NDC Consultant (Subject Matter Expert) Recruitment 2026

NDC Consultant (Subject Matter Expert) Recruitment 2026 — 1 post

The National Defence College, New Delhi, under the Ministry of Defence, has invited applications for one Consultant (Subject Matter Expert) for a twelve-month engagement from 1 January to 31 December 2027, extendable by another twelve months. The engagement is full-time and temporary, with no absorption or regularisation.

Important: conflicting last dates in the official advertisement

The official document itself gives two different last dates. The short advertisement prints 28 November 2026 as the last date, but the detailed advertisement says applications may be submitted up to 20 November 2026, and its para 6.1.1 says the form should reach within 21 days of publication of the notification. This post uses 20 November 2026 as the operative last date because it is the earlier and safer of the two — candidates should treat 20 November 2026 as the deadline and not rely on 28 November 2026.

Who can apply

Retired Indian nationals who are NDC-qualified from the National Defence College, New Delhi. The qualification is the NDC course or its equivalent, with expertise in National Security and Strategies. The Consultant must be a practitioner-scholar with preferably a PhD degree, an outstanding professional record within national security establishments, and a distinguished academic and publishing record. Additional requirements include teaching and research assignments in India or abroad, sound knowledge of the national security system, and the ability to mentor operational practitioners undergoing the NDC course.

Pay and age

The pay is Rs. 65,000 to Rs. 80,000 per month depending on the pay level. No allowances of any kind are paid — no Dearness Allowance, transport facility, residential accommodation, personal staff, CGHS or medical reimbursement. A retired Government official continues to draw pension and dearness relief on pension; the engagement is not treated as re-employment. The age limit is not more than 65 years as on 31 December 2027. No minimum age and no relaxation are mentioned in the advertisement. No application fee is mentioned in the advertisement, so no fee is shown in this post.

What the Consultant does

The Consultant works as Senior Directing Staff for all practical purposes: conducting Integrated Analysis Group meetings, conducting one of the modules assigned by the College, guiding up to 18 assigned Course Members in selecting thesis topics and completing and evaluating their theses including viva voce, attending selected lectures, panel discussions and presentations, assessing written assignments of assigned Course Members including recommendations for publication in the NDC Journal, supervising presentations, and attending faculty meetings. Working hours are 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, with 8 days of leave in a calendar year on a pro-rata basis.

How to apply

Apply in the Annexure-I form by registered mail or by hand to The Commandant, National Defence College, 6 – Tees January Marg, New Delhi – 110011. Note that the short advertisement says online applications are invited, but the detailed advertisement prescribes registered mail or by hand — the detailed advertisement governs, so do not rely on an online route. Enclose a recent passport-size photograph, a copy of the retirement order, a copy of the last pay drawn, copies of education and technical qualification certificates and mark sheets, a copy of the Pension Payment Order, and brief particulars of experience of the last ten years. Selection is by a Screening-cum-Selection Committee of three members, with a personal interaction with shortlisted candidates if required.