What After 10th Class?

Also called: MPC in AP/Telangana, Non-Medical in Haryana, Group A in Gujarat, PCMC/PCME in Karnataka PUC, Group 101/102 in Tamil Nadu

Gateway to: engineering, IT, architecture, data science, pure sciences, defense officer entry

You study: English (mandatory) + Physics + Chemistry + Mathematics + 1 elective (Computer Science, Physical Education, Economics, Psychology, Biotechnology, AI, etc.)

After 12th, you can write:

• JEE Main → NITs, IIITs
• JEE Advanced → IITs
• BITSAT → BITS Pilani
• State CETs — MHT-CET (Maharashtra), Karnataka UGCET/KCET, WBJEE, AP EAPCET, TG EAPCET (both renamed from EAMCET), KEAM
• NATA → Architecture
• NDA → Defense officer (age 16.5–19.5)
• CUET-UG → Central university B.Sc.

Degree options: B.Tech/B.E., B.Sc., BCA, B.Arch, B.Des, Pilot training (CPL), Integrated M.Sc.

Career fields: Software engineering, data science, AI/ML, all engineering branches, architecture, aviation, defense officer, space science (ISRO), nuclear science (BARC), research

Also called: BiPC in AP/Telangana, Medical in Haryana, Group B in Gujarat, Group 201–204 in Tamil Nadu

Gateway to: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, nursing, veterinary science, life sciences

The single mandatory entrance exam is NEET-UG. Nearly 23 lakh candidates registered for NEET-UG 2026 and about 20 lakh appeared; 11.21 lakh qualified. They compete for roughly 1.3 lakh MBBS seats — so qualifying is not the same as getting a seat.

Degree options: MBBS, BDS, BAMS/BHMS, B.Pharm, B.Sc. Nursing, BPT (Physiotherapy), BVSC (Veterinary), Biotechnology, Microbiology, Genetics, Forensic Science

Career fields: Doctor, surgeon, dentist, pharmacist, physiotherapist, veterinarian, researcher, biotech professional

Also called: MBiPC in AP/Telangana, Group AB in Gujarat, PCMB in Karnataka PUC, Group 103 in Tamil Nadu

Takes both Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, AND Biology — keeping both JEE and NEET doors open.

Eligibility: Most CBSE schools require 60–75% in 10th with 60%+ in Maths and Science. Elite schools may need 75–90%+. State boards typically require 50–70%.

CBSE 2025–26 exam pattern:

• Physics/Chemistry/Biology: 70 marks theory + 30 practical
• Maths: 80 theory + 20 internal
• 50% competency-based questions
• Minimum 33% to pass each subject

Also called: MEC in AP/Telangana, SEBA in Karnataka PUC, Group 301/308 in Tamil Nadu

Subjects: English + Accountancy + Business Studies + Economics + Mathematics

This keeps the widest doors open: B.Com (Hons), BBA, CA, CS, CMA, Actuarial Science, B.Econ, even some B.Tech programs through CUET.

Also called: CEC (Civics, Economics, Commerce) in AP/Telangana, HEBA/CEBA in Karnataka PUC

Replaces Maths with: Informatics Practices, Entrepreneurship, Psychology, Physical Education, or Applied Mathematics (lighter version)

Still eligible for: B.Com (General), BBA, CA Foundation, CS, CMA, Hotel Management, Law (CLAT), Journalism

• CA Foundation (ICAI) — Class 12 pass. No minimum percentage and no stream restriction
• CSEET (ICSI) — the old CS Foundation programme no longer exists. Now held at physical exam centres, three times a year
• CMA Foundation (ICMAI) — register after Class 10; Class 12 pass needed to move to Intermediate
• CUET-UG → Central university admissions
• IPMAT → Integrated BBA+MBA at IIMs
• CLAT → 26 National Law Universities (any stream eligible)
• NCHM JEE (NTA) → B.Sc. Hospitality & Hotel Administration. Class 12 with English

Degrees: B.Com (Hons/General), BBA, BMS, B.Econ, Integrated Law (BA LLB / BBA LLB), BHM (Hotel Management), B.Des

Professional qualifications (alongside degree): CA, CS, CMA, Actuarial Science

Career fields: Chartered Accountancy, investment banking, financial analysis, company secretary, stock market, entrepreneurship, digital marketing, supply chain, banking, insurance, e-commerce

Also called: HEC (History, Economics, Civics) in AP/Telangana, Group 401–406 in Tamil Nadu

History, Political Science, Geography, Sociology, Psychology, Economics, Philosophy, Home Science, Fine Arts, Music, Physical Education, Legal Studies, multiple languages.

NEP 2020 additions: AI, Tourism, Entrepreneurship, Fashion Studies, Mass Media.

