Junior Research Fellow in Wheat Genetics: Karnal Bunt Resistance (DBT Project), ICAR-IARI New Delhi
Job Description
ICAR-IARI’s Division of Genetics in New Delhi is recruiting a Junior Research Fellow (JRF) in wheat genetics for a DBT-funded project (24-895) that maps resistance to Karnal bunt in newly identified durum wheat lines, with the aim of moving it into bread wheat.
At a glance
- Position: Junior Research Fellow (one post)
- Where: Division of Genetics, ICAR-IARI, Pusa Campus, New Delhi
- Pay: Rs 37,000 per month plus 27% HRA
- Duration: one year or until the project ends, whichever is earlier
- Apply by: 30 September 2026, 5:30 PM, by email
The project is titled “Genomic Dissection of Karnal Bunt Resistance in RILs of Newly Identified Durum Wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) Accessions through quantitative trait locus sequencing for Introgression into Bread Wheat”. Karnal bunt is a fungal disease of the wheat grain, and resistance found in durum wheat has to be located with markers before breeders can transfer it into bread wheat, the main wheat grown in India. QTL sequencing, the method in the title, uses recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and sequencing to find the parts of the genome linked to resistance.
Why this role matters
Karnal bunt lowers grain quality and is a quarantine concern in the wheat trade, so reliable sources of resistance are valuable to breeders. A JRF on this project learns mapping populations, sequencing-based trait mapping and disease work, a strong base for a PhD in plant breeding or genetics.
About the JRF wheat genetics post at IARI
- Field and laboratory work on recombinant inbred lines of durum wheat for the Karnal bunt study
- Molecular work linked to gene mapping and quantitative trait locus sequencing, as the project title describes
- Recording and analysing data, documentation and compiling reports, which the advertisement lists among the desired experience
The advertisement does not list day-to-day duties; the points above follow from the project title and the experience it asks for.
Eligibility
- A postgraduate degree in basic science, or a graduate or postgraduate degree in a professional course such as a master’s in genetics, plant breeding, genetics and plant breeding, or agricultural biotechnology
- Selection through a national test: CSIR-UGC NET (including lectureship or assistant professorship) or GATE, or a national-level examination run by central government departments and agencies such as DST, DBT, DAE, DOS, DRDO, MoE, ICAR, ICMR, IIT, IISc, IISER or NISER
- Desirable: experience in crop genetics and breeding, field and laboratory experiments, data analysis and reporting, with preference for research experience in wheat diseases, molecular biology, gene mapping and statistics
- Age: at most 35 years (five years’ relaxation for SC/ST and women, three years for OBC) and at least 18 on the date of interview
Only candidates who meet the essential qualifications are considered, and no TA/DA is paid. The post is temporary and ends with the project, with no claim to a regular post at ICAR or IARI. Candidates who have a relative working at ICAR or IARI must declare it in writing; the advertisement says such candidates will not be allowed to appear in the interview. The same advertisement also invites a Field Worker; this listing covers only the JRF post.
Pay and duration
- Rs 37,000 per month plus 27% HRA, under the DST office memorandum the advertisement cites
- Contractual for one year or until the project ends, whichever is earlier
How to apply
Fill in the application format attached to the advertisement and email it, with self-attested scans of your certificates from matriculation onwards, date-of-birth proof, NET or equivalent certificate, degree certificate, proof of experience and publications, a recent photograph and the signed declaration, as one single PDF file to wheatcereallab.iari@gmail.com by 5:30 PM on 30 September 2026. Applications not sent as a single file are rejected. Eligible candidates are told the interview details by email; the advertisement says the interview will be held online. Original documents are checked at appointment.
Key dates
- Advertisement posted on the IARI jobs page on 15 September 2026
- Last date: 30 September 2026, 5:30 PM
- Interview: online, date and time sent by email to eligible candidates
Please read the official ICAR-IARI advertisement (Division of Genetics) before applying, and browse more Junior Research Fellow jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI)
Official advertisement: iari.res.in
How to prepare for this application
- Know the disease: revise Karnal bunt of wheat: the pathogen, how infection happens at flowering, how it is scored, and why it matters for seed certification and trade.
- Mapping methods: be ready to explain RILs, bulked segregant analysis and QTL-seq, and how a QTL becomes a marker breeders can use.
- Durum to bread wheat: think through how resistance moves from durum (tetraploid) into bread wheat (hexaploid) and what makes that hard.
- Data skills: show any statistics or R work you have done, such as ANOVA, heritability or QTL mapping software.
- Clean application: merge the form, certificates, NET proof and declaration into one well-ordered PDF; a split application is rejected.
About ICAR-IARI
The ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), widely known as the Pusa Institute, is the flagship research and teaching institute of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), based on the Pusa campus in New Delhi. It is a deemed university whose Graduate School trains master's and PhD students, and its divisions cover crop improvement, plant protection, horticulture, natural resources and agricultural technology. Its breeding programmes have released many varieties of wheat, rice, pulses, vegetables and fruit. Project fellowships at IARI are a common first step into agricultural research and PhD programmes.
