The Haryana Public Service Commission has invited online applications for the recruitment of Food Safety Officer (Group-B) in the Food and Drugs Administration Department, Haryana. A total of 45 posts have been announced under Advertisement No. 25/2026, published on 19 September 2026. Online applications are open from 28 September 2026 and the last date is today, 19 October 2026 (up to 5:00 PM) — candidates who have not applied yet should complete the form and fee payment immediately. The minimum qualification is a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree in the notified science and food-technology disciplines. Read the notification for eligibility, selection process, pay scale and all other information.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Advertisement published | 19 September 2026 |
| Online application starts | 28 September 2026 |
| Last date for online application | 19 October 2026 (up to 5:00 PM) |
| Fee payment last date | 19 October 2026 (up to 5:00 PM) |
| Screening Test | 6 December 2026 |
| Subject Knowledge Test | 31 January 2027 |
| Interview | To be notified |
| Admit card availability | To be notified |
Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / Unreserved (including DESM) | Rs. 1,000/- |
| Female candidates and Haryana reserved categories (OSC / DSC / BC-A / BC-B / ESM / EWS) | Rs. 250/- |
| PwBD candidates of Haryana (40% or above disability) | Nil |
The fee is non-refundable. Payment must be made online through the prescribed payment gateway on or before 19 October 2026 (5:00 PM). Because the fee deadline falls on the same day as the application deadline, candidates should complete payment well before the cutoff to avoid last-hour gateway congestion.
Vacancy Details
| Category | Posts |
|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) | 22 |
| Deprived Scheduled Castes (DSC) | 5 |
| Other Scheduled Castes (OSC) | 5 |
| Backward Classes (A) [BC-A] | 5 |
| Backward Classes (B) [BC-B] | 3 |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) | 5 |
| Total | 45 |
In addition, there is horizontal reservation of 2 posts for Ex-Servicemen (General) and 2 posts for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities. The horizontal reservation is adjusted within the total of 45 posts. Candidates should check the detailed category-wise breakup and the reservation rules in the official advertisement.
Age Limit (as on 19 October 2026)
| Category | Age Limit (as on 19/10/2026) |
|---|---|
| Minimum age (all candidates) | 18 years |
| Maximum age (all candidates) | 42 years |
Relaxation in the upper age limit for SC, ST, BC, ESM, PwD and other eligible categories applies as per the Haryana Government rules. Candidates claiming relaxation must hold a valid certificate in the prescribed format on the closing date.
Salary / Pay Scale
The post of Food Safety Officer (Group-B) carries the pay scale of Rs. 9,300 – 34,800 with Grade Pay of Rs. 4,200, with the revised entry pay fixed at Rs. 35,400 at Cell-1 of FPL-6. In addition, the officer receives dearness allowance, house rent allowance and other allowances as admissible to Haryana Government employees, making the total in-hand salary substantially higher than the basic pay.
Eligibility Criteria
A candidate must possess a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate degree in one of the following groups of disciplines from a recognized university, as notified in the advertisement:
- Food Technology group: Food Engineering / Food Technology / Food Processing and Preservation / Food Biotechnology / Food Plant Operations / Food Process Engineering / Dairy Technology / Oil Technology or allied food science disciplines.
- Agricultural Science group: Agriculture / Agricultural Engineering / Dairy Technology / Fisheries / Food Technology / Nutrition and Dietetics / Horticulture or allied disciplines.
- Medical / Science group: Veterinary Sciences / Bio-Chemistry / Microbiology / Chemistry / Medicine (MBBS / BDS / BHMS / BUMS / BSMS / BAMS) or allied disciplines.
The qualifying degree must be complete on the closing date of application. Candidates in the final year or awaiting results are not eligible. Because the notification lists specific discipline names, candidates with allied or equivalent degrees must verify that their exact degree title appears in the eligible list in the official advertisement before applying — degree-title mismatch is the most common reason for rejection in specialist officer recruitments. All educational certificates will be checked at the document verification stage.
Selection Process
- Screening Test — 100 multiple-choice questions, 2 hours. Marks are NOT counted in the final merit; the test only shortlists candidates for the Subject Knowledge Test.
