AFTER GRADUATION

You can join the Air Force

1.as an officer, or
2.as an airmen      

1. As an officer
one you can join in following branches
1.1Flying branch
1.2ground duty branch

1.1 FLYING BRANCH

As a graduate, you enter the Flying branch through the Air Force Academy.

The following are the three modes of entry for engineers to join the Flying branch:

    * Combined Defence Services Examination (CDSE)
      You can take the Combined Defence Services Examination (written test conducted by UPSC) to join the Flying branch of the Indian Air Force. Men can join the Air Force through this mode of entry and will be given a Permanent Commission.

    *  Eligibility criteria:

    * Age
      19 to 23 years*

    * Marital Status
      Single

    * Nationality
      Indian

    * Gender
      for men only.

    * Educational Qualifications
         1. Graduate ( Three Year Course ) in any discipline from a recognised university (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) / BE / B Tech( Four Year Course) .
         2. Final Year students can also apply, provided thay donot have any backlogs.
         3. No Percentage Bar for CDSE entry.

            Advertisement Schedule:            April and September Every Year




     
* National Cadet Corps Special Entry ( Through CO NCC Unit / DG NCC )
      As a Air Wing Senior division 'C' Certificate holder of the National Cadet Corps, you can apply to the Flying branch of the Indian Air Force. Men can join the Air Force through this mode of entry and will be given a Permanent Commission.
   
   *   For applying through any of the entry points mentioned above, you must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

    * Age
      19 to 23 years*

    * Marital Status
      Single

    * Nationality
      Indian

    * Gender
      for men only.

    * Educational Qualifications

         1. Graduate ( Three Year Course ) in any discipline from a recognised university who have attained minimum 60% marks in aggregate in all papers put together and have Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level OR BE / B Tech( Four Year Course) from a recognised university with minimum 60% marks in aggregate in all papers put together.
         2. Final Year students can also apply, provided thay donot have any backlogs and min 60 % marks in aggregate in the previous year/ semister.
         3. NCC Air Wing Senior Division 'C' certificate.

            Advertisement Schedule: April and October Every Year


    * Flying (Pilot) Short Service Commission (For Men & women) with Term of Engagement of 14 Years with no further extension
      Both men and women are eligible to apply for short service commission in the flying branch. ” Short Service Commission in Flying branch is for 14 years with no further extension.

      For applying through any of the entry points mentioned above, you must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:
          o Age
            19 to 23 years*

          o Marital Status
            Single

          o Nationality
            Indian

          o Gender
            This is applicable to both men and women.

          o Educational Qualifications

               1.Graduate ( Three Year Course ) in any discipline from a recognised university who have attained minimum 60% marks in aggregate in all papers put together and have Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level OR BE / B Tech( Four Year Course) from a recognised university with minimum 60% marks in aggregate in all papers put together.
               2. Final Year students can also apply, provided thay donot have any backlog and min 60 % aggregate marks in the previous year/ semister.
               3. Upper age limit for Candidates holding valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by DGCA (india ) is relaxed upto 25 yeras*.

1.2 GROUND DUTY
You can join as an officer in any of the following Ground Duty Branches:

    * Administration Branch
    * Accounts Branch
    * Logistics Branch

*Administration Branch

Permanent/Short Service Commission

As an officer in the Administration Department, you will be responsible for the efficient management of both human and material resources. Some of the officers of the Administration Branch are selected to carry out the following duties also:

    * Air Traffic Controller
      As Air Traffic Controller, your core responsibilities will involve maintaining an orderly flow of traffic and airspace management.

    * Fighter Controller
      As Fighter Controller, you will be posted to an Air Defence radar unit and will be responsible for close contact and supervision between the air and radar for effective airspace management.

      To join the Administration Branches, you must fulfil the following criteria:
          o Age
            20 to 23 years* for Graduates, 20 to 25 years* for Post Graduates / LLB ( Five year integrated course) and 20 to 26 Years for Law Graduates (3 Years Course after Graduation).

          o Marital Status
            Candidates below the age of 25 years must be Unmarried.

          o Nationality
            Indian

          o Gender
            This is applicable to both men and women.

          o Educational Qualifications

                Graduation degree in any discipline with a minimum 60% marks in aggregate in all papers put together
                OR
                a Post Graduation degree / equivalant diploma in any discipline with a minimum 50% marks in aggregate in all papers put together .

*Accounts Branch

Permanent/Short Service Commission

As an officer in the Accounts Branch, you are responsible for efficient management of funds as well as disbursement of pay and allowances to Air Force personnel. You will also act as internal auditor to ensure a zero-defect audit from outside agencies.

You must fulfil the following criteria to be a part of the Accounts Branch:

    *      Age
      20 to 23 years* for Graduates , 20 to 25 years* for Post Graduates and 20 to 27 years for CA / ICWA..

