Overview

UCO Bank, a prominent public sector bank in India, has announced a recruitment drive for Apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961. This initiative aims to engage 530 apprentices for a training period of one year. This apprenticeship provides valuable exposure to the banking sector but does not guarantee employment with UCO Bank upon completion. The selection process will be managed in collaboration with the BFSI Sector Skill Council of India (BFSI SSC).

Important Dates

Event Date
Advertisement Date October 13, 2026
Online Registration Start Date October 14, 2026
Last Date for Online Registration & Fee Payment October 29, 2026
Online Entrance Examination November 7, 2026 (11:00 AM)
Age and Eligibility Reckoning Date October 1, 2026

Vacancy Details

A total of 530 provisional apprentice positions are available across various States and Union Territories. Candidates are eligible to apply for only one State/UT. The exact number of vacancies may be adjusted based on the Bank's requirements. Reservations for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) categories (OC, HI, VI, ID) are included within the respective State/UT quotas, not in addition to them.

The distribution of vacancies per State/UT is as follows:

  • Andhra Pradesh: 8
  • Arunachal Pradesh: 1
  • Assam: 24
  • Bihar: 34
  • Chandigarh: 4
  • Chhattisgarh: 9
  • Goa: 1
  • Gujarat: 20
  • Haryana: 15
  • Himachal Pradesh: 25
  • Jammu and Kashmir: 3
  • Jharkhand: 12
  • Karnataka: 11
  • Kerala: 10
  • Madhya Pradesh: 27
  • Maharashtra: 32
  • Manipur: 2
  • Meghalaya: 1
  • Nagaland: 1
  • New Delhi: 13
  • Odisha: 41
  • Pondicherry: 1
  • Punjab: 24
  • Rajasthan: 37
  • Sikkim: 1
  • Tamil Nadu: 21
  • Telangana: 8
  • Tripura: 5
  • Uttar Pradesh: 45
  • Uttarakhand: 8
  • West Bengal: 86

Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

Applicants must possess a graduate degree from a university or institution recognized by the Government of India or its regulatory bodies. Crucially, the final degree certificate or mark sheets must have been issued on or after April 1, 2022.

Age Limit

Candidates should be between 20 and 28 years of age as of October 1, 2026. Age relaxations are applicable for reserved categories:

  • SC / ST: 5 years
  • OBC (Non-Creamy Layer): 3 years
  • PwBD (SC/ST): 15 years
  • PwBD (OBC): 13 years
  • PwBD (UR/EWS): 10 years
  • Widows, divorced women, and women legally separated from their husbands who have not remarried: Up to 35 years (UR/EWS), 38 years (OBC), 40 years (SC/ST).

Other Eligibility Conditions

  • Applicants must be citizens of India or fall under specific categories of Tibetan refugees or persons of Indian origin as defined by the Government of India.
  • Candidates must not have previously undergone or currently be undergoing an apprenticeship with UCO Bank or any other organization. Those terminated from previous apprenticeships are also ineligible.
  • Individuals with one year or more of training or job experience post-qualification are not eligible.
  • Proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding at least one local language of the chosen State/UT is mandatory. A language test will be conducted during document verification, though candidates with the local language as a subject in their 10th or 12th standard are exempt.
  • Only one application per candidate for a single State/UT will be accepted. Multiple applications will lead to rejection.

Stipend

Selected apprentices will receive a consolidated stipend of ₹16,650 per month. This amount comprises a Bank share of ₹10,500 and a Government share of ₹6,150 (subject to government guidelines). Apprentices are not entitled to other allowances or benefits like transport or accommodation.

Application Fee

The application fees are structured as follows, exclusive of GST:

  • SC / ST / PwBD candidates: ₹200
  • General, EWS, and OBC (Male candidates): ₹800
  • General, EWS, and OBC (Female / Transgender candidates): ₹600

Fees are payable online via the BFSI SSC secure portal.

Selection Process

The selection process for the UCO Bank Apprentice role involves multiple stages:

  1. Online Objective Test: Candidates will appear for an online objective examination conducted by the BFSI Sector Skill Council of India (BFSI SSC).
  2. Local Language Test: A test of proficiency in the chosen State/UT's local language will be conducted during the document verification stage.
  3. Document Verification: Shortlisted candidates will undergo verification of their original documents.
  4. Medical Fitness Check: A satisfactory medical fitness examination is required.

It is important to note that this engagement is purely an apprenticeship for one year, providing training and exposure, and does not confer any right to employment with UCO Bank post-training.

How to Apply

Interested and eligible candidates must apply online by following these steps:

  1. First, register themselves on the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) portal (nats.education.gov.in).
  2. After successful registration on NATS, proceed to the BFSI SSC portal (beep.bfsissc.com) to complete the application process.
  3. Pay the applicable examination fee online through the designated payment gateway on the BFSI SSC portal.
  4. Submit all required details and documents as specified in the online application form before the last date.
  5. Candidates are advised to apply well in advance of the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues.