Join Indian Air Force After Class 12th: The Complete Guide
Established on 8th of October,1932 under the British Empire, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is an advanced and innovative air arm of the Indian Armed Forces which is recognized for its greatness, dedication and loyalty to serve the nation. Want to know how to join Indian Air Force after 12th. Equipped with advanced technology and competent personnel’s, the Indian Air Force plays a crucial role in safeguarding our skies against enemy invasion and also helps the nation in times of need such as natural calamities. Before you take a step towards Air Force after 12th, you must know the eligibility for Indian Air Force after 12th and onwards. Let's know a bit more about it before jumping to eligibility etc.
Served by 1.8 lakh personnel, 500+ transport aircraft and helicopters, and 600+ combat aircraft, the IAF has become an indispensable part of the country’s defence services. Counted as 4th largest and 7th most powerful air force of the world, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is the credible air power of India which aspire millions of young minds in the country to become a part of it.
Do you also dream of joining the Indian Air Force, wearing those light blue shirts and grey trousers, sitting in fighter jets, soaring high into the night sky and serving the nation? Well, guess what…now you can fulfil your dream of joining the Indian Air Force just after class-12th without waiting for a bachelor’s degree. The Indian Air Force offers enough opportunities for aspirants like you which grants you entry in Indian Air Force after class 12th and gives you a chance to kick start your challenging and exciting career.
Wondering“ Why to join the Indian Air Force after class 12th? The Eligibility for Indian Air Force after class 12th, How to join Indian Air Force after class 12th and the Career Opportunities Available ?” Well, worry not as we are going to cover it all in this blog.
Why Join Indian Air Force after class 12th?
Well, there lies ample career opportunities for students after completing class 12th. While some of your friends will be joining colleges and pursuing degrees in areas of their interest, you can join the Indian Air Force even before completing your graduation and make your dream come true. This will not only, put you ahead in the race of aspirants who are dead keen to join the IAF but will also give you a chance to reach your goal way ahead of time. Also, a career in Indian Air Force means attractive perks and pay scale, rewards and recognition backed with thrill and adventure of visiting new places, meeting new people and the satisfaction of serving the nation, something which any other profession would fail to offer and thus as an aspirant when you have a chance, you should make it count by becoming a part of the prestigious Indian Air Force just after completing your class 12th.
Career Opportunities Available In The Indian Air Force
Being a part of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is all about being in the middle of supersonic jets and doing your bit (be it flying the aircraft, looking after the systems and making necessary improvements to improve its performance or looking after the human and financial resources) to ensure that the operations go on smoothly. As an officer in the Indian Air Force, you are with the best of people who collectively lead, strategize and manage the operations. The Indian Air Force trains you in different fields and environment and makes you capable enough to face the challenges that the fast-paced life in the Air Force might have in store for you.
The various opportunities available in the Indian Air Force ( IAF ) include both technical branch and non-technical branch as well.
Technical Branch
The technical branch of the Indian Air Force (IAF) handles the technical and mechanical requirements of the Air Force. It includes activities such as maintaining the assets of the nation, replacing the faulty parts, giving valuable suggestions and designing efficient machine systems to boost its power. The various subdivisions in the technical branch include:- Mechanical Department and Electronics Department.
Non-Technical Branch
The non-technical branch is further divided into two:-
Flying Branch
The flying branch deals with all types of pilots ranging from fighter pilots to transport pilots. They are the one who is involved with raiding enemy bunkers, troops, air force stations, artillery sites, do surveillance and provide support to the infantry. They work not only during wartime but also help in disaster relief programs. The various subdivisions in the flying branch include:- Fighters, Transporters and Helicopters.
Ground Duty Branch
The ground duty branch looks into the logistics, administration, accounting, education and metrology departments of the Indian Air Force ( IAF) and is responsible for managing the human and the financial resources which are allotted to IAF. Under this branch, one can work as an internal auditor, air traffic controller, supervisor of inventories etc. The various subdivisions in the ground duty branch include:- Administration, Accounts, Logistics, Education and Meteorology.
How To Join Indian Air Force After Class 12th: The Complete Procedure
Now that you are aware of the types of activities performed in the Indian Air Force and are also sure about the branch you want to get into, let’s talk about the complete process following which you can make your dream of joining and working in the IAF come true. For your convenience, we have divided the complete process of joining the Indian Air Force after class 12th into three different and important stages.
