Exam to be held offline in 22 subjects; eligibility as per UGC and CSIR norms
The Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) has invited online applications for the State Eligibility Test (SET). Eligible candidates can apply through the commission’s official website till January 30, after which the application link will be deactivated.
The State Eligibility Test is conducted to determine eligibility for appointment as Assistant Professors in universities and colleges across Himachal Pradesh. For SET-2026, the commission has finalised 22 subjects, including Chemical Sciences, English, Life Sciences, Commerce, Economics, Geography, Hindi, History, Mathematical Sciences, Music, Physical Sciences, Physical Education, Sociology, Sanskrit, Political Science, Public Administration, Computer Science and Applications, Tourism Administration and Management, Mass Communication and Journalism, Psychology, Education and Environment Sciences.
HPPSC has stated that the syllabus for the examination will be strictly in accordance with the guidelines prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The detailed syllabus is available for download on the commission’s website.
As per the eligibility conditions, candidates belonging to the General, Unreserved and General-EWS categories must have secured at least 55 per cent marks in their Master’s degree, while candidates from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes (non-creamy layer) and Persons with Disability categories of Himachal Pradesh must have a minimum of 50 per cent marks. The qualifying degree should be from a UGC-recognised university or institution.
Candidates who are pursuing their Master’s degree, have appeared in the final year examination, or whose results are awaited, are also eligible to apply. However, such candidates will be admitted provisionally and must complete their postgraduate degree within two years from the date of declaration of the SET result with the required percentage of marks, failing which their candidature will be treated as disqualified.
The SET-2026 examination will be conducted in offline mode only, as per the schedule to be notified later. Examination centres have been proposed at Shimla, Solan, Mandi, Kangra at Dharamshala, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Nahan, Una, Kullu and Chamba, subject to the number of candidates applying.
The commission has clarified that candidates are not required to submit any certificates, documents or a printout of the application form at the time of registration. All applications will be accepted provisionally on the basis of information provided online. In case any incorrect information or ineligibility is detected at any stage, the candidature will be cancelled, and the candidate may face legal action. The SET certificates will be issued only on the basis of details furnished in the online application form.
