Government exams in India are standardized selection processes used by public institutions to recruit for administrative, regulatory, technical, and specialist roles. These tests assess aptitude, subject knowledge, and job specific competencies, and they are followed by interviews, medical checks, or training. Aspirants often know the celebrity exams like UPSC CSE, SSC CGL, and IBPS PO, yet a wide set of niche examinations offer strong careers, stability, and growth. This guide highlights opportunities that many candidates overlook. It presents the Top 10 Lesser Known Government Exams with Good Salary and explains eligibility focus areas, typical selection stages, and benefits so that learners can make informed choices.

1: SEBI Grade A Officer

Conducted by Securities and Exchange Board of India to recruit Assistant Managers in streams like General, Legal, Information Technology, Research, and Official Language. The role offers strong pay, rapid learning, and exposure to capital markets with housing, medical, and education allowances. Selection usually has a preliminary exam, a mains exam with objective and descriptive papers, and an interview. Graduates in diverse fields can apply subject to stream criteria. Preparation should prioritise reasoning, quant, English, securities markets, and descriptive drafting. The job suits candidates who enjoy policy, analytics, compliance, and technology in a high impact regulatory setting.

2: NABARD Grade A Officer

Run by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development to hire Assistant Managers for rural development, financial inclusion, credit planning, and policy support. Perks include attractive pay scale, leased accommodation, work life balance, and chances to impact livelihoods across districts. The process has prelims, mains with descriptive questions, and an interview. Graduates with interest in agriculture, economics, development studies, or management can apply as per stream rules. Preparation should cover reasoning, quant, English, economic and social issues, agriculture and rural development, and report writing. The role fits purpose driven candidates who want policy plus field exposure and steady, meaningful career growth.

3: IRDAI Assistant Manager

Conducted by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India for roles in Actuarial, Finance, Law, Information Technology, Research, and General streams. It provides pay at upper central scales with city compensations, structured training, and steady growth. Selection features online Phase I, descriptive Phase II, and an interview. Quantitative aptitude, reasoning, English, insurance awareness, financial systems, and descriptive writing are core. Engineers, finance and law graduates, statisticians, and postgraduates can apply stream wise. Preparation should blend practice tests, current financial developments, and crisp note making. The job suits analytical minds who enjoy regulation, risk, consumer protection, and digital insurance.

4: PFRDA Officer Grade A

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority recruits for roles overseeing pension regulation, fund supervision, law, finance, and information technology. Compensation matches other regulators with allowances, education benefits, and strong retirement cover. Selection includes Phase I prelims, Phase II descriptive papers, and an interview. Graduates in engineering, finance, law, economics, or management can apply subject to stream criteria. Preparation should include pension sector basics, NPS architecture, securities, reasoning, quant, English, and concise drafting. The role is ideal for candidates who like governance, policy design, and data driven oversight that directly influences the retirement savings of millions of citizens.

5: IFSCA Grade A Officer

International Financial Services Centres Authority posts are based at GIFT City in Gujarat, working on offshore style banking, insurance, capital markets, and fintech regulation. The pay and allowances match top regulators, and the work gives dynamic exposure to cross border products and innovation. Selection involves Phase I objective tests, Phase II descriptive exams, and an interview. Streams may include General, Information Technology, Legal, and FinTech. Strong reasoning, quantitative aptitude, English, financial awareness, and descriptive writing are needed. The role suits adaptable candidates who enjoy international finance, technology policy, and building emerging frameworks for a growing global financial hub.

6: UPSC Indian Statistical Service

A specialized Union Public Service Commission examination to recruit statistical officers for ministries, policy units, and research divisions. Pay aligns to Group A scales with steady increments, dearness allowance, house rent allowance, and travel benefits. The selection has a written exam with multiple advanced statistics papers and a personality test. Eligibility requires specific statistics or mathematical statistics degrees, which narrows competition to focused candidates. Preparation involves mathematical statistics, probability, sampling, econometrics, time series, and applied methods with previous papers. The role suits applicants who enjoy data analysis, surveys, policy measurement, and evidence based decision support across sectors.

7: UPSC Combined Geo Scientist

This examination recruits geologists, geophysicists, chemists, and hydrogeologists for Geological Survey of India and central services. It offers robust pay, field allowances, and scientific growth. Selection includes a preliminary exam, mains with subject papers, and an interview. Eligibility focuses on relevant science degrees. Preparation should blend theory, field methods, topographic mapping, instrumentation, petrology, geochemistry, hydrogeology, and environmental legislation. Roles include exploration, mapping, hazard assessment, groundwater studies, and laboratory analysis that inform infrastructure, resources, and sustainability. The job suits curious problem solvers who like science applied to national development and resilient planning.

8: ISRO Scientist Engineer

Indian Space Research Organisation hires for electronics, mechanical, computer science, and allied streams through a dedicated test and interviews. Pay is attractive with project exposure, housing, canteen, and healthcare benefits. Work spans satellites, launch vehicles, avionics, mission operations, image processing, and software. The selection emphasises core engineering knowledge and problem solving speed. Preparation centers on GATE level fundamentals, numerical methods, digital systems, control theory, programming, and past papers. The role fits candidates who love space, precision engineering, teamwork, and real time operations where design, simulation, and testing converge to deliver national missions with high reliability.

9: DRDO Scientist B and Technical Posts

Defence Research and Development Organisation recruits Scientist B through RAC using GATE scores and screening tests, and technical cadres through CEPTAM examinations. Pay is competitive with bonuses, project exposure, and secure tenure. Roles span missiles, avionics, materials, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, electronics, sensors, and instrumented test ranges. The process may include written tests and interviews along with document verification. Preparation should cover core engineering, aptitude, lab practices, project documentation, and previous papers. These roles suit engineers and scientists who enjoy experimentation, prototyping, validation, and long horizon research that strengthens strategic capabilities and indigenous technology development across domains.

10: BARC OCES Scientific Officer

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre selects scientific officers through the OCES program using BARC tests or valid GATE scores, followed by interviews and intensive training. Compensation is strong with allowances, campus facilities, and research grade exposure. Work covers reactors, accelerators, materials, medical physics, computing, and safety. Preparation must focus on core subjects at GATE level, numerical rigour, precise derivations, and accuracy under time pressure. The role fits candidates who value research, public safety, and national energy security, and who enjoy applying physics, chemistry, and engineering to high consequence systems in a disciplined environment.