PESB, the Public Enterprises Selection Board, is the body under the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) that selects the chairmen, managing directors and functional directors of India’s central public sector enterprises (CPSEs). Its website, pesb.gov.in, is where it advertises board-level vacancies, takes applications online and publishes the results of its selection meetings. Most visitors want one of three things: today’s vacancies, the latest PESB recommendations or the login to apply.
The common misreading is that a PESB recommendation is an appointment. It isn’t. PESB sends one name to the administrative ministry, which then needs vigilance clearance from the Central Vigilance Commission and, for the larger companies, approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet before anyone takes office. The second misreading is that anyone can apply directly: candidates apply online, but their applications reach PESB only after a nodal officer of their organisation verifies and forwards them.
PESB at a glance
PESB was set up by a Government of India Resolution dated 3 March 1987, so it is an executive body, not one created by an Act. A Resolution of 20 June 2023 widened who may be considered for board posts.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full form | Public Enterprises Selection Board |
| Parent | Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions |
| Basis | Government of India Resolution of 3 March 1987, amended since |
| Composition | A Chairperson and three full-time Members; three-year term or age 65, whichever is earlier |
| Present board | Chairperson Mallika Srinivasan; Members Alkesh Kumar Sharma and Roop Narayan Sunkar |
| Posts covered | Level-I (Chairman, MD, CMD) and Level-II (Functional Director) in CPSEs |
| Final approval | Appointments Committee of the Cabinet for Schedule A and B companies |
| Applications | Online only at pesb.gov.in, forwarded by a registered nodal officer |
| Help desk | 011-24367171; support-pesb[at]gov[dot]in |
What PESB does
PESB’s profile page gives it more than interviews. It is responsible for the selection and placement of top managers in public sector undertakings, and it advises the government on:
- appointments, confirmation, extension of tenure and termination at these levels;
- the right board structure for each enterprise or group of enterprises;
- a performance appraisal system for enterprises and their managers;
- a code of conduct and ethics for managerial staff;
- training and development for public sector managers.
It also acts as a search committee, looking for suitable people rather than only interviewing applicants. The stated policy prefers internal candidates “unless markedly better candidates are available from outside”, then candidates from other public enterprises.
Who can apply for PESB vacancies
Eligibility comes from three things: who you are, how old you are and how long you’ve served at the qualifying level. The vacancy circular for each post adds its own qualifications and experience.
Candidate categories. Applicants are sorted into internal (the same CPSE or its subsidiary), sectoral (a CPSE in the same group), external (any other CPSE) and a fourth group. Under the 2023 Resolution that fourth group includes Group A central officers, the All India Services, the Armed Forces and officers of equivalent rank from public sector banks, financial institutions and autonomous bodies. The same Resolution allowed state PSE and private-sector candidates for five years from 10 June 2021, so check each circular for whether those categories are open.
Age. The guidelines fix a minimum age on the date of vacancy: 45 years for CMD of a Schedule A or B company and Director of a Schedule A company, and 40 years for the other board posts. At the upper end, internal candidates need at least two years of residual service before superannuation and others need three.
Service. Candidates need at least one year in the eligible scale if internal and two years otherwise.
Private and state PSE candidates must come from a company above a turnover floor that rises with the size of the CPSE:
| CPSE category | Minimum average annual turnover of candidate’s company |
|---|---|
| Schedule A, Maharatna | Rs 10,000 crore |
| Schedule A, Navratna | Rs 5,000 crore |
| Schedule A, Miniratna | Rs 2,000 crore |
| Schedule A, others | Rs 1,500 crore |
| Schedule B, Miniratna | Rs 1,000 crore |
| Schedule B, others | Rs 750 crore |
| Schedule C | Rs 500 crore |
| Schedule D | Rs 250 crore |
The Maharatna, Navratna and Miniratna labels are explained in this note on CPSE classification.
How to read the PESB vacancies page
Open Vacancies and then Advertised Vacancies. Each row gives the name of the CPSE, the post with a Job Description link and issue date, the company’s Schedule, the pay scale and date of vacancy, the Last Date for Applicants and the Last Date for Nodal Officers.
Take one row from 5 October 2026: CMD of KIOCL Limited, Schedule A, pay scale Rs 2,00,000 to 3,70,000 (IDA), vacancy on 1 July 2027, applications due by 19 October 2026, 3 PM, and nodal officers’ forwarding due by 28 October 2026, 5 PM. Note how early the advertisement comes: the guidelines ask PESB to advertise a year before the incumbent’s tenure ends.
Since 2023 the window is short. For posts advertised after the reform, applicants get up to 21 days from the advertisement, nodal officers get 9 days to verify, and everything must reach PESB within 30 days. Older and closed posts sit under Vacancies Archive.
How to apply online through PESB login
PESB takes applications online only, and its home page says it accepts no offline applications for posts advertised on or after 1 August 2026.
- Click Login on the PESB website. If you’re new, choose New User? Register here.
- Pick Register as Applicant, enter your email, verify it with the OTP and complete registration.
- Log in with your Email id, Password and the captcha. If you hold two roles, choose Login As Applicant.
