Lineman (Power Distribution)

Putting up poles and overhead lines, laying and jointing underground cables, maintaining transformers and switches, fixing faults and breakdowns, and restoring supply after storms. You work in teams and follow a written permit-to-work before touching any line.

A day in the work
You report to the section office in the morning, and your team gets the day's work list: a new connection, a transformer check, a broken wire after rain. Before any shutdown work, a permit is taken, the line is switched off and earthed, and you check it is dead. Then you climb, fix or replace the part, and test. In the afternoon there may be a fault call from a village, and you drive out with your team, sometimes in bad weather, until supply is back.

1. Step 1 · Class 8–10Take Science and Maths seriously in Class 10. The DGT entry rule for the ITI Electrician trades asks for a Class 10 pass with Science and Maths. The minimum age is 14.
2. Step 2 · After Class 10 · 2 yearsJoin a government or private ITI and do Electrician, Electrician (Power Distribution) or Wireman. The Power Distribution trade covers substation equipment, overhead lines, cables and safety. You finish with the National Trade Certificate (NTC). Admission rules and fees are set by each state, so check your state's ITI admission portal.
3. Step 3 · OptionalDo an apprenticeship at an electricity company or industry to earn a National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC). DGT says ITI pass-outs can join apprenticeships. It is paid training and helps you learn on real lines. Apprentice seats are separate from regular jobs.
4. Step 4 · Watch for noticesEach state power distribution company advertises its own posts, for example Vidyut Sahayak (MSEDCL, Maharashtra) or Junior Lineman (Telangana, Andhra Pradesh). Typical rule: Class 10 plus the ITI trade. Age limits differ. MSEDCL's 2023 notice was 18–27 years, and a Telangana 2023 notice was 18–35 years (both reported). Read the latest notice on the company's own website. (reported — check with the official body)
5. Step 5 · Written test, skill or physical testExpect a written test on your ITI trade and general knowledge. A Telangana pattern reported for 2026 was 80 questions in 2 hours. Some states add a skill or physical test, such as pole climbing. Check each notice. (reported — check with the official body)
6. Step 6 · Document verification and postingSelected candidates go through document verification and are allotted a zone or circle. MSEDCL's official pages show this for its 2023 advertisement: a select list, a wait list and zone-wise allocation with document checks. Keep your Class 10 marksheet, ITI certificate, caste and domicile papers ready.
7. Step 7 · Training and probationMany boards start you on a fixed training or probation period before regular pay. Telangana's 2023 notice had 2 years of training-cum-probation, including 1 year of training (reported). MSEDCL's Vidyut Sahayak post was fixed pay for 3 years, then regular posting (reported). (reported — check with the official body)

• Direct route: ITI then state power companyITI Electrician, Electrician (Power Distribution) or Wireman, then apply to your state's power distribution company when it advertises Lineman or Junior Lineman posts.
• Apprenticeship routeITI, then an apprenticeship with a power utility or industry (NAC). It builds field skill and a record of work. It does not guarantee a permanent post.
• Move-up route: diploma laterAfter ITI you can take a diploma in Electrical Engineering by lateral entry. DGT lists diploma admission by lateral entry as an option for ITI Electrician pass-outs. A diploma opens Junior Engineer posts.

Fees from: DGT competency-based curriculum: Electrician (course structure and apprenticeship options). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Pay starts modest on fixed trainee pay in many states, then rises with regular scales, yearly increments, promotions and field allowances, and it differs from one state company to another.

Age relaxation of about 5 years for reserved categories and EWS was reported in a 2023 MSEDCL notice, and fee exemption for PwD candidates and ex-servicemen was reported for MSEDCL (2023). Some notices (for example a reported 2025 Andhra Pradesh one) say male candidates only, and line work has fitness standards. DGT's ITI Electrician curriculum lists several disability categories as eligible for the training. Read each notice for its own rules for women and PwD.

• Class 7–9Build a simple torch circuit with a battery, bulb and switch. Use batteries only, and never touch mains wiring or fallen wires. Notice how a break in the circuit stops the current.
• Class 10–12Read the Electrician (Power Distribution) curriculum on the DGT site. See what you would learn in 2 years: substations, switchgear, overhead lines and safety.Open link ↗
• College or afterPick a free basic electrical or safety course on SWAYAM or NPTEL. Do one unit a week to build your theory for the written tests.Open link ↗

• Recruitment is by each state. Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, UP and others each have their own rules, age limits and exams, so always read the latest notice on that company's official website.
• Many first-year posts are on fixed pay or trainee pay for a few years before regular pay starts. Ask what happens after the training period.
• This is risky work. The CEA rules require gloves, rubber shoes, safety belts, helmets and earthing devices, and work on live lines only by designated people. Lineman jobs depend on following safety steps every time.
• Maharashtra's official recruitment pages and DGT's curriculum PDFs are the best places to see how the process and training look. Job-news sites often copy notices wrongly.