Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), a Maharatna central public sector undertaking, has invited applications for around 500 apprentices in its Pipelines Division under the Apprentices Act, 1961. The notification, Advertisement No. PL/HR/ESTB/APPR (2026) dated 6 November 2026, covers seven trades across five pipeline regions of the country — Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern and South Eastern. For candidates from Haryana, the Northern Region Pipelines (NRPL) offers 29 seats at Ambala, Kohand, Panipat and Rewari. Online applications are open from 6 November to 5 December 2026, and there is no written test or interview: selection is purely merit-based, on the percentage of marks in the qualifying examination.
Key facts
| Organisation | Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Pipelines Division |
| Advertisement No. | PL/HR/ESTB/APPR (2026), dated 06.11.2026 |
| Post | Technician Apprentice, Trade Apprentice, Data Entry Operator |
| Total seats | Around 500 (tentative) |
| Training period | 12 months |
| Age limit | 18 to 24 years (as on 30.11.2026) |
| Application mode | Online (NATS/NAPS portal + IOCL Pipelines portal) |
| Last date to apply | 5 December 2026 |
Region-wise seats
The notice gives seats by region only; the trade-wise break-up is not printed. The five regional totals add up to 500.
| Eastern Region Pipelines (ERPL) | 116 |
| Western Region Pipelines (WRPL) | 149 |
| Northern Region Pipelines (NRPL) | 110 |
| Southern Region Pipelines (SRPL) | 46 |
| South Eastern Region Pipelines (SERPL) | 79 |
| Total | 500 |
In the Northern Region, Haryana has 29 seats — Ambala, Kohand, Panipat and Rewari. The region also covers Delhi (13), Himachal Pradesh (5), Punjab (21), Rajasthan (5), Uttar Pradesh (32) and Uttarakhand (5).
Trades and eligibility
| Technician Apprentice (Mechanical) | Three-year full-time Diploma in Mechanical or Automobile Engineering |
| Technician Apprentice (Electrical) | Three-year full-time Diploma in Electrical or Electrical & Electronics Engineering |
| Technician Apprentice (Telecommunication & Instrumentation) | Three-year full-time Diploma in Electronics & Communication / Electronics & Telecommunication / Electronics & Radio Communication / Instrumentation & Control / Instrumentation & Process Control / Electronics Engineering |
| Trade Apprentice (Assistant-Human Resource) | Full-time Bachelor degree (Graduation) in any discipline |
| Trade Apprentice (Accountant) | Full-time Bachelor degree (Graduation) in Commerce |
| Data Entry Operator (Fresher Apprentices) | Minimum 12th pass (but below Graduate) |
| Domestic Data Entry Operator (Skill Certificate Holders) | Minimum 12th pass (but below Graduate) + Skill Certificate of ‘Domestic Data Entry Operator’ |
The qualification must already be passed by 30 November 2026; candidates whose result is awaited on that date are not eligible. Graduate and Diploma qualifications must be regular full-time courses with at least 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ST and PwBD candidates against reserved posts). Qualifications acquired through part-time, correspondence or distance education are not accepted. Candidates with higher professional qualifications such as BE/B.Tech., MBA, CA, LLB or MCA, those who have already undergone apprenticeship training, and those with one year or more of training or job experience after the qualification are not eligible.
Age limit
The age must be between 18 and 24 years as on 30 November 2026. The upper age limit is relaxed by up to 5 years for SC/ST candidates, 3 years for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) candidates and 10 years for PwBD candidates (with a further 5 years for PwBD candidates belonging to SC/ST and 3 years for PwBD-OBC (NCL)).
