Indian Air Force Agniveervayu Non-Combatant Recruitment 2026 Notification Out – Apply Offline for Intake 01/2027

The Indian Air Force has released the information brochure for Agniveervayu Non-Combatant, Intake 01/2027, under the Agnipath scheme. Applications are accepted offline only, by normal post or through a drop box at any one of the listed Air Force stations, and must reach on or before 17 August 2026.

This entry is separate from the regular Agniveervayu technical and non-technical trades. It is open to unmarried male matriculates and recruits into two streams, Hospitality and Housekeeping. The pay is the standard Agniveer package of ₹30,000 per month in the first year with a fixed yearly increment.

Recruitment at a Glance

Eligibility Criteria

Age

Candidates born between 1 January 2005 and 1 July 2009, both days inclusive, are eligible. If a candidate clears every stage of selection, the upper age limit as on the date of enrolment should be 22 years.

Educational Qualification

Passed Matriculation or an equivalent examination from an education board recognised by the Centre, a State or a Union Territory, as on the date of registration.

Marital Status

Only unmarried male candidates are eligible. At the time of enrolment, candidates sign a voluntary undertaking not to marry during the four-year engagement period. The brochure is explicit that anyone who marries during that period will be dismissed from service, and that only unmarried Agniveervayu Non-Combatants remain eligible for selection into the regular cadre as NC(E).

Medical Standards

The medical bar is where most candidates come unstuck, so go through this carefully before spending money on travel.

Three specific rules catch people out:

• Corneal surgery is not acceptable. PRK and LASIK both disqualify.
• Dental implants and implant-supported prosthesis earn no dental points, and candidates wearing fixed or removable orthodontic appliances are declared unfit.
• Candidates found to have predominant characteristics of the opposite gender on external physical examination, or who have undergone gender reassignment surgery, are declared unfit.

These are broad guidelines only. Final medical fitness is decided conclusively by the Medical Board, and there is no provision for representation or review once a medical authority declares a candidate unfit.

Tattoo and Substance Rules

Permanent body tattoos are not permitted. Tattoos may be considered only on the inner face of the forearm from the inside of the elbow to the wrist, on the back of the hand or reverse side of the palm, and tribal tattoos made as per the custom and tradition of the candidate’s tribe. Offensive, obscene, indecent, sexist or racist tattoos are prohibited anywhere on the body. The final call on acceptability rests with the Selection Centre.

If you have a permanent tattoo, carry two postcard size photographs, one close up and one distant view, along with details of the size and type of the tattoo.

Consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances banned under the NDPS Act 1985 is a rejection criterion, and the IAF follows a zero tolerance policy on alcoholism and substance abuse.

Only Sikh candidates whose religion prohibits cutting of hair or shaving of the face are permitted to grow hair and retain beard and moustache, and they should have their photographs taken accordingly.

Job Profile

Hospitality Stream

Cooking and kitchen management, presentation of dishes, maintaining a sanitised and orderly kitchen, safe storage of food and other items, handling crockery, cutlery and refrigeration, laying tables and chairs, and serving food and water.

Housekeeping Stream

Cleaning floors, roads, rooms, bathrooms, commodes and urinals, making brooms, grass and hedge cutting, ground levelling and digging of trenches, watering the garden, washing utensils and clothes, filling and carrying water, and handling office equipment. Additionally, tasks such as hair cutting, shaving, head massage, ironing clothes, stitching of leather items and sole making, repair of leather items, shoe polishing, cutting, stitching, alteration and darning of garments, and making ribbons and badges.

Be honest with yourself about this list before applying, because willingness to perform every task in your chosen stream is separately tested and scored.

Pay, Allowances and Seva Nidhi

The Agniveer package starts at ₹30,000 per month with a fixed yearly increment. In addition, risk and hardship allowances as applicable in the IAF, plus dress and travel allowances, are paid. Ration, clothing, accommodation and Leave Travel Concession are provided as per existing rules.

