If you want to be an officer and serve the nation then join Indian Defence Services as leaders who always lead from front.
As a young vibrant personality, a career of commitment, adventure, challenges and excitement, the Indian Defence Forces are the perfect choice for you. In India, commission and recruitment to the Armed Forces is voluntary and open to all citizens of India irrespective of caste, class, religion and community. A career in defence forces is highly respected career. It is very prestigious to be part of these elite forces and get an opportunity to serve the nation. Women candidate are inducted in NDA for the first time in July 2022. All aspirants who are planning to take up defence services as a career option, he or she should start preparing for the entrance examination from class 11th itself. In today’s article, I will be explaining all the possible ways to join defence forces.

National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy (NA) Examination

NDA is national level entrance examination conducted by UPSC twice every year to recruit eligible candidates for Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy.

Exams are conducted by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) twice every year. The NDA Exam comprises of 3 stages : –

1. Offline Test
2. SSB Interview
3. Medicals

After successfully passing these phases, candidates join the National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla, where they undergo 3 years course training and studies. After completion of this course, cadets of the Army proceed to Indian Military Academy at Dehradun, cadets of the Air Force proceed to Indian Air Force Academy at Hyderabad and cadets of the Navy proceed to the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala, where they undergo 1 year training, before being selected into their concerned services as a Group-A (Gazetted), formerly called class 1 officers. Cadets will be granted Permanent Commission in Army in the rank of Lieutenant, Sub Lieutenant in Navy and Flying Officer in Air Force.

• All aspirants who are going to take class 12th exam or have passed class 12th from any stream can take the NDA entrance examination.
• Age group 16.5-19.5 years can take the exam.
• Aspirants who wish to join the Air Force or Navy must have Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in class 11th and 12th.
• Anyone who is 12th pass from any stream can apply to join the Army wing.
• NDA exam comprises of two papers:
  1. Mathematics (01) – 2½ Hours (300 Marks)
  2. General Ability Test (02) – 2½ Hours (600 Marks)

The papers in all the subjects will consist of objective type questions only. The question paper of Mathematics and part ‘B’ of the General Ability Test will be set bilingually in Hindi as well as in English.
NDA exam is conducted by UPSC twice a year in the month of May and September, as NDA 1 and NDA 2.
Please check NDA exam notification by UPSC.
Website: www.upsc.gov.in

10 + 2 Technical Entry (TES)

Technical Entry is Group-A (Gazetted) services. Cadets will be granted permanent commission in Army in the rank of Lieutenant.
10+2 Technical Entry, TES is conducted for all aspirants who have PCM background.

• This Technical entry is meant for class 12th pass out students from the Science stream with an aggregate of 60% Marks with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as their main subjects.
• The JEE main score is mandatory for TES. Applicants must have appeared in the JEE main examination.
• Applicants should be in-between age group 16.5-19.5 years.
• Applicants are shortlisted based on the final TES cut-off marks.
• All shortlisted candidates are called for the TES SSB interview.

Duration & Training: 5 Yrs (1 Yrs OTA Gaya & 4 Yrs CTWS)
Phase-I: 1 Year Pre-commissioning Training at OTA Gaya & 03 Years at CME Pune or MCTE Mhow or MCEME Secunderabad.
Phase-II: 1 Year Post commission training at CME Pune or MCTE Mhow or MCEME Secunderabad.

On completion of the course B.Tech degree will be awarded.
Please check notification in the month of November-December.
Website: www.joinindianarmy.nic.in

10+2 B.Tech Cadet Entry Scheme Navy Wing

This is Group A (Gazetted) services. Cadets will be granted Permanent Commission in Navy in the rank of Sub Lieutenant.

10+2 Technical Entry, Navy wing is conducted for all aspirants who have PCM background.

