PSU AND STATE GOVERNMENT JOBS

Assistant Public Prosecutor

Represents the state in criminal cases before magistrate courts.

Any stream; law degree needed After a degree Government job

Facts checked 29/10/2026

Is this for me?

People in this work enjoy

Arguing, questioning and building a case from facts
Working for the public and the State, with a clear public-service role
Steady government job with regular work and promotion chances

It may not suit you if you dislike

Many states want 2 to 5 years at the Bar, and vacancies can be few and far apart
Heavy workload, long hours in crowded courts, and transfers between districts
Hearing about serious crime and hard cases every day, and staying fair even when emotions run high

Class 11–12 subjects: Any Class 12 stream works. For the 5-year BA LLB you need to pass Class 12, and each college sets its own minimum marks. For the 3-year LLB you first need any bachelor's degree.
First degree: LLB: 5 years (integrated, such as BA LLB, after Class 12) or 3 years (after any graduation). The course must be from a Bar Council of India recognised university or law school.
Entrance exams: For the degree: CLAT (for National Law Universities), AILET, or university and state law entrance tests. For the job: a state Public Service Commission exam, or a recruitment process run by the state or UPSC. This is usually a written test and an interview, and the exact pattern changes from state to state.
Licence or registration: Many notices ask for enrolment with a State Bar Council and some years of practice as an advocate. To enrol you normally need to pass the All India Bar Examination (AIBE). Delhi's 2026 UPSC notice asked for 3 years at the Bar. Odisha's 2026 notice asked for 2 years (reported).

Open to every streamAny stream; law degree needed.Check your subjects against every career

What the work is like

Reading police charge sheets, appearing for the State at remand and bail hearings, and running criminal trials in magistrate courts. Questioning witnesses, advising the police on legal points, and recommending whether to appeal against an order.

A day in the work
You reach the magistrate court by about 10 am and check the day's list of cases. Before hearings, you read police files and charge sheets and speak to the investigating officer about gaps in the evidence. In court you argue on bail and remand and question witnesses in trials. After court you note down orders, advise the police and recommend whether an order should be challenged.

The path, step by step

Step 1 · Class 11–12Choose any stream. Build strong English reading and writing, and get used to following news about courts and laws. Clear logical thinking matters more than any one subject.
Step 2 · Class 12 or after graduationEither sit CLAT, AILET or a university law test after Class 12 for the 5-year BA LLB. Or finish any degree first and then take the 3-year LLB. Look only at Bar Council of India recognised law colleges.
Step 3 · 3 to 5 yearsComplete the LLB. Focus on criminal law and procedure (the BNS, BNSS and BSA). Do moot courts and internships with criminal lawyers and legal aid clinics.
Step 4 · After LLBPass the AIBE, enrol with a State Bar Council and practise in the district or magistrate courts. Delhi's 2026 UPSC notice asked for 3 years at the Bar. Odisha's asked for 2 (reported). Maharashtra's 2022 notice asked for 5 (reported). Some states may accept fresh LLB graduates, so read each state's latest notice. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 5 · Written testMany states hold a written selection. Odisha's 2026 plan had a screening prelims, then a 600-mark descriptive Mains on English and criminal and other laws (reported). UPSC's Delhi process may use a recruitment test only if applications are very many (reported). (reported — check with the official body)
Step 6 · InterviewA personality test or interview before a selection board. State PSCs such as Manipur's list written results, interview schedule and final result as separate stages.
Step 7 · Joining, training, probationJoin the state prosecution service or directorate, usually with short induction training and then a probation period. The length of probation is stated in each notice. Later promotion can lead to senior prosecutor posts. (reported — check with the official body)

Ways in

Practise first, then applyMost common today. Finish LLB, enrol with the Bar, practise for the years the notice asks (2 to 5 years in the notices seen), then apply when your state advertises.
Fresh LLB graduate statesA few states and some past notices have taken law graduates without Bar experience (reported). This varies a lot and can change, so check your own state PSC's latest notice before planning around it.
Contract posts as a stepping stoneDelhi's prosecution directorate advertised 50 contract APP posts in 2026 for about six months, while regular UPSC hiring was on (reported). These are temporary but give court experience, and Delhi's UPSC notice gives some age relaxation to contract staff.

Your real chances

In 2026 UPSC advertised 140 Assistant Public Prosecutor posts for Delhi. Other states advertise far fewer or in bursts (Odisha 172 and Madhya Pradesh 17 in 2026, reported). The notices I found did not give applicant numbers, so the exact competition is not known.

