The Karnataka Examinations Authority has released the KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026 notification for Agriculture Officer and Assistant Agriculture Officer posts in the Karnataka Agriculture Department. The recruitment drive covers both RPC and Kalyana Karnataka cadre vacancies, with a total of 945 posts notified through the two official Kannada recruitment PDFs.
Candidates can apply online through the KEA portal at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea. The online application process started on May 30, 2026, and the last date to submit the KEA AO AAO application form 2026 is June 20, 2026. The last date for fee payment is June 22, 2026.
Table of Contents
KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026 Overview
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Recruitment | KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026 |
| Authority | Karnataka Examinations Authority |
| Department | Karnataka Agriculture Department |
| Posts | Agriculture Officer, Assistant Agriculture Officer |
| Total Vacancies | 945 |
| Cadres | RPC and Kalyana Karnataka |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Application Start Date | May 30, 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | June 20, 2026 |
| Last Date for Fee Payment | June 22, 2026 |
| Official Website | cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea |
| Exam Mode | Offline OMR Type |
Vacancy Details Announced for AO and AAO Posts
As per the KEA Agriculture Officer Recruitment 2026 notification, the vacancies have been released separately for Residual Parent Cadre and Kalyana Karnataka cadre. The RPC notification mentions 670 posts plus 2 Hyderabad-Karnataka/local cadre posts, while the Kalyana Karnataka notification mentions 257 posts plus 16 local cadre posts.
| Cadre | AO Vacancies | AAO Vacancies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| RPC | 86 | 586 | 672 |
| Kalyana Karnataka | 42 | 231 | 273 |
| Total | 128 | 817 | 945 |
The recruitment includes posts under both the 85% and 15% qualification categories. Candidates should check the exact post-wise and category-wise reservation breakup in the official notification before applying.
Important Dates for KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Date | May 30, 2026 |
| Online Application Starts | May 30, 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply Online | June 20, 2026 |
| Last Date to Pay Application Fee | June 22, 2026 |
| Kannada Language Test for KK Cadre | July 25, 2026 |
| Kannada Language Test for RPC Cadre | July 26, 2026 |
For both cadre notifications, the Kannada language paper is scheduled in two sessions. Paper 1 will be held from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, while Paper 2 will be held from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM.
Eligibility Criteria for KEA Agriculture Officer and AAO Posts
For Agriculture Officer posts under the 85% category, candidates should generally have a B.Sc. Agriculture or B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture qualification. For the 15% category, the notification lists agriculture-allied technical qualifications such as B.Tech or relevant degree streams in agriculture-related disciplines.
For Assistant Agriculture Officer posts, B.Sc. Agriculture or B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture is listed for the 85% category. The 15% category includes agriculture and allied subject qualifications as specified in the notification.
The prescribed age limit is 40 years for general candidates, 43 years for 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B category candidates, and 45 years for SC, ST and Category-1 candidates. Other age relaxation rules will apply as per Karnataka government norms.
Salary Details
Selected candidates for Agriculture Officer posts will receive salary in the pay scale of ₹69,250 to ₹1,34,200. For Assistant Agriculture Officer posts, the pay scale is ₹65,950 to ₹1,24,900.
These pay scales make the KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026 one of the major Karnataka government job opportunities for agriculture graduates and candidates from agriculture-allied academic backgrounds.
Application Fee
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General and 2A/2B/3A/3B candidates | ₹750 |
| SC/ST/Category-1/Ex-servicemen and eligible reserved candidates | ₹500 |
| Persons with Disabilities | ₹250 |
Candidates should pay the fee only through the prescribed online/payment method mentioned by KEA. Applications without successful fee payment before the deadline may not be accepted.
Selection Process
The selection process for KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026 will be based on a competitive written examination conducted in offline OMR mode. The exam will include objective-type questions, and candidates will have to mark answers on the OMR sheet.
The notification also mentions a Kannada language test requirement for applicable candidates. The Kannada paper is qualifying in nature, and candidates must satisfy the language eligibility condition as per KEA rules.
After the written examination, shortlisted candidates will be called for document verification. Final selection will be made according to merit, reservation rules, eligibility verification and other conditions prescribed in the official notification.
How to Apply for KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026
Candidates can apply online for KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026 by following these steps:
- Visit cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea.
- Open the KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026 application link.
- Complete registration and log in.
- Fill in personal, educational and category details.
- Upload the required documents, photo and signature.
- Pay the application fee online.
- Submit the form and download the confirmation page.
- Keep a printout for future reference.
