Agnipath / Agniveer Scheme: Recruitment Guide

What the Agnipath scheme is

Agnipath is the Government of India's recruitment scheme under which young men and women are enrolled into the three services of the armed forces — the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force — in the ranks below commissioned officers. Personnel enrolled under the scheme are called Agniveers.

Under the scheme, Agniveers are enrolled for a fixed engagement period. The framework covers recruitment, training, service conditions and the terms of engagement, all of which are defined in the official notifications issued by each service. This guide explains the structure at a high level and points you to the official sources for the exact, current terms.

• It is a common enrolment framework used by all three services.
• People enrolled under it are designated Agniveers.
• The precise terms of engagement are set out in each service's official notification.

Who conducts recruitment

There is no single combined 'Agnipath exam'. Instead, each service runs its own Agniveer recruitment through its own official recruiting organisation and portal. The Indian Army recruits Agniveers (soldiers) through joinindianarmy.nic.in; the Indian Navy through joinindiannavy.gov.in; and the Indian Air Force recruits Agniveervayu through its official CASB portal at agnipathvayu.cdac.in.

Because the entries, eligibility and selection stages differ by service — and even by category within a service — always start from the correct official portal for the service and entry you are targeting, and read that service's own notification in full.

Eligibility basics (verify specifics officially)

Eligibility for Agniveer entries is set separately by each service and typically depends on the specific entry or trade you apply for. Common eligibility dimensions include nationality, age band, educational qualification, and physical and medical standards. Recruitment under the scheme is open to Indian citizens as specified in the official notification.

The exact age limits, minimum educational qualifications (which vary by entry — for example, some entries are based on Class 10, others on Class 12 or an ITI/diploma), marks requirements, and physical and medical standards are all defined in each service's current notification. Do not rely on remembered numbers — these are the kind of details that are periodically revised.

• Nationality: as specified in the official notification for Indian citizens.
• Age band, education level and marks: defined per entry/trade in the notification.
• Physical and medical standards: set by each service; verify on the official portal.

How recruitment generally works across the services

Although each service has its own process, Agniveer recruitment usually moves through a similar sequence: an online application on the service's official portal, a written/online entrance test (computer-based), a physical fitness test, a medical examination, and document verification, leading to a merit list and enrolment.

The order, the exact tests, and their qualifying requirements vary by service and entry. For example, the Army's soldier recruitment centres on the Agniveer Common Entrance Exam followed by physical and medical stages; the Navy recruits Agniveers through the SSR and MR entries; and the Air Force recruits Agniveervayu through an online test, physical fitness test, adaptability tests and a medical. Use the dedicated guide for each service (linked below) for the stage-by-stage detail.

How to prepare (general, no shortcuts)

Preparation depends entirely on the service and entry you choose, so the first step is to read that entry's official notification and syllabus. In general, candidates build subject fundamentals aligned to the school syllabus level stated for the entry (for example, English, mathematics, science, reasoning and general awareness, depending on the category), practise the computer-based test format, and steadily build physical fitness to meet the published standards.

No coaching, academy or website can guarantee selection — selection is decided only by your performance against the official criteria and the merit list. Be cautious of any claim of assured selection or paid 'guarantees', and rely on the official notification and syllabus rather than unofficial summaries.

What to verify on the official source

Rules, eligibility, physical/medical standards, test patterns, fees and important dates change between recruitment cycles. Before applying, confirm every detail on the correct official portal for the service and entry you want.

Rules and eligibility can change — verify on the official Indian Army, Indian Navy or Indian Air Force recruitment website before relying on any detail.

• The current age band, education and marks for your specific entry.
• Physical and medical standards for your entry and category.
• Test pattern, application window, fees and enrolment terms.