DEFENCE
Agniveer (Army, Navy, Air Force)
Four years in uniform after Class 10 or 12 — with a quarter kept on for a full career.
Facts checked 17/10/2026
- Class 11–12 subjects
- Army: Class 10 (general duty) or Class 12 (technical: PCM + English; clerk). Navy SSR: Class 12 Maths + Physics + one more science. Air Force: Class 12 with 50% and 50% in English (science or other streams).
- First degree
- No degree needed.
- Entrance exams
- Online entrance tests (Army CEE, Navy INET, Air Force STAR), then physical tests and medical.
- Licence or registration
- None.
What the work is like
Soldier, sailor or airman roles for 4 years under the Agnipath scheme.
The path, step by step
- Class 10 or 12Pick a role that matches your marks and subjects.
- ApplyArmy registration opens early in the year (Feb–Apr in 2026); Navy and Air Force run their own windows.
- SelectionOnline test, physical test, medical.
- 4 yearsServe; then about 25% are selected for a full career, others leave with Seva Nidhi.
Ways in
- Agnipath (all three services)
- Who
- Unmarried young people; men and women in many roles.
- Age
- 17½–21 under the scheme (2022). Reported raised to 22 for 2026–27 by the Army and Air Force — not confirmed officially.
- Selection
- Online test → physical test (Army rally: 1.6 km run and more) → medical.
- Training
- Service-specific basic training (Navy: INS Chilka).
- You get
- 4-year tenure. Up to 25% of each batch kept as regular soldiers for at least 15 more years. Seva Nidhi of about ₹11.71 lakh at exit; no pension for the 4 years.
Good to know
- Pay under the scheme rises from ₹30,000 a month in year 1 to ₹40,000 in year 4 (official, 2022).
- Agniveers can later aim for officer entries if they meet the rules.
About pay: it varies a lot by city, employer and skill, and changes year to year, so we don't print salary numbers. Ask us in a session and we'll show you current, sourced figures for your case.
Sources: PIB: Agnipath scheme · PIB: one-time age waiver (2022) · Agniveervayu portal · Join Indian Army (official) · Join Indian Navy (official)
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