In a major recruitment announcement, Bank of Baroda (BoB), one of India’s leading public sector banks, has rolled out a golden opportunity for experienced banking professionals across the country. The bank is looking to fill 2,500 Local Bank Officer (LBO) positions in the Junior Management Grade Scale-I (JMG/S-I) on a regular basis. This massive recruitment drive is seen as a strategic move to strengthen the bank’s local operations in specific linguistic and regional markets.
However, what has caught everyone’s attention is the clear exclusion of Hindi-speaking states from this recruitment notification. That’s right — there are no vacancies for states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Chhattisgarh, raising eyebrows across banking circles and aspirants alike.
Who Can Apply?
The bank has made it clear that only candidates with prior experience in PSU Banks, Private Banks, or Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) are eligible. This is not an entry-level role, and the focus is on hiring locally experienced professionals who understand the regional banking environment and local customer needs.
Eligibility criteria related to age, qualifications, and work experience are detailed in the official notification available on the Bank of Baroda career page.
The Hindi Controversy
The recruitment ad has explicitly mentioned that “Hindi Language Candidates are not Eligible”, sparking outrage among many Hindi-speaking aspirants. While Jammu & Kashmir has 3 seats where Hindi is accepted alongside Urdu, there is a complete lack of opportunity for candidates from the traditional Hindi belt — a first-of-its-kind move in Indian public sector bank recruitments.
Critics argue that such language-specific criteria create regional imbalance and limit national-level opportunities, especially when Hindi is one of India’s official languages. On the other hand, BoB seems to be aligning its workforce to better connect with customers in regional markets, where language plays a key role in banking services and outreach.
Aspirants are strongly advised to read the complete advertisement carefully before applying, ensuring they meet all criteria and understand the job requirements.
Final Thoughts
This Bank of Baroda recruitment drive offers a high-paying, stable job opportunity for experienced bankers in regional markets. However, the exclusion of Hindi-speaking candidates has stirred debates around linguistic fairness and inclusivity in national banking roles. Whether this trend continues in future recruitments remains to be seen, but for now, candidates from states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and others have a golden window to apply.