Dheeraj Chaudhary

The Indian Armed Forces have always been a fascinating career option among youth who aspire to join the defence forces. A career in the Armed Forces holds a place of dignity and immense respect amongst the youth.

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A willing defence aspirant can join the Indian Armed Forces through several ways as mentioned below:

The Indian Armed Forces consists of mainly four professional services as discussed below: 

1. The Indian Army 

2. The Indian Air Force

3. The Indian Navy 

4. The Indian Coast Guard 

Joining the Defence Forces After 10+2 

1.The defence aspirants after finishing their 10+2 examination can now opt for different services in their preferred wing of the Indian Armed Forces. 

2.A young defence aspirant can opt for the National Defence Academy – NDA after passing his 10+2 examination. The NDA examination is held twice a year by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to select the eligible candidates for admission to the prestigious National Defence Academy which is located in Pune, Maharashtra. 

3.The interested candidates can also opt for the Airforce X and Y Group examination conducted twice a year by the Central Airmen Selection Board (CASB) of the Indian Air Force. 

4.The female defence aspirants who wish to serve the Nation by joining the elite defence forces can opt for the Military Nursing Services – MNS examination conducted by the DG-AFMS of the Indian Army.

5.The candidates willing to join the Indian Navy can opt for the Navy Artificer Apprentice (AA) & Senior Secondary Recruit (SSR) examination.

6.After passing their 10+2 examination with Physics/Mathematics, the interested defence aspirants can also opt for the Navik General Duty examination conducted by the Indian Coast Guard, Ministry of Defence, Government of India.

Joining the Defence Forces After Graduation

A. The Indian Defence Forces offer a great opportunity for graduate candidates who wish to serve the Nation by joining the prestigious Armed Forces.

B. After completing their graduation from a recognized University, the interested candidates can opt for the Combined Defence Services – CDS examination conducted twice a year by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). 

C. The CDS examination is the most preferred option amongst the defence aspirants who wish to join the Indian Military Academy – IMA Dehradun, the Indian Air Force Academy, the Officers Training Academy, and the Indian Naval Academy. 

D. The eligible defence aspirants after completing their BE/B.Tech can also opt for the Indian Navy Entrance Test (INET) conducted by the Indian Navy to grant Permanent Commission (PC) as well as Short Service Commission (SSC) to the newly recruited officers. 

E. The candidates who wish to join the Indian Air Force can opt for the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) to join the Ground Duty (Technical/Non-Technical) and Flying Branch of the Indian Air Force.