Permanent

KEA Prisons Warder & Jailor Recruitment 2026

Sourced from Official Government PDF
Sep. 19, 2026
JailorWarderSecond Grade Instructor (Instructor Grade-II)Warder cum Nursing
Get Job Alerts on Google
Save Job

Quick Recruitment Snapshot

Key recruitment parameters at a glance before you apply

Vacancies
293 Posts
Pay Scale
₹34,100 - ₹1,12,900 per month
Age Limit
20 to 31 Years for GM; 20 to 33 Years for SC/ST/OBC (as on 15-10-2026)
Job Location

Crucial Recruitment Dates

Official schedule & key deadlines

Published

Sep 18, 2026

2

Starts

Sep 19, 2026

3

Deadline

Oct 15, 2026

4

Exam Date

Nov 22, 2026

Application Window19 Sep – 15 Oct 2026
Exam / Test Date22 Nov 2026

Eligibility Criteria & Educational Qualifications

Who is eligible to apply for this recruitment? Check essential educational qualifications, branch/stream criteria, and age limits.

Educational Qualification

Post-wise essential educational qualifications:
Jailor (05 Posts): Bachelor's Degree in any discipline from a recognized University (preference given to candidates with Bachelor's Degree in Sociology, Psychology, Criminology, or Correctional Administration).
Warder / ವೀಕ್ಷಕರು (275 Posts): Must have passed SSLC (10th Standard) examination or equivalent.
Second Grade Instructor / Instructor Grade-II (08 Posts): Must have passed SSLC examination AND hold a Diploma or Certificate in Mechanical / Electrical / Carpentry / Tailoring / Textile / Weaving / Carpet Making from a Government-recognized institution.
Warder cum Nursing (05 Posts): Must have passed SSLC examination AND hold a certificate in First Aid.
Compulsory Kannada Test: Applicable to candidates who have not studied Kannada as 1st/2nd language in SSLC or passed previously (150 marks, min 50 marks to qualify).

Age Limit & Relaxations

Minimum age is 20 years as on 15.10.2026. Maximum age limit incorporating the one-time 5-year relaxation (Govt. Order DPAR 262 SRR 2025 dated 29.01.2026):
General Merit (GM): 31 Years
SC / ST / Cat-1 / 2A / 2B / 3A / 3B: 33 Years
Ex-Servicemen: Service period + 3 years

Check Your Age Eligibility

Selection Procedure & Screening Stages

Verified Official Source

How will candidates be selected? Multi-stage screening roadmap from application to final merit list.

Written Competitive Examination (Offline OMR on 22.11.2026)

OfflineMerit Scored

Physical Standard Test (PST) & Endurance Test (ET) (1:5 Ratio)

OfflineQualifying Only

Medical Examination (1:2 Ratio) & Document Verification

OfflineQualifying Only

Selection is conducted through a multi-stage process:
1. Written Examination: 100 MCQs, 100 Marks, 90 Minutes (0.25 negative marks per incorrect answer). Held on 22.11.2026.
2. PST & ET (1:5 Ratio): Candidates qualifying written exam are called for Physical Standards (Male: Height 168 cm, Chest 86 cm; Female: Height 157 cm, Weight 46 kg) and Endurance Test (must clear at least 3 out of 5 items: 100m, 800m/200m, High Jump, Long Jump, Shot Put).
3. Medical Exam (1:2 Ratio): Vision, hearing, color blindness, and musculoskeletal checks before final selection. Selected candidates undergo 9 months foundational training and 2 years probation.

Syllabus & Exam Pattern Overview

Verified Official Source

What is the examination structure? Mode of test, total marks, duration, and negative marking rules.

Exam Tier / Mode

Tier 1

Total Duration

90 Minutes

Negative Marking

0.25 marks penalty for each incorrect answer (or unshaded 5th option)

Subject / SectionQuestionsMax Marks
Section 1100100
Exam Tier / Mode

Tier 2

Total Duration

90 Minutes

Negative Marking

0.25 marks penalty for each incorrect answer (or unshaded 5th option)

Subject / SectionQuestionsMax Marks
Section 1100100

Previous Recruitment Cutoff Benchmarks

Verified Official Source

Historical qualifying marks and eligibility benchmarks for prior recruitment cycles.

YearCategory / Post StreamCutoff / Qualifying Criteria
General

Aspirant Ground Reality & Career Trajectory

Verified Official Source

Practical service rules, posting locations, transfer policy, and promotion ladder curated from official gazettes.

Work Culture & Environment

Office/fieldwork balance, duties, organizational environment.

The Karnataka State Prisons and Correctional Services Department operates central prisons, district prisons, and taluka sub-jails across Karnataka (including major facilities in Kalaburagi, Ballari, and Bidar within Kalyana Karnataka). Warders (ವೀಕ್ಷಕರು) maintain round-the-clock physical security, inmate custody, cell inspections, lock-up roll calls, visitor supervision, and reformation programs. The duty entails 8-hour rotating shifts (including day, evening, and night guards) with strict disciplined force protocol similar to police personnel. Appointees undergo 9 months of rigorous foundational training at designated prison training schools and serve a mandatory 2-year probationary period.

