The Indian Army conducts the largest single recruitment drive available to 10th pass candidates in India. The Agniveer intake under the Agnipath Scheme covers in excess of 25,000 posts across categories, with General Duty (GD) forming the largest component and requiring only Class 10 as the educational qualification.
Advertisement
Two features distinguish this recruitment from comparable opportunities. The compensation is substantially above entry-level government scales — ₹30,000 per month in the first year, rising to ₹40,000 in the fourth, with a ₹48 lakh life insurance cover and a tax-free exit corpus of approximately ₹11.71 lakh. Against this, the engagement is for a fixed four-year term, with only a proportion of each batch retained in the regular cadre.
This guide sets out the eligibility for Agniveer General Duty and Agniveer Technical, including the ITI and Diploma route through which a 10th pass candidate may access the Technical category, together with the physical standards, selection process, compensation structure and application procedure.
Advertisement
Overview
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Recruiting Body | Indian Army, Ministry of Defence |
| Scheme | Agnipath Scheme |
| Posts | Agniveer General Duty (GD), Agniveer Technical (All Arms) |
| GD Qualification | Class 10 with 45% aggregate and 33% in each subject |
| Technical Qualification | 10+2 Science (PCM), or Class 10 with 50% plus 2-year ITI or 2/3-year Diploma |
| Age (GD) | 17½ to 21 years |
| Age (Soldier Technical) | 17½ to 23 years |
| Application Fee | ₹250, non-refundable |
| Selection | Online CEE → Recruitment Rally → Medical → Merit List |
| Salary | ₹30,000 (Year 1) to ₹40,000 (Year 4) |
| Service Period | 4 years |
| Exit Benefit | Seva Nidhi, approximately ₹11.71 lakh, tax-free |
1. The Two Categories
Agniveer General Duty (GD)
The core combat soldier role across all arms and services. General Duty is the largest category by vacancy and the principal entry route for 10th pass candidates.
Educational qualification: Class 10 / Matriculation with a minimum of 45% marks in aggregate and 33% in each subject.
For boards operating a grading system, grades corresponding to the above percentages are considered. Indian Gorkhas are eligible on a simple Class 10 pass with no aggregate percentage requirement.
Age: 17½ to 21 years.
Women Military Police (GD) applies the same educational criteria as GD Male, with higher physical standards.
Agniveer Technical (All Arms)
The technical trades supporting equipment, vehicles and systems. This category is frequently assumed to be closed to 10th pass candidates. That is not accurate, and the distinction is worth stating precisely.
Route one — the 12th Science route: 10+2 / Intermediate in Science with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and English, with 50% marks in aggregate and 40% in each subject.
Route two — the ITI route: 10+2 Science with a one-year ITI course at NSQF level 4 or above.
Route three — the 10th pass route: Class 10 pass with 50% aggregate, together with a two-year ITI or a two or three-year Diploma in a specified technical stream.
The third route is the material one for readers of this guide. A 10th pass candidate holding a two-year ITI in a specified trade is eligible for Agniveer Technical, not merely General Duty. The Soldier Technical age band also extends to 23 years, against 21 for GD — providing additional attempts.
Agniveer Technical is presently a male-only category. Female candidates are recruited under Agniveer General Duty (Women Military Police).
Related Categories
For completeness, the wider Agniveer intake includes: Agniveer Office Assistant / Store Keeper Technical (Clerk), requiring 10+2 in any stream with 60% aggregate and minimum 50% in English and Mathematics/Accounts/Book Keeping; Agniveer Tradesman, at 8th or 10th pass depending on trade; Soldier Technical Nursing Assistant, requiring 10+2 Science with PCB; Sepoy Pharma, requiring D.Pharma or B.Pharma; and JCO Religious Teacher, requiring a degree with religious qualification, with an age band of 27 to 34 years.
2. Eligibility Conditions
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian citizen, or as specified in the notification |
| Marital Status | Unmarried male candidates only; must remain unmarried throughout the four-year service |
| Result Awaited | Candidates awaiting 10th / 12th results may apply, but must produce the original mark sheet during Phase II |
| Previous Agniveer | Candidates who have completed an Agniveer tenure are not eligible to reapply |
| Age Relaxation | No age relaxation under the Agnipath Scheme for any category |
The absence of age relaxation warrants emphasis. Under Agnipath, the upper age limits apply uniformly — there is no relaxation for SC, ST, OBC or EWS candidates. A candidate at 22 is outside the GD band irrespective of category, though the Soldier Technical band to 23 may remain available where the ITI or Diploma qualification is held.
