The largest chunk of the latest recruitment drive is to fill up 244 Level-4 administrative posts through the Isro Centralised Recruitment Board (ICRB)

BENGALURU: The department of space (DoS) and Isro have launched one of their widest recruitment drives in recent years, announcing 746 openings across scientists, administrative staff and apprentices over the past week, at least 43 of which are against âbacklog vacanciesâ.

The largest chunk of the latest recruitment drive is to fill up 244 Level-4 administrative posts through the Isro Centralised Recruitment Board (ICRB). These include 113 assistants, 81 junior personal assistants, 22 upper division clerks, 10 stenographers, 17 assistants for autonomous institutions and one junior personal assistant for an autonomous institution.

Electronics accounts for the largest share with 34 vacancies, followed by mechanical (26), computer science (13), civil (10), electrical (4), refrigeration & air-conditioning (2), architecture (2) and one civil engineer post at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad.

The latest recruitment is unlikely to substantially alter DoSâ staffing profile in the immediate future. Even after excluding apprenticeship positions, the 336 regular vacancies now advertised amount to less than 6% of the department's existing 5,632 vacancies documented earlier this year.

Chethan Kumar is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India. Aside from specialising in Space & Science, he has reported extensively on varied topics, with special focus on defence, policy and data stories. He has covered multiple elections, too. As a young democracy grows out of adolescence, Chethan feels, there are reels of tales emerging which need to be captured. To do this, he alternates between the mundane goings-on of the Common Man and the wonder-filled worlds of scientists and scamsters, politicians and soldiers. In a career spanning nearly 18 years, he has reported from multiple datelines â Houston, Florida, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Sriharikota (AP), NH-1 (J&K Highway), New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Raichur, Bhatkal, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, to name a few â but is based out of Bengaluru, Indiaâs science capital that also hosts the ISRO HQ.