Total contribution to the Agniveer Corpus Fund after four years is about ₹5.02 lakh from the candidate and a matching ₹5.02 lakh from the Government, giving a Seva Nidhi package of roughly ₹10.04 lakh on exit, excluding interest.

What Is and Is Not Included

• Non-contributory life insurance cover of ₹48 lakh for the engagement period.
• Medical facility at service hospitals and CSD provisions during the engagement.
• Annual leave of 30 days per year, plus sick leave on medical advice.
• A detailed Agniveer Skill Certificate at the end of the engagement.
• No contribution to any Government Provident Fund is required.
• No gratuity and no pensionary benefits of any kind.
• No Ex-Servicemen status after discharge on completion of four years.

On completing four years, candidates may apply for permanent enrolment as NC(E). Applications are considered centrally on objective criteria including performance during the four years, and up to 25% of each batch is enrolled into the regular cadre. There is no right to be selected. Release at own request before the engagement ends is not permitted except in exceptional cases with the approval of the Competent Authority.

Candidates are permitted to appear in all commissioning examinations in the Defence Forces, up to a maximum of five attempts, during the four-year engagement, subject to conditions.

Selection Process

Selection runs in four phases, and each one is elimination.

Phase I – Written Test

Held at the station or location where the application was submitted, and common to both streams.

You need at least 5 marks in each subject and 15 of 30 overall. Clearing one subject well does not carry the other.

Phase II – Physical Fitness Test

Only written test qualifiers proceed. Height is checked first against the 152 cm minimum, and anyone below it is not taken further.

PFT-I is a 1.6 km run in 7 minutes. At altitude the timing is relaxed by 30 seconds between 5,001 and 9,000 feet, and by 120 seconds between 9,001 and 12,000 feet.

PFT-II follows for those who clear PFT-I, after a 10 minute break:

Phase III – Stream Suitability Test

Qualifying in nature. Hospitality candidates are assessed on aptitude for cooking tasks including cutting meat, vegetables and fish, handling kitchen equipment, preparing and presenting dishes, knowledge of kitchen sanitation and hygiene, aptitude for serving food and beverages, personal hygiene and appearance, and common knowledge of cooking appliances and kitchen fire safety.

Housekeeping candidates are assessed on sweeping floors and roads, cleaning bathrooms, commodes and urinals, cutting grass, watering the garden, digging trenches, washing utensils, and any one of the following: washing and ironing clothes; hair cutting, dressing or shampooing; stitching of leather items; or tailoring, knowledge of fabrics and pattern cutting.

Unwillingness to perform any task associated with the stream leads to disqualification in the SST.

Phase IV – Medical Examination

Conducted by an Air Force Medical team at a designated place, with baseline investigations including blood haemogram, urine examination, biochemistry (fasting and post prandial blood sugar, serum cholesterol, renal function and liver function tests), chest radiograph and ECG.

Be prepared to stay four to five days at your own expense. No TA or DA is admissible. Get tartar and stains removed from your teeth beforehand and ensure ears are free of wax. If you use corrective glasses, carry an ophthalmologist’s prescription bearing a stamp and registration number, not more than one month old. Passing the medical is not a guarantee of employment.

Documents to Attach with the Application

• Class 10 or Matriculation mark sheet and passing certificate.
• Recent passport size colour photograph, not older than six months, front portrait against a light background, without headgear except for Sikhs. The photograph must show the candidate holding a black slate in front of his chest with his name and the date the photo was taken, written clearly in white chalk in capital letters. Keep two copies of the same photograph for enrolment.
• Consent certificate from a parent or legal guardian for candidates below 18. Candidates above 18 sign the consent themselves.
• A self-addressed envelope with a ₹10 stamp affixed.
• Self-attested copy of Aadhaar card. Candidates from Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Meghalaya are exempted.

