The State Bank of India has released the SBI Clerk 2026 notification for a Special Recruitment Drive covering 1538 Junior Associate (Customer Support & Sales) backlog vacancies. Issued under Advertisement No. CRPD/CR/SPLDRIVE/2026-27/16 on 07 August 2026, this drive is exclusively meant to fill posts reserved for SC, ST, and OBC candidates across various SBI circles. The online application window opened the same day, and candidates can apply through the official careers page.
Important Dates of SBI Clerk 2026
- Notification release: 07 August 2026
- Online registration start: 07 August 2026
- Last date to apply: 27 August 2026
- Preliminary exam: expected in September 2026 (tentative)
- Main exam: expected in October–November 2026 (tentative)
Since this is a backlog drive rather than the regular annual SBI Clerk recruitment, candidates are advised to complete registration well before the closing date, as no extension has been indicated so far.
Vacancy Breakup
The 1538 vacancies under this Junior Associate recruitment are distributed category-wise as follows:
- ST category: 1219 posts
- SC category: 207 posts
- OBC category: 112 posts
These posts are spread across different States and Union Territories, and candidates can apply for only one State/UT. There is no provision for inter-circle or inter-state transfer after selection, barring a few permitted intra-state exceptions.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must hold a graduation degree in any discipline from a recognised university; final-year candidates may also apply provisionally, subject to proof of passing on or before 31 December 2026. The prescribed age limit is 20 to 28 years as on 01 April 2026, with standard government age relaxation applicable for reserved categories. Local language proficiency for the State/UT being applied to is mandatory, and this recruitment is open only to candidates belonging to the SC, ST, or OBC categories, since it targets backlog reservation vacancies.
Application Fee and How to Apply
- OBC candidates: Rs. 750/-
- SC, ST, PwBD, and Ex-Servicemen candidates: exempted from fee
To apply for SBI Clerk 2026, candidates should visit sbi.bank.in, register with a valid email ID and mobile number, and fill in personal, educational, and category details. This should be followed by uploading a photograph, signature, and other required documents, paying the applicable fee online, and submitting the form after verification. A printout of the confirmation should be retained for future reference.
