DEPwD Director Recruitment 2026

DEPwD Director Recruitment 2026: Overview

Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, is choosing Directors for its national disability and rehabilitation institutes. These are senior leadership assignments covering education, clinical rehabilitation, research, training and institutional administration. The department will first consider serving officers for deputation; the contract route comes into play only when a suitable deputation candidate is not available. You should see this as an institute-head role rather than a routine administrative posting, with responsibility for linking professional services, academic programmes and public policy. The institutes serve different disability groups, but every Director must balance national standards with the practical needs of students, patients, families and professional teams.

Posts and Disciplines

• Visual disability services, Dehradun: lead the national institute working on education, skills, assistive support and rehabilitation for persons with visual disabilities.
• Multiple disabilities services, Chennai: guide a multidisciplinary institute where clinical, educational and community teams work together for people with multiple disabilities.
• Rehabilitation training and research, Cuttack: head an institute that combines professional training, research and rehabilitation services.
• Physical disability services, New Delhi: oversee a national institute focused on physical rehabilitation, professional education and related support programmes.
• Locomotor disability services, Kolkata: direct clinical, training and outreach work for persons with locomotor disabilities.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Mode priority: contract appointment will be considered only if the deputation route does not produce a suitable candidate.
• Contract tenure: the initial term is three years and may be extended up to five years under applicable Department of Personnel and Training norms.
• Contract benefits: contract appointees receive consolidated pay and do not receive House Rent Allowance or Travelling Allowance.
• Separate institute choices: you may apply to more than one institute, but each institute needs a separate application and supporting demand draft.
• Shortlisting: meeting the minimum conditions does not guarantee an interview; only shortlisted applicants will be called.
• Withdrawal: the forwarding department should release a selected officer, and a forwarded candidature cannot be withdrawn after selection.

Application Submission Notes

Send the prescribed form through the proper channel, where applicable, to Shri Ashish Thakare, Director, DEPwD, Room No. 517A, 5th Floor, Pt. Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003. An advance copy may be considered, but the duly forwarded version with the required records must arrive before the selection interview. If you choose more than one institute, prepare a separate form and separate demand draft for every choice.

• Lead the institute's rehabilitation, education, training and research programmes
• Set annual priorities and monitor delivery across clinical, academic and administrative teams
• Manage budgets, staff, infrastructure and statutory compliance
• Build partnerships with government departments, universities and disability-sector organizations
• Review service quality and expand accessible support for persons with disabilities
• Guide research, professional training and community outreach initiatives
• Report institutional performance and policy needs to DEPwD