Stage 1: National Defence Academy (NDA) Exam
The NDA is a common written exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)for admission to the Navy, Air Force and Army wings of the Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC) and NDA. The NDA Exam is conducted twice every year, generally in the months of March-April and August-September and covers questions from the topics General Ability and Mathematics.
The aspiring students who wish to join the Indian Air Force just after completing their class 12th have to undertake this mandatory examination. For this, the student has to meet the eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria for Indian Air Force after class 12th are as follows:-
On meeting these, the aspirant becomes eligible for the NDA Examination. After this, the aspiring student has to look out for advertisement for the examination which usually comes out in the newspaper every year. Once the notification for the NDA Examination is out in the newspaper, the aspirant needs to visit the official website of UPSC to fill their application form. The complete application process which the student needs to follow are as follows:-
After this, the application process is completed successfully and all the aspirant needs to do now is to appear at the test centre on the exam day for undertaking the NDA Examination and pass the examination with flying colours for making it to the stage 2 and move closer to his dream of joining the coveted Indian Air Force.
Stage 2: The Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) Interview
The Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) is located in different parts of the country such as Dehradun, Varanasi, Gandhinagar, and Mysore. The main aim of the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) is to ascertain whether the aspirant has the potential and is capable to serve as an officer in the Indian Air Force or not.
The aspirants who have cleared the stage 1 proceed to this stage. The AFSB interview is conducted in two different stages.
The Stage 1of the interview is a screening test of the candidates and include – I) Officer Intelligence Rating Test And, ii) Picture Perception and Discussion Test. The students who qualify this stage move on to the next stage of AFSB Interview.
Stage 2 of the interview include Psychological tests, group tests, interview and Computerized Pilot Selection System (CPSS) test (only for the flying branch). These activities are conducted over a duration of 5 days and are conducted by Psychologists, GTO, and Interviewing officers.
Stage 3 : Medical Examination
After the student has successfully aced the interview round in stage-2, the AFSB could ask him to undergo a complete medical examination, if there arise any sort of doubt or confusion regarding the aspirant's medical and physical condition. Not all students, have to undergo the medical exam but if recommended by the AFSB, the aspirant has to undertake the medical examination either at Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), New Delhi or Institute of Aviation Medicine, Bengaluru.
Stage 4: Declaration Of Merit List
After successfully completing the previous three stages, all the students need to do is wait for the declaration of the merit list by the authorities. An All India Merit List is compiled on the basis of performance in the written test and AFSB interview, subject to being medically fit and students whose name appear on the merit list move on to the next stage.
Stage 5: Training And Posting
The aspirants whose names appear in the merit list in stage 4 move on to this stage. At this point, the candidate is selected and is all set to go through a rigorous three-year training regimen at the National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla. Here the candidate along with training pursues BA/BSc/Bachelor of Computer Science and receives his degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) after successfully completing his training period of three years.
After three years, the candidates who succeed in completing the training are called cadets and are sent for one-year training to Air Force Academy at Hyderabad’s Dundigal. On successful completion of the training duration, the cadets are commissioned as Permanent Commission Officers and are posted as officers at any of the Air Force Stations and with this, finally, their dream of joining and working in the Indian Air Force comes true.
How To Get Started?
Unlike any other career option, a career in Air Force is exciting, rewarding and yet challenging at the same time and thus before starting to prepare for the NDA Examination, you should be clearly convinced about the journey and the kind of life that you are going to have for the rest of your life. You can do so by communicating and interacting with like-minded people who are as much interested in this domain as you are. Talk to them and try to acquaint yourself from their perspective and you will find yourself more equipped with knowledge that you will probably need in this journey. And if this doesn’t work out for you, attend a career counselling session after class 12th. Not only the career counselling sessions are free, but most of them are conducted online and include one to one interaction and trust me you won’t regret your decision. A free career counselling session will not only add to your knowledge in this field but will also include activities to understand stuff from your perspective and will help you in the way. Additionally, you can also develop the following qualities:-
These qualities will come handy and will also help you in making your dream come true. Also, while preparing for the exam, you should be aware and keep your eyes and ears open to stay informed about the NDA notification which usually comes out in the newspaper and applies in the due course of time.
The Bottom Line
Wrapping it up, all I would say is “the journey is easier said than done.” Every year, while thousands of aspirants fill the form, it’s only 5-6% of the aspirants who ace all the stages and make it to the Indian Air Force and thus you will require all your intelligence and might to withstand the storm and make your dream of joining the prestigious Indian Air Force come true. “Face the challenge and be a true warrior.”