Goa SSC Recruitment 2026: 32 Food Safety Officer and Veterinary Assistant Posts, Apply Online by 30 October

The Goa Staff Selection Commission (GSSC) has issued Advertisement No. 4 of Year 2026, a brief advertisement dated 30 September 2026, for 32 Group 'C' posts in Government of Goa departments: 5 Food Safety Officers and 27 Veterinary Assistants. Applications are online only. The application portal will be available by 9 October 2026 and the last date is 30 October 2026. Selection is by a GSSC examination, with the date to be announced later.

Goa SSC Advertisement No. 4 of 2026 at a glance

Important dates

The window that matters is short. If the portal opens on 9 October, you get three weeks to register, fill the form and pay the fee. The brief advertisement itself says the vacancies are tentative and that the exact numbers will be in the detailed advertisement, so read that document before you pay.

Post-wise vacancies and reservation

All 5 Food Safety Officer posts are unreserved. Of the 27 Veterinary Assistant posts, 1 is reserved for a Person with Benchmark Disability (PwD) in the locomotor group: locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy. The PwD post is not an extra post; it sits inside the 27.

How reserved posts are counted

GSSC's standing instructions explain that reservation for SC, ST, OBC, EWS, PwD, ex-servicemen and other special categories follows the orders of the Government of Goa. You pick your category when you apply and cannot change it later. The Commission only fills the vacancies the department reports; the roster and the split between categories are decided by the appointing department.

An SC, ST or OBC candidate who makes the unreserved merit list without any relaxation is counted against an unreserved post. If you used a relaxed standard such as the age concession, you are counted only against a reserved post. Paying the lower fee does not count as a relaxation for this purpose.

Eligibility

The brief advertisement does not print the qualification for either post. GSSC says the essential qualifications are those in the Recruitment Rules of each post, as sent by the appointing department, and they will be set out in the detailed advertisement. Two conditions from the Commission's instructions apply to every GSSC post, including these two:

• Residence: you must have been a resident of Goa for the last 15 years and hold a certificate issued by the competent authority.
• Cut-off date: qualification, age and experience are judged as on the last date of application, so your degree or certificate must be complete by 30 October 2026, and your caste certificate must be valid on that date.

You must hold all qualification and experience certificates in original on the date you apply. The advertisement also warns that ineligible candidates should not apply and that the Commission will take strict action against those who do.

Percentage from CGPA

The online form asks for the percentage of marks for each qualification. If your university awards grades, GSSC tells you to convert them using the AICTE/UGC table of equivalence it publishes:

GSSC states that an application not following this rule may be rejected.

Age limit and relaxation

The upper age limit for each post will be in the detailed advertisement. The relaxation rules that GSSC applies to every recruitment are already published:

A PwD candidate gets the relaxation whether or not the post is reserved, as long as the post is identified as suitable for persons with disabilities. If you are both PwD and a departmental employee, you get whichever of the two relaxations helps you more, not both.

Application fee

The fee depends on your category and on the pay level of the post under the CCS (Revised Pay) Rules 2016. The pay level of each post will appear in the detailed advertisement; check it before you pay.

You can pay by internet banking, debit card or UPI at no extra charge. A credit card payment carries the charges shown on the payment gateway. The fee is not refundable, an application without the fee is rejected, and once the fee is paid the form is locked: no editing is allowed after that.

