWS | below 40 | 02.04.1986 | 01.04.2005 | our arithmetic |
| PwBD, OBC | below 43 | 02.04.1983 | 01.04.2005 | our arithmetic |
| PwBD, SC or ST | below 45 | 02.04.1981 | 01.04.2005 | our arithmetic |
| Prior experience relaxation, maximum | below 33 | 02.04.1993 | 01.04.2005 | our arithmetic |
Birth-date windows for the PY2026 notice. The General/EWS window is printed in the notice; the others are our arithmetic from the printed relaxations. The staff relaxation under G-75 is not published and is not in this table. Category relaxations apply only where posts are reserved for that category.
The PY2026 exam, for planning
| Stage | General cadre | DEPR / DSIM |
|---|---|---|
| Online applications | 29.04.2026 to 20.05.2026 | same |
| Phase-I | 13.06.2026 (online) | 14.06.2026 |
| Phase-I result | Published with test-wise and aggregate cut-offs, dated 25.06.2026 | Marks released only after the final result |
| Phase-II | 25.07.2026, Papers I, II and III | 26.07.2026 |
| Interview and final result | Not published on www.rbi.org.in when we checked on 30.09.2026 | same |
Official: PY2026 notice, clause 2; Phase-I result page for the General cadre. The Board reserves the right to change dates.
| Cadre | GEN/UR | EWS | OBC | SC | ST | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade B (DR) General | 16 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 40 |
| Grade B (DR) DEPR | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| Grade B (DR) DSIM | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Total | 24 | 6 | 14 | 11 | 5 | 60 |
Official: PY2026 vacancy table. There is no staff column; PwBD posts are reserved within these totals (General cadre: one each in PwBD sub-categories C and D; DSIM: one in sub-category A).
Official: PY2026 notice. For comparison, the last internal AM Grade 'A' exam on record had 600 vacancies (Panel Year 2022, reported via the Supreme Court).
The Annual Report 2021-22 records that the Grade B (DR) exam gained a descriptive component and a psychometric test [official]. For the papers themselves, our RBI Grade B syllabus guide covers the phases.
Promotion or Grade B: how the two roads differ
| Question | Internal promotion | Grade B (DR) as staff |
|---|---|---|
| Where you enter | Grade A (Assistant Manager) | Grade B |
| Starting basic | Fixed by Reg 69: Grade A stage next above pay plus one increment (from ₹62,500) | ₹78,450 (a direct recruit may get up to 4 advance increments) |
| Rules public? | No; last public trace is the 2022 exam (reported) | Yes, except the G-75 staff criteria |
| Competition | Class III colleagues (600 vacancies in 2022, reported) | All applicants nationally (60 vacancies in 2026) |
| Age limit | None on record | 30 on 01.04.2026, plus relaxations including G-75 |
| Education | Not on record | Graduation 60% or post-graduation 55% (General cadre) |
Official for the Grade B column (PY2026 notice, 2026 scales); reported or not found for the promotion column. The comparison is ours.
Can a serving RBI Assistant apply for Grade B direct recruitment?
Yes, as a staff candidate, if you satisfy the criteria in HRMD circulars G-75 (20.12.2013) and G-132 (09.06.2014) and para 5.16 of the Master Circular on Recruitment. Staff status is verified at the interview.
Do RBI staff pay the Grade B application fee?
No. The PY2026 notice lists the fee and intimation charges for staff as Nil. If you are not sure you qualify as staff, the notice says to apply as a non-staff candidate and pay.
How much age relaxation do RBI staff get for Grade B?
The notice says the relaxation is "according to" circular G-75 of 20.12.2013 but does not print the number, and G-75 is not public. Ask HRMD.
Does my RBI service count for the 3-year experience relaxation?
The notice relaxes the upper age for "prior experience in Reserve Bank of India" by completed years up to 3, capped at 33, excluding probation. It does not say whether current Class III service counts. Ask HRMD.
Is there a staff quota of Grade B posts?
Not in the PY2026 notice. The 60 posts are listed by category only; staff candidates compete for them.
Does the six-attempt limit apply to staff?
The notice bars General/EWS candidates who have appeared six times in Phase-I and states no separate rule for staff.
When were the PY2026 Grade B exams?
Phase-I on 13.06.2026 (General) and 14.06.2026 (DEPR/DSIM); Phase-II on 25.07.2026 and 26.07.2026. The General cadre Phase-I result is dated 25.06.2026.
More in this series
- Assistant to officer: the promotion channels on record
- Grade A pay after promotion: how your basic is fixed
- Promoted or recruited: two ways into Grade A
- Class III and officer headcount, 2017 to 2025
- RBI Grade B syllabus: the phases and papers
- RBI Assistant exam: the complete guide
- RBI Assistant syllabus and section-wise preparation
- RBI Assistant exam tips and strategies
Sources
- official — RBI Services Board — Direct Recruitment of Officers in Grade 'B' (DR) General/DEPR/DSIM, Panel Year 2026 (applications 29.04.2026 to 20.05.2026; staff-candidate clauses)
- official — RBI — Phase-I result and cut-offs, Officers in Grade 'B' (DR) General cadre, PY2026 (exam 13.06.2026; result dated 25.06.2026)
- official — RBI Services Board — Recruitment for Non-CSG posts, Panel Year 2026, including Assistant Manager (Rajbhasha) and Assistant Manager (Protocol & Security) in Grade 'A' (Grade A pay scale)
- official — RBI Services Board — Recruitment of Assistant, Panel Year 2025 (650 posts; Assistant pay scale; staff candidates)
- official — RBI Annual Report 2021-22, Chapter XI (calendar 2021)
- official — Reserve Bank of India (Staff) Regulations, 1948, compilation "updated upto 21st April 2005" (Regs 7, 9, 13, 28, 29, 69)
- reported — Supreme Court of India, Civil Appeal No. 529 of 2023, 2023 INSC 613, judgment of 04.07.2023 — quotes RBI circulars of 21.09.2022 and 08.12.2022 on the Assistant Manager Grade 'A' departmental examination (read on indiankanoon)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
