Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Sunday that the state government will refund examination fees to candidates who do not qualify in the recently conducted Grade III and Grade IV recruitment examinations. The Chief Minister also indicated that the results for these examinations are expected to be declared within a month.

This decision offers significant relief to thousands of job aspirants across Assam, reinforcing the government’s commitment to transparency and fairness in its recruitment processes. The move ensures that candidates who invested in application fees but were not successful will have their financial outlay returned, a policy previously implemented in earlier recruitment drives.

What was announced

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, speaking to the media on Sunday, August 2, 2026, confirmed the state government’s intention to refund the examination fees to unsuccessful candidates of the Grade III and Grade IV recruitment exams. He stated that the examinations were conducted smoothly across all centres in the state, with no reports of misconduct.

The Chief Minister further added that efforts are underway to declare the results of these examinations within approximately one month. He clarified that the fees would be returned to the respective bank accounts of the candidates who did not qualify, while the fees of successful candidates would be retained by the government.

Why it matters

The fee refund policy is a crucial measure that directly benefits a large number of job seekers in Assam. Government recruitment examinations typically attract lakhs of applicants, and the application fees, while often modest, can accumulate for individuals appearing in multiple tests. By refunding fees to non-qualifying candidates, the government alleviates a financial burden and demonstrates a candidate-centric approach to public employment.

This initiative also underscores the Assam government’s broader agenda of establishing a transparent and corruption-free recruitment system. Chief Minister Sarma has consistently emphasised a merit-based approach, aiming to eliminate middlemen and ensure that jobs are secured solely through qualification and effort.

Background

The Assam government has undertaken significant reforms in its public recruitment processes, particularly through the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination (ADRE). These examinations are conducted by the State Level Recruitment Commission (SLRC) to fill Grade III and Grade IV posts across various state government departments. The government’s commitment to providing one lakh government jobs was a key promise during the 2021 assembly elections, a target that has since been surpassed.

In previous recruitment cycles, such as those for approximately 26,442 Grade III and Grade IV posts in 2022, the Chief Minister had made similar announcements regarding fee refunds for unsuccessful candidates. The examinations for these posts were held on August 21, August 28, and September 11, 2022, attracting around 14 lakh applicants, with about nine lakh appearing for the Grade III tests.

The government has also introduced measures like the Assam Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2024, to ensure the integrity of examinations, imposing severe penalties for malpractice. This legislative backing further solidifies the state’s resolve for fair recruitment.

More recently, the ADRE 2.0 recruitment drive for 12,673 posts saw written examinations in September and October 2024, with results declared in March 2025 and final results in October 2025. The government is also preparing for ADRE 3.0, expected to announce between 10,000 to 15,000 vacancies in 2026, as part of its “Mission 2 Lakh Govt Jobs” initiative.

Key details

The Chief Minister’s recent announcement on August 2, 2026, reiterates a policy of refunding examination fees for candidates who do not qualify for the Grade III and Grade IV posts. This policy applies to the fees paid by candidates to appear in these specific examinations. The refund process is expected to route the fees back to the bank accounts from which the initial payment was made.

While the exact number of vacancies for the examinations related to this specific announcement was not detailed in the Chief Minister’s recent remarks, previous ADRE cycles have involved thousands of posts. For instance, ADRE 2.0 offered 7,650 Grade III and 5,023 Grade IV posts.

The results for the current cycle of Grade III and Grade IV recruitment exams are anticipated within one month from the date of the announcement.

What’s next

Candidates who appeared for the recent Grade III and Grade IV recruitment examinations should monitor official government portals for the declaration of results within the next month. Following the result announcement, details regarding the fee refund process for unsuccessful candidates are expected to be released. The Assam government remains committed to its broader goal of providing two lakh government jobs to the youth of the state over the next five years, with ongoing efforts to map vacancies across various departments.

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