Important dates
| Notification issued | 6 November 2026 |
| Online applications open | 6 November 2026 |
| Cut-off date for age and qualification | 30 November 2026 |
| Last date to apply online | 5 December 2026 |
Stipend and application fee
The stipend is payable as prescribed under the Apprentices Act, 1961/1973, the Apprentices Rules 1992/2019 and the Corporation’s guidelines — the notification does not specify the amount. No application fee is mentioned in the official notification. Apart from the monthly stipend, no other benefit such as accommodation, HRA, conveyance or medical facility is admissible. Please note this is a 12-month apprenticeship, not a permanent job: on completion of training, the Corporation has no obligation to offer employment.
Selection process
Selection is through a Panel cum Merit List prepared on the percentage of marks in the essential qualification, in descending order. There is no written test or personal interview. In case of a tie, the older candidate is preferred; if the date of birth is also the same, the candidate with the higher percentage in Matriculation is preferred. Shortlisted candidates then go through document verification and medical fitness, and the list of provisionally selected candidates is published on the IOCL website.
How to apply
- First register on the NATS or NAPS portal for your trade — NAPS (apprenticeshipindia.gov.in) for Data Entry Operator posts, NATS (nats.education.gov.in) for all other trades.
- Apply for the IOCL opening on the NATS/NAPS portal using the Establishment ID of your region, between 6 November and 5 December 2026.
- Then complete Part-I and Part-II registration on the IOCL Pipelines portal, plapps.indianoilpipelines.in, using the same email ID and mobile number as on NATS/NAPS.
- In Part-II, upload a scanned colour photograph (20–50 KB, JPG) and signature in black ink (10–30 KB, JPG), enter your educational details and submit.
- Mention your NAPS/NATS registration/enrolment number on the IOCL Pipelines portal and complete the application by 5 December 2026.
- Take a printout of the filled-in online application for future reference.
| Region | NATS Establishment ID | NAPS Establishment ID |
| Eastern Region Pipelines (ERPL) | EWBKOC000079 | E11181900005 |
| Western Region Pipelines (WRPL) | WGJRAC000006 | E11182400087 |
| Northern Region Pipelines (NRPL) | NHRPPC000001 | E12180600006 |
| Southern Region Pipelines (SRPL) | STNCHC000040 | E12183300008 |
| South Eastern Region Pipelines (SERPL) | EORBBSC000001 | E02252100002 |
A candidate can apply for one Trade Code only; applications for more than one Trade Code will be summarily rejected.
Important links
| Detail | Link |
| Official notification PDF | Official notification PDF |
| IOCL Apprenticeships page | IOCL Apprenticeships page |
| IOCL Pipelines application portal | IOCL Pipelines application portal |
| NATS portal (Technician/Trade Apprentice) | NATS portal |
| NAPS portal (Data Entry Operator) | NAPS portal |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many seats are there in the IOCL Pipelines Apprentice Recruitment 2026?
Around 500 seats — ERPL 116, WRPL 149, NRPL 110, SRPL 46 and SERPL 79. The seats are tentative and are not split trade-wise in the notice. - How many IOCL Apprentice seats are there in Haryana?
There are 29 seats in Haryana under the Northern Region Pipelines — at Ambala, Kohand, Panipat and Rewari. - What is the last date to apply for IOCL Apprentice 2026?
The last date for submission of the online application is 5 December 2026. Applications opened on 6 November 2026. - Who can apply for the IOCL Pipelines Apprentice posts?
Diploma holders (Technician Apprentice), graduates (Trade Apprentice) and 12th pass candidates (Data Entry Operator) can apply. The age must be 18–24 years as on 30 November 2026. - Is there a written test or interview for the IOCL Apprentice posts?
No. Selection is by a Panel cum Merit List based on the percentage of marks in the essential qualification, followed by document verification and medical fitness. - What is the stipend for IOCL apprentices?
The notification does not specify the amount — the stipend is payable as prescribed under the Apprentices Act and the Corporation’s guidelines.
Next Action
Read the official notification and apply online before 5 December 2026 at https://plapps.indianoilpipelines.in/ (after registering on NATS/NAPS first).
Read the official notification before applying.
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