DRDO NPOL Consultant Level-11 Recruitment 2026

DRDO NPOL Consultant Recruitment 2026: Overview

The Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) lab at Thrikkakara, Kochi, is looking for a retired government official to work as a technical Consultant under Post Code 2026/NPOL/380. The work centres on NPOL's anti-vibration mounts for Navy ships — testing them, writing their technical documents and helping hand the technology over to industry. Only people who have already retired from government, a PSU, an autonomous body, a university or a government R&D lab can apply, and anyone who has worked in DRDO before gets preference.

Posts and Disciplines

The Terms of Reference accept two technical backgrounds for this single consultancy:

• Chemistry or Materials Science: an M.Sc holder who has developed and tested anti-vibration materials.
• Composites and smart mounts: someone with the NPTEL course in Composite Manufacturing and hands-on work in composite fabrication, magnetorheological (MR) mounts and shear-thickening-fluid mounts, including their testing and documentation.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Tenure: The engagement starts for one year and can be extended as per norms; NPOL expects the work to take about two years.
• Gap after retirement: You must have at least a 15-day gap between your retirement and joining as Consultant.
• Pension continues: If you draw a pension, you keep it along with dearness relief; this engagement is not treated as re-employment.
• Fixed pay, no increments: Your monthly amount stays the same for the whole contract, with no annual increase.
• No other benefits: You get no DA, transport, housing, personal staff, CGHS or medical reimbursement; official tours are paid at the TA/DA rate of the pay level you retired from.
• Working hours: You follow the lab's hours and may be called on holidays or after hours without extra benefits or leave.
• Leave: Paid leave builds up at 1.5 days per completed month, but unused leave usually does not carry beyond the calendar year.
• Conduct: You sign a contract agreement and a non-disclosure agreement, follow government conduct rules, and cannot take up private work that conflicts with government interest.

Application Submission Notes

Fill the application in the Annexure-III format (the Word form on DRDO's vacancy page) and attach a signed copy of the Terms of Reference (Annexure-I) as your eligibility declaration, plus self-attested copies of your documents. Post it to The Director, NPOL (DRDO), Thrikkakara P.O., Kochi - 682 021, or email the full set to admin.npol@gov.in. The advertisement says applications must reach NPOL within 21 days of its publication.

• Carry out QAP tests on anti-vibration mounts as per trial needs and prepare installation manuals
• Help finalise Transfer of Technology (ToT) documents for the NAVEM, RAVM, CAVM, MR Mount and NAM series
• Prepare technology-categorisation documents as per DRDO guidelines
• Coordinate with the directorate to form Technical Assessment and Cost Evaluation Committees (TAC/CEC)
• Assist in selecting industry partners under the DRDO ToT Policy 2025
• Generate test results and write Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP) documents
• Finalise Licensing Agreements for ToT and support industry in absorbing the technology