- Subject Knowledge Test — 150 marks, subjective/descriptive, 3 hours. Carries 87.5% weightage in the final merit.
- Interview / Personality Test — carries 12.5% weightage in the final merit.
The medium of the examination is English. The final merit list is prepared on the basis of the Subject Knowledge Test marks (87.5%) and the interview marks (12.5%). Candidates must therefore focus their preparation on the descriptive subject paper, which decides almost the entire merit.
Exam Pattern
| Stage | Pattern | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screening Test | 100 MCQs (not counted in final merit) | 100 | 2 hours |
| Subject Knowledge Test | Subjective / descriptive | 150 | 3 hours |
| Interview | Personality test | 12.5% weightage | — |
Negative marking: In the Screening Test, one-fourth (1/4) mark is deducted for every wrong answer AND for every unanswered question. Leaving more than 10% of the questions blank leads to disqualification. Candidates must therefore attempt every question only after careful reading. The detailed syllabus for both written stages is given in the official notification and the syllabus notice on the Commission’s website.
Documents Required
- Scanned recent passport-size photograph and signature in the prescribed format and size.
- Degree certificates and mark sheets of the qualifying bachelor’s / master’s / doctorate degree.
- Date of birth proof (10th certificate or equivalent).
- Valid photo identity proof (Aadhaar Card, Voter ID, Passport or PAN Card).
- Category certificate (DSC/OSC/BC-A/BC-B/EWS/ESM/PwD) in the Haryana Government prescribed format, if applicable.
- Domicile certificate of Haryana, if claiming reserved-category or fee benefits.
- Experience certificate, if any experience is claimed.
How to Apply
- Read the official notification carefully before filling the form.
- Visit the official website of the Haryana Public Service Commission at hpsc.gov.in.
- Open the recruitment/advertisement section and find Advertisement No. 25/2026 for Food Safety Officer.
- Confirm that your degree discipline matches one of the notified eligible groups.
- Register with a valid email ID and mobile number and note down the registration details.
- Fill in personal details, educational qualifications and category details carefully in the online form.
- Upload the photograph, signature and required documents in the prescribed format and size.
- Pay the application fee online as per your category (Rs. 1,000 / Rs. 250 / Nil).
- Submit the form before 5:00 PM on 19 October 2026 and take a printout of the submitted application and fee receipt for future reference.
Interested candidates can read the full notification before applying.
Some Useful Important Links
| Apply Online (last date 19 Oct 2026) | Click Here |
| Download Notification | Click Here |
| Official Website | Click Here |
FAQs
Q1. How many Food Safety Officer posts are there in HPSC Advt 25/2026?
A total of 45 posts — UR 22, DSC 5, OSC 5, BC-A 5, BC-B 3 and EWS 5, with horizontal reservation for ESM and PwD.
Q2. What is the last date to apply for HPSC Food Safety Officer 2026?
The last date is 19 October 2026 (up to 5:00 PM) for both the application and the fee payment.
Q3. What is the age limit?
Candidates must be between 18 and 42 years as on 19 October 2026, with relaxation for reserved categories as per Haryana Government rules.
Q4. Who is eligible for this post?
Candidates with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree in the notified Food Technology, Agricultural Science or Medical/Science discipline groups. Check your exact degree title against the advertisement.
Q5. What is the exam pattern and is there negative marking?
The Screening Test (6 December 2026) has 100 MCQs in 2 hours with 1/4 mark deducted for wrong AND unanswered answers; more than 10% blank answers means disqualification. The Subject Knowledge Test (31 January 2027) is subjective for 150 marks in 3 hours.
Q6. How is the final merit prepared?
The Subject Knowledge Test carries 87.5% weightage and the interview carries 12.5% weightage. Screening Test marks are not counted in the final merit.
Q7. What is the salary of an HPSC Food Safety Officer?
Rs. 9,300 – 34,800 with Grade Pay Rs. 4,200; revised entry pay Rs. 35,400 at Cell-1 of FPL-6, plus allowances.
You may also like: more State PSC officer recruitments on JobsPlane.
Sources: Advt No. 25/2026 dated 19.09.2026; hpsc.gov.in.
We wish all candidates the best for their application.