In public sector banks, clerks are recruited through the IBPS Clerk exam while assistants in RBI and some organisations come through separate exams. A clerk handles customer service, cash, and back-office work at branches. An assistant does similar clerical work but in offices like RBI or NABARD, often with better pay scales. Both are entry-level posts with promotion paths to officer grade. The work is similar; the difference is the organisation, pay scale and recruitment exam.