Applications are open. Apply before 03 Sept 2026 — 19 days left. Read the official notification in full before you submit the form.
About This Recruitment
Karnataka Forest Department has notified recruitment for 57 posts. Applications are accepted offline from 05 Aug 2026 to 03 Sept 2026. The prescribed qualification is No formal educational qualification; experience in elephant handling is mandatory, and the age limit is 18 to 35 years before category relaxation is applied. The vacancies are spread across 5 distinct posts, and the category-wise split for each is set out in the vacancy table below.
Selection is made through Interview and performance assessment, Assessment of Kannada comprehension and speaking ability and Assessment of practical elephant handling experience and capability, followed by the remaining stages set out below. Selected candidates are placed in the pay scale of ₹29,600 – ₹52,800. The place of posting is Kanara, Kodagu, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and Shivamogga forest circles, Karnataka.
The form is submitted offline in the manner set out in the notification. Check the notification for whether a correction window is offered, because most fields cannot be amended once the form is submitted.
Read the official notification in full before you begin the form. Eligibility, fees and dates are revised through corrigenda more often than candidates expect, and an application submitted against the wrong criteria is rejected at document verification rather than at submission — by which point the cycle is over.
Key Highlights
- 57 vacancies notified
- Qualification: No formal educational qualification; experience in elephant handling is mandatory
- Age limit: 18 to 35 years, with relaxation by category
- Pay scale: ₹29,600 – ₹52,800
- Last date to apply: 03 Sept 2026
- Application mode: offline
Quick Overview
The notification's own particulars, at a glance.
- Organization
- Karnataka Forest Department
- Total Vacancies
- 57
- Job Location
- Kanara, Kodagu, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and Shivamogga forest circles, Karnataka
- Qualification
- No formal educational qualification; experience in elephant handling is mandatory
- Age Limit
- 18 – 35 years
- Salary
- ₹29,600 – ₹52,800
- Application Mode
- Offline
- Official Website
- aranya.gov.in
Important Dates
Every date below is taken from the official notification. Portals close at the time stated in the notification, not at midnight, and the fee payment window often closes a day after the form does.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification issued | 27 Jul 2026 |
| Applications open | 5 August 2026, 10.00 am |
| Last date for the application to reach the circle office | 3 September 2026, 5.30 pm |
Application Fee
Fee is paid on the official portal only. Category-wise exemptions are applied automatically once the category is declared correctly in the form.
| Category | Fee | Payment Mode |
|---|---|---|
| All candidates | Nil | — |
Vacancy Details
Vacancy counts are provisional and are revised through corrigenda. The category-wise split determines the cut-off you will actually be measured against.
| Post Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Mysuru circle | 27 |
| Kodagu circle (Madikeri) | 11 |
| Chamarajanagar circle | 9 |
| Shivamogga circle | 9 |
| Kanara circle (Shirsi) | 1 |
| Total — 51 fresh and 6 backlog | 57 |
Educational Qualification
The qualification must be held on or before the cut-off date stated in the notification. Final-year candidates should check whether provisional applications are permitted for this recruitment.
| Post | Required Qualification |
|---|---|
| Elephant Kavadiga | No formal educational qualification is prescribed. Experience in elephant management and handling is mandatory. The candidate must speak and understand Kannada, reside within a notified forest area under the jurisdiction of the Karnataka Forest Department, and be an Indian citizen. |
- Elephant handling experience is mandatory, and it is what the assessment actually tests.
- You must reside within a notified forest area under the Karnataka Forest Department's jurisdiction.
- Candidates already drawing a government salary are ineligible, as are those with a pending criminal inquiry or a conviction.
- Nothing can be changed once the application is submitted — no corrections or additions of any kind.
- Forged documents mean a ten-year debarment from Karnataka Forest Department recruitment, and you attend every stage at your own expense.
Age Limit & Relaxation
Upper age limits are relaxed by category. Read the row that applies to you before you conclude you are ineligible.
| Category | Upper Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| Categories 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B and OBC | Upper age 38 years |
| SC, ST and Category 1 | Upper age 40 years |
| All categories, against the backlog vacancies | 5 years in addition |
| Ex-Servicemen | Years of service plus 3 years |
Age is reckoned as on 3 September 2026. The upper limit is 35 for General, 38 for Categories 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B and OBC, and 40 for SC, ST and Category 1, with five years more against the backlog vacancies.
Pay Scale
Figures are the pay scale, not take-home pay. Dearness allowance, house rent allowance and other allowances are paid over and above the basic pay shown.
| Post | Pay Scale |
|---|---|
| Elephant Kavadiga | ₹29,600 – ₹52,800 |
Selection Process
Each stage is qualifying for the next. Clearing a stage does not carry marks forward unless the notification says so.
- 1Interview and performance assessment — 100 marks in all; there is no written examination
- 2Assessment of Kannada comprehension and speaking ability
- 3Assessment of practical elephant handling experience and capability
- 4Probation — at least two years from joining
How to Apply
Complete the form in one sitting where possible, and check the preview page carefully. Most fields cannot be changed once submitted, except during the correction window.
- 1Open the Karnataka Forest Department website and go to the Nemakati (Recruitment) section.
- 2Download the prescribed application form for the circle you are applying to.
- 3Fill it in English capitals or in Kannada, and attach a passport-size photograph.
- 4Superscribe the envelope "Application for Elephant Kavadiga Post".
- 5Post it or deliver it in person to the circle office — Chief Conservator of Forests, Kanara Circle, Shirsi 581402; Conservator of Forests, Kodagu Circle, Madikeri; Conservator of Forests, Mysuru Circle, Aranya Bhavan, Ashokapuram, Mysuru 570008; Chief Conservator of Forests, Chamarajanagar Circle; or Chief Conservator of Forests, Shivamogga Circle.
- 6It must arrive by 5.30 pm on 3 September 2026.
Important Links
Official Links
Links go to the recruiting body’s own website- Karnataka Forest DepartmentVisit
Verify before you apply. Eligibility, vacancy counts, fees and dates change through corrigenda. Job Times 24 is an information service, not a recruiter, and never charges candidates. Always confirm every detail in the official notification above.