Posting & Transfer Policy

Initial posting criteria, zone preferences, transfer liability.

This notification is exclusively for the Kalyana Karnataka local cadre (under Article 371J of the Constitution). Postings are strictly within the Kalyana Karnataka region districts (Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Ballari, and Vijayanagara). Candidates enjoy regional cadre stability without transfers outside the Hyderabad-Karnataka region.

Career & Promotion Ladder

Promotion timeline, seniority ladder, pay grade scaling.

The hierarchy follows defined promotional stages under the Karnataka Prisons Service Rules: Warder (₹37,500 - ₹76,100) -> Head Warder / Chief Warder -> Jailor (₹61,300 - ₹1,12,900) -> Assistant Superintendent of Prisons -> Superintendent of Central/District Prison. Departmental competitive exams allow accelerated promotion for meritorious personnel.
Crucial Application Warnings & Eligibility Traps

Avoid common application rejection triggers, photo/signature guidelines, and certificate validity windows.

  • Article 371J Eligibility Certificate mandatory: As this notification is exclusively for the Kalyana Karnataka cadre, candidates must possess a valid Article 371J eligibility certificate (Form-A / RD number) issued by the competent Assistant Commissioner / Tahsildar on or before 15.10.2026.
  • Compulsory Kannada Language Exam: Candidates who have not studied Kannada as a first or second language in SSLC (or equivalent) or who have not passed the government compulsory Kannada test must appear for and secure a minimum of 50 marks out of 150 in the KEA Compulsory Kannada Test.
  • 5th OMR Option Rule: OMR answer sheets contain a 5th option circle for unattempted questions. Candidates must shade the 5th circle for questions they do not answer (additional 5 minutes provided after bell). Leaving all options blank will attract a penalty of 0.25 marks deduction per question.
  • Strict Physical Endurance Standards: The Endurance Test requires candidates to qualify in at least 3 out of 5 physical events (e.g. 100m run, 800m run, high jump, long jump, shot put). Failure to clear 3 events leads to immediate disqualification regardless of high written test marks.

Category-Wise Vacancy Breakdown & Pay Scale

Detailed post distribution across UR, OBC, EWS, SC, ST quotas and 7th CPC Pay Matrix / Monthly Stipend.

Category-Wise Vacancy Distribution

  • Warder (Kalyana Karnataka Cadre)275
  • Jailor (Kalyana Karnataka Cadre)5
  • Second Grade Instructor (Kalyana Karnataka Cadre)8
  • Warder cum Nursing (Kalyana Karnataka Cadre)5
Total Vacancies293 Posts

Pay Scale & Monthly Remuneration

Revised Karnataka State Pay Matrix:
Jailor: ₹61,300 – 1,12,900/-
Warder & Second Grade Instructor: ₹37,500 – 76,100/-
Warder cum Nursing: ₹34,100 – 67,600/-

Pay scales under Karnataka State Civil Services: Jailor (₹61,300 - ₹1,12,900); Warder & Second Grade Instructor (₹37,500 - ₹76,100); Warder cum Nursing (₹34,100 - ₹67,600). Covered under National Pension System (NPS).

Karnataka Govt Salary Calculator

How to Apply Online Step-by-Step?

Follow this verified step-by-step application procedure on the official recruitment portal.

Application Procedure

  1. Visit the official Karnataka Examination Authority portal at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea.
  2. Select the recruitment notification for Prisons and Correctional Services (Kalyana Karnataka Cadre) Advt. No. ED/KEA/23/RECT/2026 (K.K.).
  3. Register online and fill in personal, educational, reservation, and Article 371J eligibility certificate details between 19.09.2026 and 15.10.2026.
  4. Upload scanned passport photograph, signature, and required certificates.
  5. Pay the application fee online through Net Banking / UPI / Debit Card on or before 16.10.2026.
  6. Download and retain the printout of the submitted application form for verification during PST/ET.

Application Fee & Category Concessions

Online Application Fee:
General Merit & Categories 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B: ₹750/-
SC / ST / Category-1 / Ex-Servicemen / Transgender: ₹500/-

Official Notification & Portal Verification

Direct links to the authorized government portal, official notification PDF, and career portal.

Verified Official Domain
Visit Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions & Crucial Aspirant Queries

5 Queries Resolved

Clear, verified answers to top eligibility, exam format, salary calculation, and application queries for this notification.

Online applications open on 19 September 2026 and close on 15 October 2026. The last date to pay the application fee online is 16 October 2026.

Sarkari Job Khojo is an independent information service and job discovery platform. All recruitment insights, syllabi, previous year exam cutoffs, and selection stages are compiled from official government notifications, gazettes, and recruitment portals. We are not affiliated with, authorized by, or an official representative of any government agency or recruitment board. Always verify details in the official advertisement PDF before applying.

Join TelegramJoin WhatsApp