3. Physical Standards
The physical assessment, not the written examination, determines the outcome for most candidates.
Running
| Group | 1.6 km Timing | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Group I | Up to 5 minutes 45 seconds | 60 |
| Group II | 5:46 to 6:20 | 48 |
| Beyond 6:20 | — | Not qualified |
Pull-ups
| Repetitions | Marks |
|---|---|
| 10 | 40 |
| 9 | 33 |
| 8 | 27 |
| 7 | 21 |
| 6 | 16 |
| Below 6 | Not qualified |
Physical Measurements
| Standard | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Height | 157.5 to 169 cm, varying by region and category |
| Chest | 77 cm with 5 cm expansion |
| Weight | Proportionate to height and age |
Relaxations apply on a regional and category basis. Height and chest relaxations are extended to Gorkhas, tribal candidates and applicants from specified North Eastern states. Outstanding sportsmen receive relaxation of 2 cm in height, 3 cm in chest and 5 kg in weight. NCC A, B or C certificate holders receive bonus marks in the merit calculation, and candidates still in school are well advised to obtain the certificate.
4. Compensation Structure
The Agniveer package requires accurate interpretation, as the advertised figure is not the take-home figure.
Thirty per cent of the monthly package is deducted into the Agniveer Corpus Fund, and the Government contributes an equal 30%. The deducted amount is returned as Seva Nidhi on completion of service.
| Year | Monthly Package | Corpus Contribution | In-hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ₹30,000 | ₹9,000 | ₹21,000 |
| Year 2 | ₹33,000 | ₹9,900 | ₹23,100 |
| Year 3 | ₹36,500 | ₹10,950 | ₹25,550 |
| Year 4 | ₹40,000 | ₹12,000 | ₹28,000 |
Additional Entitlements
- Risk and Hardship Allowance, as applicable to the posting
- Ration Allowance, Dress Allowance and Travel Allowance
- Non-contributory life insurance cover of ₹48 lakh during service
- Free accommodation and medical treatment
Seva Nidhi
On completion of four years, the Seva Nidhi Package is payable at approximately ₹11.71 lakh, fully tax-free. Figures around ₹10.04 lakh are quoted where accumulated interest is excluded.
The Terms of the Engagement
The engagement is for a fixed four-year term. Up to 25% of each batch may be enrolled into the regular cadre of the Indian Army, based on merit and organisational requirement. The remainder exit at four years with the Seva Nidhi but without a pension.
Candidates should assess the opportunity on these terms: four years of compensation well above comparable entry-level employment, a substantial tax-free corpus, and a competitive prospect of permanent enrolment — rather than as a guaranteed career.
5. Selection Process
The sequence was restructured in 2023 to place the written examination first, which materially reduces the burden on candidates who would previously have travelled to a rally only to be eliminated within hours.
Phase I — Online Common Entrance Examination (CEE)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Mode | Computer Based Test at designated centres |
| Questions | 50 or 100, by category |
| Duration | 60 or 120 minutes, by category |
| Format | Multiple choice |
| Negative Marking | 25% of marks deducted per incorrect answer |
| Normalisation | Applied across sessions to account for difficulty variation |
| Subjects | General Knowledge, General Science, Mathematics, Reasoning, English, and category-specific topics |
For Agniveer Technical, preparation should centre on Class 10 and 12 NCERT Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. The 25% negative marking provision means indiscriminate guessing is counter-productive — four incorrect answers negate one correct answer.
Candidates may select up to five examination centre preferences.
Phase II — Recruitment Rally
Conducted at the Army Recruiting Office (ARO), comprising:
- Physical Fitness Test — the 1.6 km run and pull-ups
- Physical Measurement Test — height, chest and weight
- Adaptability Test
- Medical Examination
- Document Verification
Each stage is qualifying. Candidates must clear all.
Medical Standards
Common grounds for rejection include flat foot, knock knees, varicocele, hernia, defective vision, ear conditions and dental issues.
The appeal provision is important and under-utilised. A candidate declared temporarily unfit is given an opportunity to rectify the condition within a specified period — commonly 14 to 21 days — and be re-examined at a Military Hospital. A candidate declared permanently unfit is rejected for that cycle.
Candidates are advised to obtain a private medical examination before applying, as several of the common disqualifying conditions are correctable in advance.