    * Marital Status      Candidates below the age of 25 years must be Unmarried.

    * Nationality
      Indian

    * Gender
      This is applicable to both men and women.

    * Educational Qualifications

          Graduate Degree in commerce ( B Com) with a minimum 60% marks in aggregate in all papers put together
          OR
          Post Graduate Degree in commerce ( M Com) / CA / ICWA with a minimum 60% marks in aggregate in all papers put together

*Logistics

Permanent/Short Service Commission

As an officer in the logistics department, you will undertake material management of all Air Force resources. From clothing to aircraft equipment, you will ensure efficient supervision of inventories, and availability of necessary items to all operators and users.

To join our material management team, you must fulfil the following criteria:

    * Age
      20 to 23 years* for Graduates, 20 to 25 years* for Post Graduates / LLB ( Five year integrated course) and 20 to 26 Years for Law Graduates (3 Years Course after Graduation).

    * Marital Status
      Candidates below the age of 25 years must be Unmarried.

    * Nationality
      Indian

    * Gender
      This is applicable to both men and women.

    * Educational Qualifications
          Graduation degree in any discipline with a minimum 60% marks in aggregate in all papers put together
          OR
          a Post Graduation Degree / equivalant diploma in any discipline with a minimum 50% marks in aggregate in all papers put together .



2. AS AN AIRMEN


SELECTION PROCEDURE

The recruitment of Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) as an Airman in the IAF is conducted through All India Selection Tests and Recruitment Rallies. All India Selection Tests are conducted at the Airmen Selection Centers (ASCs) located all over India as per schedule whereas the Recruitment Rallies are conducted from time to time in selected areas/regions of particular States/Union Territories of the country.

    *      All India Selection Tests: Advertisements are published in Employment News/Rozgar Samachar inviting the applications for All India Selection Tests (STs). In response to the advertisement, eligible male Indian Citizens are to forward application to the:

      President,
      Central Airmen Selection Board,
      Post Box No. 11807,
      New Delhi – 110 010
      The Board sends admit cards to eligible and short listed candidates to appear in the Selection Tests.

    *      Recruitment Rallies : Recruitment rallies are conducted at select places within the country from time to time.  Rally advertisements are published with the details of eligibility conditions, selection programme and rally venue in local/regional newspapers circulated in the region/area of the rally. For rally recruitment, eligible candidates are to report to the rally venue on the day of test with the requisite documents as published in the advertisements.  Further procedures will be briefed to the candidates at rally venue by the team of selections.

Candidates while reporting for Selection Test/Rally Recruitment are to be in possession of their Certificates/Mark Sheets and other related documents as mentioned in the advertisement. These documents will be scrutinized and verified by the Testing Team.

Written Test: 
  Candidates are tested in English, Physics & Mathematics for Group ‘X’ (Technical) trades and in English & Reasoning and General Awareness (RGA) for all Group ‘Y’ trades.

Written Test is objective type and question paper is bilingual (English & Hindi), except English paper.  Written test is based on CBSE syllabus of AISSCE.  Candidates for Group 'Z' (Musician) trade are tested in English dictation and proficiency to play the musical instrument applied for. Candidates are to qualify in each paper/test separately.

Physical Fitness Test (PFT):
 Candidates passing the written tests are to undergo Physical Fitness Test(PFT).  The PFT for all trades excluding Indian Air Force (Police) & Indian Air Force (Security) trades consists of a 1.6 Km run to be completed within specified time.  The PFT for Indian Air Force (Police) & Indian Air Force (Security) trades includes a 5 Km run & 2.4 Km run to be completed in 30 minutes & 15 minutes respectively. Candidates completing PFT earlier will be awarded additional marks on a sliding scale.

Interview:
 Candidates passsing PFT will be interviewed by a team of Officers & Warrant ranks. Interview is normally conducted in English.  Working knowledge of English is thus essential.

Trade Allocation Test (TAT) :
 Candidates of Group 'X' (Technical) trades who qualify in interview are to undergo Trade Allocation Test for bifurcation into Mechanical and Electronics stream.  Specific trade allotment within these streams will be carried out at Basic Training Institute (BTI), Air Force (Belgaum).

Medical Examination:
  Candidates who are recommended in the interview will be medically examined by the Recruitment Medical Team as per Indian Air Force medical standards.  Medical certificates/certificates of fitness from other doctors will not be admissible except for diopteric power as stated in Medical Standards given in detail on this site.


ENROLMENT & TRAINING

All India Select List (AISL) & Enrolment :   Candidates who are passing the Written Test, completing PFT, recommended in interview and undergone Medical Examination are arranged in All India Select List(AISL).  The inclusion of names of the candidates in the AISL depends upon the performance of the candidates in the Selection Test.  Candidates are enrolled in the Indian Air Force as per the existing vacancies.  Enrolment is for an initial period of 20 years and extendable up to the age of 57 years.