Selection process

The brief advertisement says only that the examination date will be announced through the Commission's website and in a local daily. GSSC's general rules on selection, which apply to this advertisement, are:

1. Examination: candidates are ranked post by post on the marks they score in the GSSC examination.
2. Primary shortlist: the list holds the number of vacancies plus 25%, or two candidates, whichever is higher, in each category.
3. PwD and ex-servicemen first: candidates in these groups are picked first on merit and then adjusted against their own category (UR, ST, SC or OBC). If no PwD candidate is available, that post is deducted from the unreserved count.
4. Unreserved list, then reserved lists: the unreserved list is drawn in descending order of marks, and the reserved category lists follow.
5. Wait list: a separate wait list of up to 40% of the vacancies, or five candidates, whichever is higher, is kept for each category. It is used only when a selected candidate declines or is found ineligible, and it lapses once the next exam for the post is announced or after one year, whichever comes first.
6. Placement: the Commission decides which department each selected candidate goes to, roughly in proportion to the posts in each department, in order of merit. Requests to change the department are not accepted.
7. Before appointment: a medical test prescribed by the government, a check of your antecedents and verification of your certificates by the appointing department.

Being called for the examination does not mean you are eligible. If GSSC finds at any stage that you lack the essential qualification, your candidature is cancelled.

How to apply online

1. Wait for the detailed advertisement, due by 9 October 2026, and check the qualification, age limit and pay level of the post you want.
2. Go to gssc.goa.gov.in and register. Note down the User ID and Password the system generates.
3. Scan a passport size photograph and your signature in jpeg or jpg format, each under 1MB.
4. Fill every column of the form. Give the percentage of marks for each qualification, converting CGPA with the table above.
5. If you want both posts, submit a separate application for each.
6. Pay the fee online. The form is final once the fee is paid.
7. Submit before 30 October 2026. Do not post the printout to the Commission; it is not needed.

For trouble with the portal or the payment, GSSC gives the helpline numbers 8530499686 and 7020580397 and the email [email protected]. Calls and emails to the Commission's own office numbers are not answered for these issues.

If you are already in government service

Apply directly, but tell your Head of Office at once and ask him to send his permission to the Commission. If the department wants to withhold permission, it must tell GSSC within 30 days of the closing date. Once your application has been forwarded, the department must release you if you are selected, except in exceptional circumstances.

Documents to keep ready

Only a photograph and a signature are uploaded with the form. GSSC can ask for more at any stage and drops candidates who do not send them in time. Going by its eligibility rules, these are the papers your claim will rest on:

• Certificate of residence in Goa for the last 15 years from the competent authority.
• Qualification certificates and mark sheets for the post, in original.
• SC, ST or OBC certificate as per Government of Goa notifications, valid on 30 October 2026.
• PwD certificate from the competent authority, for the reserved Veterinary Assistant post.
• Ex-servicemen: discharge certificate, release certificate or pension payment order, or a Regional Sainik Board certificate.
• Meritorious sportspersons: Form 4 issued by the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Goa; no other certificate is accepted.
• Children of freedom fighters: the certificate from the competent authority.
• Proof of a change of name, such as a marriage certificate, if your documents show different names.

Points to check before you apply

• Food Safety Officer is unreserved: all 5 posts are UR, so reserved category applicants compete on open merit for this post.
• Veterinary Assistant has the wider spread: 27 posts, with 4 for ST, 1 for SC, 7 for OBC and 2 for EWS.
• Numbers can change: the brief advertisement calls the vacancies tentative.
• The 15 year residence rule: without the residence certificate you are not eligible for any GSSC post.
• No changes after payment: check your category, marks and post before you pay.

Official links

• Advertisement No. 4 of Year 2026 (brief advertisement, PDF)
• GSSC Instructions to Candidates (PDF)
• Goa Staff Selection Commission: apply online and detailed advertisement

FAQs

When can I start applying?

GSSC says the online portal will be available by 9 October 2026, the same date by which the detailed advertisement is due.

Can I apply offline or by post?

No. The Commission accepts only online applications and will not reply to letters on the subject.

Is there a post for persons with disabilities?

Yes, one Veterinary Assistant post is reserved for locomotor disability, including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy.

Is the fee refunded if my form is rejected?

No. GSSC does not refund the application fee in any case.

Who appoints the selected candidates?

The head of the department concerned. GSSC only recommends names and does not answer queries about appointment or its terms.