Merit List
The final merit list is compiled on CEE marks, physical test marks and applicable bonus marks.
6. Application Procedure
- Access the official Join Indian Army portal.
- Select Agnipath, then User Registration. Registration is completed using the Aadhaar card or the Class 10 certificate. Personal particulars must correspond exactly to the certificate.
- Log in using the registered email address and password.
- Complete the application: personal details, educational qualifications with board, year of passing and marks, domicile, category, NCC and sports particulars. For technical categories, ITI or Diploma details must be entered accurately.
- Enter the Aadhaar number and physical measurements.
- Select up to five examination centre preferences.
- Upload the passport photograph and signature to specification.
- Pay the application fee of ₹250 by net banking, UPI, debit or credit card. The fee is non-refundable and no offline mode is available.
- Submit and retain a printed copy of the application.
- Download the admit card when released.
Candidates may apply for up to two Agniveer categories over and above regular entry categories, subject to eligibility. Each requires a separate application and a separate CEE. Only one recruitment rally and one medical examination are undergone, assessed against the higher physical and medical standard of the two categories.
7. The 2026 Cycle — Indicative Schedule
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification | 13 February 2026 |
| Online application | 13 February to 10 April 2026 (RT JCO to 2 April) |
| Admit card | From 15 May 2026; GD, Tradesman, Technical, Clerk/SKT and Women Military Police between 18 and 21 May 2026 |
| CEE | 1 to 15 June 2026 |
| Result | Expected from the second week of July 2026 |
The Indian Army conducts the Agniveer CEE on an approximately annual basis. Candidates should monitor the official portal from January onward.
A planning consideration: given that the upper age limit of 21 for GD carries no relaxation, the number of available cycles is finite and should be counted. A candidate aged 19 has perhaps two further attempts. Deferring an application to “prepare for next year” forfeits a cycle that cannot be recovered.
8. Documents Checklist
- ☐ Class 10 marksheet and certificate
- ☐ Class 12 marksheet, for Technical and Clerk categories
- ☐ ITI or Diploma certificate, where relied upon for Technical eligibility
- ☐ Aadhaar card and PAN card
- ☐ Domicile certificate
- ☐ Caste certificate, where applicable
- ☐ Character certificate
- ☐ Unmarried certificate
- ☐ NCC certificate (A, B or C) — carry the original
- ☐ Sports certificates, where applicable
- ☐ CEE admit card
- ☐ Multiple passport-size photographs
- ☐ Two sets of self-attested photocopies for the rally
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the educational qualification for Agniveer General Duty? Class 10 / Matriculation with 45% marks in aggregate and 33% in each subject. Indian Gorkhas are eligible on a simple Class 10 pass without an aggregate requirement.
Q2. Can a 10th pass candidate apply for Agniveer Technical? Yes, through the ITI route. Class 10 with 50% aggregate, together with a two-year ITI or a two or three-year Diploma in a specified technical stream, satisfies the eligibility. The alternative routes require 10+2 Science with PCM.
Q3. What is the Agniveer salary? The monthly package is ₹30,000 in year one, rising to ₹40,000 in year four. The in-hand figure is ₹21,000 and ₹28,000 respectively, as 30% is contributed to the Agniveer Corpus Fund and returned as Seva Nidhi.
Q4. Is age relaxation available? No. The Agnipath Scheme provides no age relaxation for any category. GD is 17½ to 21 years; Soldier Technical extends to 23 years.
Q5. Can candidates awaiting results apply? Yes. Candidates awaiting 10th or 12th results may apply, but must produce the original mark sheet during Phase II.
Q6. What happens on failing the medical examination? A candidate declared temporarily unfit may rectify the condition within a specified period, commonly 14 to 21 days, and be re-examined at a Military Hospital. A candidate declared permanently unfit is rejected for that cycle.
Q7. Is a pension payable after four years? No. Up to 25% of each batch is enrolled into the regular cadre on merit. The remainder exit with the Seva Nidhi of approximately ₹11.71 lakh, tax-free, without a pension.
Q8. How many categories may one candidate apply for? Up to two Agniveer categories, over and above regular entry categories, subject to eligibility. Each requires a separate application and a separate CEE, though only one rally and one medical examination are undergone.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. Vacancy numbers, eligibility criteria, physical standards, compensation and scheduled dates are revised with each recruitment cycle and vary by category and region. Candidates must read the official notification PDF on the Indian Army’s official recruitment portal before applying and treat that notification as the final authority.