Training:  The candidates on enrolment are routed to Basic Training Institute (BTI), Belgaum, Karnataka to undergo Joint Basic Phase Training (JBPT) for a period of 12 weeks.  On successful completion of JBPT, candidates will be allocated trades and sent for trade training of specified duration.  After successful completion of training, the airmen will be deployed on ground based jobs as per their allotted trades.



AGE AND EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION CRITERIA


Group 'X'

1.AGE LIMIT: 17 -22 YEARS

2.EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION:
Candidates should have passed Intermediate/ 10+2 with pass marks in Mathematics and Physics with a minimum of 50% marks in overall aggregate.

OR

Should have passed a 3 year Diploma course in Engineering (Mechanical/ Electrical/ Electronics/Automobile/Computer Science/ Instrumentation Technology/ Information Technology) with at least 50% marks from a Govt. recognized Polytechnic Institute.

3.TRADE ELIGIBLE FOR: Technical Trades

Group 'Y'

1. AGE LIMIT:      17 -22 Years

2.EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION: Candidates should have passed Intermediate/ 10+2 with science, arts, commerce subjects or equivalent vocational courses with minimum 50% marks in aggregate.  Vocational courses conducted by CBSE and Kerala Board recognised by Association of Indian Universities (AIU) only are eligible.


3.TRADE ELIGIBLE FOR:  All Group 'Y' Trades (Except Musician Trade)

Group 'Y'

1. AGE LIMIT:      17 -25 Years


2.EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION:
passed Matriculation/ 10th class passed or equivalent with minimum pass marks from any Govt recognized school/Boards, should be between 17-25 years of age and should be proficient in playing at least one musical instrument of the following:

         Trumpet /Bass/ Violin/ Saxophone/ Clarinet/ Euphonium /Jass-Drum/ Piccolo/Bass Trombone/ Key Board/ Guitar/ Sarod/  Viola/ Cello/ Contra Bass (String Bass).

3.TRADE ELIGIBLE FOR:  Musician Trade

MEDICAL STANDARDS
To get selected as an Airman, the candidate must be physically and mentally FIT to perform duties in any part of the world, climate and terrain.  Medical Standards to become an Airman are as follows:-

            (a)   Height  :
     Minimum acceptable height   :  152.5 cm   EXCEPT FOR

Auto Technician and certain Technical Trades:     165 cm

  (minimum leg length for Auto Technician and certain Technical Trades is 99 cm)

 Indian Air Force (Police)    :           175 cm

 Indian Air Force (Security)  :           172 cm

Ground Training Instructor  :           167 cm

Musician                            :           162 cm

Note:     For candidates from Uttarakhand and North-Eastern States, relaxation in height by 10 cm, 4.5 cm and 2.5 cm is given for Indian Air Force (Security), Ground Training Instructor and Auto Technician trades respectively.

(b)   Weight    :   Weight should be proportionate to height and age.

(c)   Chest      :    Minimum range of expansion                     :           5 cm

(d)   Vision      :    There are different visual standards specific to different trades.  However, the common minimum visual standards acceptable for some of the trades are :-

(i)     Unaided vision                      :   6/36 for each eye

(ii)    Correctable with spectacles       :   at least 6/9 for each eye

 (iii)   Dioptectric power                        :   not exceeding + 3.5 Dioptres including  Astigmatism.

 (iv)   Field of Vision                              :   Full

 (v)    Colour perception                       :   Minimum CP-III

 (vi)   Corneal Surgery                          :   PRK/LASIK is not acceptable

Note    :  Indian Air Force (Police) & Indian Air Force (Security) trades require 6/6 vision for each eye unaided and CP-II i.e. no use of spectacles permissible for these trades. 

(e)    Hearing   :          Should have normal hearing i.e. able to hear forced whisper from a distance of 6 meters by each ear separately.

(f)    Dental     :           Should have healthy gums, good set of teeth and minimum
14 dental points.

(g)   Health     :           Should have no medical or surgical deformity and should be free from all communicable diseases & skin ailments.

 In addition to above medical standards, following are prerequisite for Group ‘X’ (Technical) Trades and Group ‘Y’ {For Auto Tech, GTI and IAF (P)} Trades.



The ranks of airmen in the Indian Air Force are as follows :

Aircraftsman                  - AC
Leading Aircraftsman    - LAC
Corporal                        - CPL
Sergeant                       - SGT
Junior Warrant Officer  - JWO
Warrant Officer             - WO
Master Warrant Officer - MWO


The initial period of engagement in the IAF is 20 years, which can be extended up to the age of 57 years. Promotion up to the rank of Master Warrant Officer exists to the deserving airmen. Provision for grant of Honorary Commission to the deserving Warrant Officers and Master Warrant Officer. Opportunities to become a Commissioned Officer also exists for the deserving personnel.





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