[Paid] Young Professional (Legal) at National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), New Delhi (5 Posts, Rs 60,000/month)

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, has invited applications from candidates holding a Degree in Law for engagement as Young Professional (Legal) on contract basis. The selected candidates will be deployed at the LA Division, NHAI Headquarters in Dwarka, New Delhi.

The advertisement was placed on the NHAI website on 10 August 2026 and the online application window closes at 6:00 PM on 8 September 2026. The engagement is purely contractual and confers no claim to regular appointment in NHAI.

Five positions have been advertised in all. The category-wise break-up given in the advertisement is:

• Unreserved (UR) — 04
• OBC — 01
• SC — 00
• ST — 00
• EWS — 00

Out of the total 5 positions, 1 position is reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), classified under NHAI Policy Circular No. 1.3.1.24/2021 dated 4 March 2021. The identified functional requirements are sitting, standing, reading and writing, hearing, communication and manipulation by fingers, and the suitable benchmark disability categories listed include B, LV, HH, OA, BA, OL, BL, OAL, BLOA, BLA, CP, LC, Dw, AAV, SLD, MI and multiple disabilities involving these.

NHAI has expressly reserved the right to increase or decrease the number of positions at its discretion, and to select fewer candidates than advertised.

• Educational qualification: a Degree in Law from a recognised University / National Law School / Institute, and a CLAT (Post Graduate) Score of 2026.
• Age limit: the candidate should be below 32 years of age as on the closing date of online applications. The upper age limit is relaxable as per Government of India rules — 3 years for OBC candidates, 13 years for OBC candidates with benchmark disabilities and 10 years for General candidates with benchmark disabilities.

The crucial date for determining eligibility is the last date prescribed for submission of the online application. Candidates belonging to minority communities, women and PwBD candidates have been encouraged to apply.

Selection will be made purely on the basis of merit in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), 2026 (Post Graduate) score. The advertisement prescribes no separate written test or interview.

Where two candidates have the same CLAT (PG) 2026 score, the merit list will be settled first by date of birth, the candidate born earlier being placed higher. If the dates of birth are also the same, merit will be determined by the first letter in the English alphabet of the candidates' initial names.

The selected Young Professional (Legal) will draw an initial consolidated remuneration of Rs. 60,000 per month, inclusive of all. The consolidated remuneration will be increased at 5% for each succeeding year, subject to satisfactory performance.

The engagement may be for a period of up to two years in the first instance, which may be further extended by one more year based on NHAI's requirements and the satisfactory performance of the incumbent. There shall be no extension of the contract beyond three years under any circumstances, and NHAI reserves the right to terminate the contract at any time without assigning a reason. The other terms and conditions follow the NHAI Policy Guidelines for engagement of External Professionals and Young Professionals No. 1.3.1.12/2017 dated 21 June 2017, as amended.

Candidates claiming reservation must hold the prescribed certificates at the time of applying:

• Community reservation is available only where the candidate's caste appears in the list of reserved communities issued by the Central Government. The caste name and its spelling must match the central list exactly (the OBC central list is at www.ncbc.nic.in); any variation will not be accepted.
• OBC candidates must submit an OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) certificate issued during the year 2025-26, clearly stating that the candidate does not belong to the creamy layer as defined for appointment to posts under the Central Government.
• OBC-NCL and PwBD candidates must use the prescribed proforma at Annexure-II. Applications not supported by valid certificates in that format will be summarily rejected.
• PwBD candidates must hold a latest Disability Certificate from a competent authority certifying a degree of disability of not less than 40%, subject to verification.

No change in the community status indicated in the online application will be allowed later.

Applications are accepted online only — applications received by any other mode will be summarily rejected. Candidates should visit the NHAI website, go to About Us → Recruitment → Vacancies → Current, open the Young Professional (Legal) advertisement and click the online application link (best accessed on Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox).

The following documents must be uploaded:

• Scanned colour passport-size photograph — jpg / jpeg / png / gif, up to 1 MB
• Scanned signature — jpg / jpeg / png / gif, up to 1 MB
• Class X certificate indicating date of birth — pdf, up to 1 MB
• Caste / category certificate supporting OBC-NCL in the prescribed format — pdf, up to 1 MB
• Degree in support of passing in Law — pdf, up to 1 MB
• Proof of the CLAT (PG) 2026 score card — pdf, up to 1 MB
• Proof of disability, if claiming PwBD — pdf, up to 2 MB

After submission a Unique Reference Number and an "Application Acknowledgement" are generated automatically and emailed to the address given in the form; candidates must retain it for later document verification. NHAI has advised candidates to apply well in advance of the closing date.

• All correspondence will be by email only, so the email address entered in the application must be correct and active.
• Clarifications or documents submitted after the last date will not be entertained, and documents once uploaded are treated as final. The onus of filling correct details lies solely on the candidate.
• Where a candidate files multiple applications, only the last one will be considered and the earlier ones will be rejected. Candidature cannot be withdrawn once the application is filed.
• Canvassing or bringing influence in any form will disqualify the candidature.
• Any corrigendum, addendum or cancellation will be published only on the NHAI website, so applicants should check it regularly.
• Any legal dispute regarding the selection will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts in Delhi only.
• The recruitment process is stated to be subject to the outcome of SLP(C) No. 33251/2025, titled National Highways Authority of India v. Shanu Baghel & Another.