- From Advertised Vacancies, click Apply against the post and fill the application form.
- Make sure your organisation’s nodal officer is registered, because the application is forwarded to PESB through them before the nodal officers’ deadline.
Ministries, departments and CPSEs register their nodal officer through Register as Nodal Officer on the same page. An OM of 14 July 2023 made a registered nodal officer compulsory, since applications from government and other bodies must come through proper channel.
Mistakes that get applications rejected
A PESB letter of 16 December 2024 lists errors that led to rejections:
- Point 7 left vague. It asks for every position held in the last ten years, up to the date the vacancy was uploaded, with the duties in each.
- “No” in the self-declaration. Some applicants wrote No in the column asking whether they meet the mandatory experience.
- Whole career in one row. Each posting needs its own row so eligibility can be checked.
How PESB selection and recommendations work
Once applications are in, PESB shortlists them against the job description in fixed slots. For posts advertised on or after 1 February 2023, the slots are:
| Category | Slots |
|---|---|
| Internal | 5 |
| Sectoral | 2 |
| External | 3 |
| Central Government, private sector and state PSEs | 2 (one more allowed as an exception) |
The selection meeting is held with the Secretary of the administrative ministry, or a nominee, assisting the Board, and for functional directors the company’s chief executive also assists. A candidate may apply any number of times but can appear in at most three selection meetings in a calendar year, down from four before 2023.
PESB then sends one name to the ministry. A reserve name is kept in a sealed cover and opened only on the ACC’s orders. The details of the candidates interviewed and recommended go up on the website the same day the interviews end.
After that the file leaves PESB. The ministry obtains vigilance clearance from the Central Vigilance Commission, the minister signs off, and for Schedule A and B companies the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, approves the appointment. If the ministry disagrees with PESB, that dispute also goes to the ACC.
How to check PESB recommendations
Open Recommendations and then Recommendation. You can filter by CPSE, post and a date range, and each row shows the Name of Post, Name of CPSE, Date of Selection Meeting and a Download link for the result. On 5 October 2026 the latest entries were selection meetings held on 1 October 2026 for IREL (India) Limited and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. Older results are under Recommendation Archive.
Read a recommendation as the start of the appointment process, not its end. The person named still needs vigilance clearance and approval, and a panel can be scrapped.
Where to get help or complain
PESB’s help desk is 011-24367171, and queries go to support-pesb[at]gov[dot]in. The office is at 502, Block No. 14, Public Enterprises Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003, with a second number, 011-24361630. Application problems usually start with your own organisation’s nodal officer, who forwards and verifies applications. PESB has a guideline of 3 July 2018 on handling representations it receives directly from applicants, and an RTI page for formal information requests.
PESB in 2026
Three changes shape PESB now. The 2023 reforms cut the application window to 30 days, reshuffled the shortlisting slots and opened the fourth category to officers of banks, financial institutions and autonomous bodies. Offline applications ended for posts advertised from 1 August 2026, and the home page asks every ministry and CPSE to register its nodal officer quickly. The guidelines page also carries 2025 instructions on vigilance profiles of shortlisted candidates and on treating officers of joint ventures such as DMRC and NCRTC as eligible.
These rules matter beyond the applicants. Board appointments decide how well public enterprises are run, which links PESB to debates on disinvestment, corporate governance and lateral entry. A board seat left vacant for months costs a company direction, which is why the timelines in these guidelines are worth as much attention as the eligibility rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the full form of PESB?
PESB stands for Public Enterprises Selection Board. It works under the Department of Personnel and Training and selects chairmen, managing directors and functional directors for central public sector enterprises.
When was PESB set up?
PESB was constituted by a Government of India Resolution dated 3 March 1987. That Resolution has been amended several times, including on 20 June 2023 to widen the pool of non-internal candidates.
Is a PESB recommendation final?
No. PESB recommends one name to the ministry, which then needs vigilance clearance from the CVC and the minister’s approval, and for Schedule A and B companies the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
How do I apply for a PESB vacancy?
Register on pesb.gov.in as an applicant, log in and click Apply against the post under Advertised Vacancies. Your organisation’s registered nodal officer then verifies and forwards the application before the nodal officers’ deadline.
Where can I see PESB recommendations?
Open Recommendations on pesb.gov.in and filter by CPSE, post or date. Each result shows the post, the company, the date of the selection meeting and a download link, and older results are in the Recommendation Archive.
What is the minimum age for a PESB board-level post?
The guidelines set 45 years for CMD of a Schedule A or B company and Director of a Schedule A company, and 40 years for other board posts. Candidates also need two years of residual service if internal and three years otherwise.
How many times can a candidate appear before PESB in a year?
A candidate may apply any number of times, but can appear in only three selection meetings in a calendar year. This limit applies to posts advertised on or after 1 February 2023.
Who are the current Chairperson and Members of PESB?
The PESB website lists Mallika Srinivasan as Chairperson, with Alkesh Kumar Sharma and Roop Narayan Sunkar as Members.
Tell Google you want more of this.
Add Anantam IAS as a preferred sourceOne tap, and this site shows up more often in your own Top Stories, AI Overviews and AI Mode. Remove it any time.