Documents to Carry to the Written Test

• Aadhaar card as displayed on the admit card. Candidates from Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Meghalaya may carry another valid photo ID if they do not hold Aadhaar.
• Character certificate signed by a Gazetted Officer, Panchayat Officer, or the Principal of the school or college attended in the last one year, not older than 6 months and bearing the issuing officer’s office seal.
• Original Class 10 passing certificate and original mark sheet, or DigiLocker verified printouts.
• Experience certificate, if any.

Two warnings from the brochure worth repeating. An internet copy of the mark sheet is not acceptable, and printouts taken from a mobile snapshot or photo image will not be accepted. Candidates with DigiLocker verified certificates are allowed provisionally and must carry an accessible mobile device to display them during verification.

How to Apply

1. Download the blank application form and the other required certificates from the Application Forms sub-tab under the Agniveervayu Non-Combatant tab at iafrecruitment.edcil.co.in.
2. Fill the form in capital letters only and write the stream you are applying for, either Hospitality or Housekeeping. Write only one stream.
3. Paste a self-attested passport size photograph on the top right corner of the application form and on the admit card.
4. Write your name, father’s name and date of birth exactly as they appear on the Matriculation passing certificate.
5. Attach all supporting documents listed above, including the self-addressed ₹10 stamped envelope.
6. Send it by normal post, or submit it in the drop box, at any one of the Air Force stations listed in the brochure, so that it reaches on or before 17 August 2026.

Four Ways Applications Get Rejected

• Applications not in the format hosted on the web portal.
• Applications received after the due date.
• Multiple applications. Candidature is rejected in total, at every location.
• Incomplete applications, whether in terms of information or documents.

The brochure lists station-wise drop box locations along with the streams in which vacancies exist at each, so check which stream your chosen station is actually recruiting for before you post. Some stations recruit for Housekeeping only, others for Hospitality only, and most for both. Vacancies for the Western Air Command stations were shown as pending update at the time the brochure was published.

Important Dates

Important Links

A Word of Caution

Selection in the Indian Air Force is on merit alone. No bribe is required to be paid to anyone at any stage for selection or recruitment, and candidates should not fall prey to people posing as recruiting or selection agents. Impersonators are prosecuted, and candidates found using unfair means during the examination are debarred permanently.

Related Recruitment

Defence aspirants should also see Territorial Army Officer Recruitment 2026, which is open to Ex-Armed Forces Commissioned Officers and closes on 25 August 2026.

If you are looking for other openings that do not need a degree, check Aadhaar Supervisor Recruitment 2026 for 348 posts across 11 states, and the ITI and diploma seats in AAI Eastern Region Apprentice Recruitment 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the last date for Agniveervayu Non-Combatant Recruitment 2026?

17 August 2026. The application must physically reach the chosen Air Force station by post or drop box on or before that date.

Can female candidates apply?

No. Only unmarried male candidates are eligible for enrolment as Agniveervayu Non-Combatant.

What is the educational qualification?

Matriculation or an equivalent examination passed from an education board recognised by the Centre, a State or a Union Territory.

Is the application online or offline?

Offline. The form is downloaded from iafrecruitment.edcil.co.in and submitted by normal post or drop box.

What is the salary?

₹30,000 per month in the first year, rising to ₹40,000 in the fourth year, plus risk and hardship, dress and travel allowances, along with ration, clothing, accommodation and LTC.

How much is the Seva Nidhi on exit?

About ₹10.04 lakh after four years, excluding interest, made up of the candidate’s contribution of roughly ₹5.02 lakh and a matching Government contribution.

What is the running standard?

1.6 km in 7 minutes, with relaxations of 30 seconds above 5,000 feet and 120 seconds above 9,000 feet.

Can I send applications to more than one station to improve my chances?

No. Candidates submitting multiple applications have their candidature rejected in total.

Will I get Ex-Servicemen status after four years?

No. Personnel enrolled under this scheme are not eligible for Ex-Servicemen status after discharge on completion of the four-year engagement.

Are tattoos allowed?

Permanent tattoos are generally not permitted, but tattoos on the inner forearm, on the back of the hand or reverse of the palm, and tribal tattoos as per custom may be considered. The Selection Centre decides in each case.