Source: UPSC Advertisement No. 11/2026 ↗

Time and money

Stage	Time	Government college or body	Private college	Help available
Route A: BA LLB after Class 12 · Entrance test (CLAT or AILET)	1 day exam	CLAT 2027: ₹4,000 (General/OBC); ₹3,500 (SC/ST/BPL/PwD). AILET: ₹3,000 (General/OBC/EWS); ₹1,000 (SC/ST/PwD)	—	Lower CLAT fee for SC/ST/BPL/PwD candidates; exam fees are non-refundable
Route A: BA LLB (Hons) at NLU Delhi (5 years)	5 years	NLU Delhi (fee page, year not stated): tuition ₹1,63,000 per year; academic services ₹43,000 per year; utility ₹20,000 per year; student welfare ₹7,000 per year; hostel ₹92,000 per year for hostellers; mess ₹50,000 per year; one-time admission ₹10,000; refundable deposit ₹25,000	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page
Route B: Any degree first, then 3-year LLB · Entrance test	1 day exam	CLAT or university law test fee: check the notice of the test	—	Check the notice
Route B: 3-year LLB after graduation	3 years	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page
Bar enrolment: AIBE and State Bar Council, then years of practice	2–5 years of practice (reported)	Check the notice of the test and your State Bar Council	—	Not stated on page
Job selection: State PSC or UPSC written test, interview, probation	6–12 months (reported)	Check the notice: no official state PSC/UPSC/OPSC fee verified. UPSC Delhi APP post about ₹25 (free for women, SC, ST, PwBD); Odisha ₹700 others (free for SC, ST, PwD) (reported)	—	Fee exemption for women, SC, ST, PwBD (Delhi); SC, ST, PwD (Odisha) (reported). Salaried government employee once appointed; pay Level 10 (Delhi starting basic ₹56,100, reported)

Total timeAbout 7–10 years after Class 12 (5-year LLB or 3-year LLB after graduation, plus Bar practice of 2–5 years, then state selection)

Total costDepends mostly on the college you choose — compare fee pages.

Good to knowApplication fees for the job are small and waived for some categories; once appointed you are a salaried government employee, but the time to reach that point is long.

Fees from: UPSC Advertisement No. 11/2026 · Consortium of NLUs: CLAT 2027 UG Instructions (application fee) · NLU Delhi: B.A.LL.B.(Hons.) Fee Details (tuition, hostel, entrance exam fee). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

What people earn

Official pay

Delhi (UPSC Advt 11/2026, 2026): Group A gazetted post, Pay Level 10 of the 7th CPC pay matrix, starting basic ₹56,100, plus allowances (reported). Odisha 2026: Level 10, ₹44,900 under state pay rules (reported). Each state sets its own pay, so check the notice of your state.

Source: UPSC Advertisement No. 11/2026 ↗

Pay is a steady government scale that depends on the state, and it grows with promotions, allowances and postings, so it is usually lower than what a top private criminal lawyer in a big city can earn.

Myth and fact

Myth: ~~You can become an Assistant Public Prosecutor right after your LLB.~~

Fact: In many recent notices you need 2 to 5 years of practice at the Bar first. Some states allow fresh graduates, so read your own state's notice before planning.

For girls and students with disabilities

UPSC's 2026 Delhi notice allows higher age limits for OBC, SC/ST and PwBD candidates, with up to 10 years extra for PwBD, and 8 of the 140 posts were for PwBD. It also gave a fee exemption to women, SC, ST and PwBD (reported). Odisha's 2026 notice kept 58 of 172 posts for women and 8 for persons with disabilities (reported). Rules differ by state, so check each notice.

Try it now

Class 7–9Read the NCERT civics (social science) chapters on the Constitution, courts and the justice system, and discuss one with a family member.Open link ↗
Class 10–12Join or start a school debate or mock-trial activity. Take one side of a simple case, such as a school rule dispute, and practise asking fair questions.
College or afterVolunteer with your law school's legal aid clinic or the District Legal Services Authority. Read how free legal aid works.Open link ↗

Good to know

Under Section 19 of the BNSS (earlier Section 25 CrPC), the State appoints Assistant Public Prosecutors in every district to run cases in magistrate courts. A police officer cannot act as APP in a case he investigated.
This is not the same as a Public Prosecutor for the Sessions Court or High Court. That role needs at least 7 years as an advocate and is a separate career path.
Some states require you to read, write and speak the state language. Odisha's 2026 notice asked for Odia (reported).
Vacancies come in waves. Delhi (UPSC, 140 posts), Odisha (172, reported) and Madhya Pradesh (17, reported) all advertised in 2026, but many states go years without a notice.

Sources: UPSC Advertisement No. 11/2026 (Assistant Public Prosecutor, Delhi) · BPRD: BNSS to CrPC comparison (Section 19 BNSS, Assistant Public Prosecutors) · Manipur Public Service Commission: Assistant Public Prosecutor Examination page