• This Technical entry is meant for class 12th pass out students from the Science stream with an aggregate of 70% marks with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and 50% marks in English as main subjects either in class 10th or class 12th.
• JEE main score is mandatory. Applicants must have appeared in JEE main examination.
• Applicants are shortlisted based on final JEE main Common Rank list by NTA.
• Applicants should be in-between age group 16.5-19.5 years.
• All shortlisted candidates are called for the SSB interview.
• Duration of Course is 4 years as B.Tech cadets. On completion of the course B.Tech degree will be awarded.

Website: www.joinindiannavy.gov.in

For Air Force there is no separate entry after 10+2, like Navy and Army. Air Force can be joined after class 12th only through NDA.

Armed Force Medical College – AFMC, Pune

Armed Force Medical College is a premier medical institute known for its prestigious MBBS program. Institute is known for its centre of excellence for education and research.

This is Group-A (Gazetted) services. Cadets will be granted Permanent Commission in Armed Forces as an Officer.
On completion of course the students have compulsory liability to serve as commissioned officer in the Armed Force Medical Colleges and Armed Force Hospitals as Medical officers/ Armed Force Doctors.
This entry is for Class 12th pass science students with English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology with an aggregate of 60% marks in three science subject and at least 50% marks in English. They should have Mathematics in 10th standard.
To join this college candidate need to clear NEET UG examination conducted by NTA.
At the same time the NEET qualified students have to take up the written entrance examination conducted by AFMC Pune.
Applicants should be in-between age group 17-22 years.
Duration of the course is 4.5 years, followed by 1 year internship.

Please check notification in the month of April.
Website: www.afmc.nic.in

MNS, Military Nursing Services Entry

Indian Army B.Sc Nursing

A promising career in Defence after 12th for female candidates.

This national level entrance exam is only for female candidate and is conducted by Armed Forces Medical Colleges, Pune.
This is a 4 years degree course.

• Applicants have to appear for a written exam, followed by an interview and medical exam.
• Applicant should have cleared Class 12th in first attempt.
• MNS entry meant for class 12th pass out students from the Science stream with an aggregate of 50% marks with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English.
• Applicants should be in-between age group 17-25 years.

Please check notification on the Indian Army website.
Website: www.joinindianarmy.nic.in

Indian Coast Guard

Navik (GD)

• • Indian Coast Guard is an armed force services and comes under Ministry of Defence.
  • Coast guard protects and ensure the security of the maritime zones of India.
  • Applicants must be 12th pass with minimum 50% marks as an aggregate.

or

• • Applicants should be Diploma holder in Electrical, Mechanical, Electronics & Telecommunication, Radio/Power Engineering approved by AICTE with 60% marks in aggregate.
  • Applicant should be in-between age group 18-22 years.

Website: www.joinindiancoastguard.gov.in

Agnipath Scheme- Join as ‘Agniveer’

• Agnipath Scheme is introduced by the Government of India on 14th of June 2022, for recruitment of soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers into the three services of the armed forces- Army, Navy and Air Force.
• All recruited under this scheme will be called as Agniveers.
• Applicants should be in-between age group 17.5-21 years.
• This recruitment is only for 4 years on a contract basis. Training for six months followed by 3.5 years of deployment.
• 25% Agniveer will be retained for next 15 years as a part of the regular army and beyond, for attaining the ranks of Junior Commissiond Officers. Few out of them also attain comission ranks of Lieutenant and Captain on retirement
• 75% of Agniveer will exit from job with a Seva Nidhi package of 11 to 12 lakh
  approximately.

Advantages of Joining as Agniveer

• Relaxation/ Incentives to pursue higher education.
• Financial Package on exit.
• Credits in education qualification for the type and duration of service rendered.
• Advantage for recruitment in the permanent cadre.
• Some assurance and preference in job by different organisation. Seva Nidhi 30% of monthly emolument to be contributed by individuals and equal amount will be matched and contributed by the Government.
• Corpus of Rs 10 lakhs plus accrued interest, this money is exempted from Income Tax after 4 years.

Website:
www.joinindianarmy.nic.in
www.indianairforce.nic.in
www.joinindiannavy.gov.in