Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology Senior Project Associate, II, I, Technical Assistant, Field/ Laboratory 2026

Candidates with educational backgrounds in Physics, Chemistry, Meteorology, Atmospheric Sciences, Environmental Science, Mathematics, or relevant Engineering branches such as Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, Civil, and Computer Science match the core requirements. For higher posts like Senior Project Associate and Project Associate II, proven post-qualification research or industrial experience of four years and two years respectively is required.

Prospective applicants should verify their age eligibility prior to attending the walk-in process. You can verify your age against the cutoff date using the age calculator.

• Senior Project Associate: ₹42,000 per month plus House Rent Allowance (HRA).
• Project Associate II: ₹35,000 per month plus HRA (or ₹28,000 plus HRA for non-NET/GATE candidates).
• Project Associate I: ₹31,000 per month plus HRA (or ₹25,000 plus HRA for non-NET/GATE candidates).
• Technical Assistant, Project Assistant, Field or Laboratory Assistant: ₹20,000 per month plus HRA.

These positions are project-based research appointments. Monthly compensation is paid as a consolidated fellowship or stipend plus admissible HRA. Standard regular government deductions like National Pension System (NPS) and Provident Fund (PF) do not apply to project fellows, and the stipend is paid in full subject only to applicable income tax. While these are temporary engagements co-terminus with project requirements, working at an autonomous earth science institute provides invaluable research exposure, publication opportunities, and technical grounding that strengthen applications for doctoral fellowships, permanent scientist positions, or industrial laboratory roles. You can calculate allowances using the salary calculator.

Selected candidates will receive an engagement letter specifying the project name, monthly fellowship, tenure of appointment, and reporting date. Document verification is completed on the interview day itself, so appointment letters are issued relatively quickly after competent authority approvals.

After completing medical fitness clearance and joining formalities, candidates will be deployed on specific observational, laboratory, computational, or field research projects at IITM Pune. Appointments are initially made for a specified period and may be extended based on satisfactory performance and project duration.

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) is a premier autonomous research institute functioning under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. Established in 1962 as the Institute of Tropical Meteorology and later granted autonomous status, the organization is devoted to advancing research in tropical meteorology, monsoon dynamics, climate modeling, air quality monitoring, and ocean-atmosphere interactions.

Headquartered in Pashan, Pune, IITM houses sophisticated supercomputing facilities, specialized laboratories, and cutting-edge observational infrastructure. The institute plays a key national role in improving weather and monsoon forecasts, contributing directly to disaster preparedness, agricultural planning, and atmospheric science across India.

Project Associates and Assistants at IITM perform essential operational and scientific functions across varied research schemes. Day-to-day duties involve operating atmospheric instrumentation, calibrating sensors, collecting meteorological data from field stations, running numerical weather prediction models, and processing data using programming tools.

Depending on the specific post, tasks range from high-level data analysis and research paper preparation to field maintenance, laboratory benchwork, and technical troubleshooting. Staff report to project scientists or principal investigators and work in modern laboratory and computing environments with occasional field visits for equipment deployment.