• UPSC aspirants: History + Political Science + Economics + Psychology
• Law aspirants: Legal Studies + Political Science + Economics + Psychology
• Mass media: Psychology + Sociology + Economics + English
• Design: Fine Arts + Psychology + Economics

• CLAT → 26 National Law Universities. 120 MCQs in 2 hours across five sections: English, Current Affairs & GK, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Techniques. Needs 45% in Class 12 (40% SC/ST/PwD)
• CUET-UG → Central university BA admissions (DU, JNU, BHU)
• NDA → Army wing accepts Arts students
• NIFT/NID → Fashion and Product Design
• NCHM JEE (NTA) → B.Sc. Hospitality & Hotel Administration. Class 12 with English
• Mass Communication exams (IIMC, XIC, Jamia)

Degrees: BA, BA (Hons), BFA, BPA, BA LLB (5-year integrated law), BHM, B.Des, BSW (Social Work), B.El.Ed (Elementary Education)

Career fields: Civil services (IAS/IPS/IFS), law, journalism, diplomacy, psychology/counselling, archaeology, teaching, social work, public policy, design, filmmaking, advertising, content creation, human resources

Two-year trades: Electrician · Fitter · Turner · Machinist · Machinist Grinder · Mechanic Motor Vehicle · Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician · Electronics Mechanic · Instrument Mechanic · Tool & Die Maker (Dies & Moulds, or Press Tools, Jigs & Fixtures) · Draughtsman Mechanical · Draughtsman Civil · Surveyor · Architectural Draughtsman · Information Technology · Mechanic Electric Vehicle · CNC Machining Technician · Technician Mechatronics · Wireman and Painter (General) (both 2 years, Class 8 entry)

One-year trades: Welder (and its variants) · Plumber · Wood Work Technician · Mason (Building Constructor) · Sheet Metal Worker · Mechanic Diesel · Domestic Painter · Industrial Painter

• COPA (Computer Operator and Programming Assistant) — 1 year
• Stenographer Secretarial Assistant (English or Hindi) — 1 year
• Secretarial Practice (English) — 1 year
• Health Sanitary Inspector — 1 year
• Desktop Publishing Operator — 1 year
• Data Entry Operator — 6 months
• Catering & Hospitality Assistant — 1 year
• Cosmetology — 1 year (this is the general-entry beauty trade; "Hair & Skin Care" is a separate trade reserved for candidates with disabilities)
• Photographer / Digital Photographer — 1 year
• Interior Design & Decoration — 1 year
• Fire Technology and Industrial Safety Management — 1 year (Fireman — 6 months)
• Fashion Design & Technology — 1 year
• Dress Making — 1 year (Class 8 entry)

Welder and all its variants · Wireman (2 years) · Plumber · Mason (Building Constructor) · Wood Work Technician · Painter (General) (2 years) · Dress Making · Sewing Technology · Footwear Maker · Leather Goods Maker · Bamboo Works · Surface Ornamentation Techniques (Embroidery) · Weaving Technician · Driver cum Mechanic (LMV, 6 months).

Everything else needs Class 10.

Government ITIs are far cheaper, with fee concessions for SC/ST/OBC students. Private ITIs cost more and vary widely in quality.

One claim to ignore: NTC certificates are sometimes advertised as "internationally valid". They are recognised across India, but no foreign regulator or employer is obliged to accept one.

Most states admit purely on Class 10 (or Class 8) merit, through online centralised counselling run by the State Directorate of Training. Bihar is the main exception — BCECEB conducts ITICAT, a written entrance test. (West Bengal does not hold an ITI entrance test — admission there is on Madhyamik merit.)

The academic session begins 1 August, and DGT sets a national closing date for admission — in 2026 it was finally extended to 21 August. State application windows normally open after Class 10 results, broadly May to July. Check your State Directorate's notice for exact dates.

The progression is real: pass the All India Trade Test → get your NTC → optionally do an apprenticeship → you may then enter the 2nd year of a polytechnic diploma (AICTE provides for this: "10th + 2 year ITI shall be eligible for admission to Second Year Diploma") → after the diploma, you may enter the 2nd year of B.Tech.

ITI holders are eligible to apply for a wide range of technician-grade jobs — not allocated one. ISRO, for example, states plainly that its Technician and Draughtsman posts are "for candidates with education qualification of SSLC/SSC/Matric + ITI/NTC/NAC". Indian Railways, defence establishments, PSUs and state power utilities all run technician-grade recruitment open to ITI holders, and private manufacturers hire ITI-trained technicians.

All of these are open competitive recruitments against a small number of advertised vacancies. An NTC makes you eligible to compete — that is its value, and it is a real one.

Engineering: Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Electronics & Communication, Computer Science, IT, Automobile, Chemical, Mining, Metallurgical, Textile, Printing Technology, Architectural Assistantship, Instrumentation & Control, Biomedical, Environmental, Agricultural, Aeronautical, Marine, Leather Technology, Food Technology.

Non-engineering: D.Pharm, Hotel Management, Fashion Design, Library Science.

AICTE prescribes only "passed Class 10" as the entry qualification — it sets no minimum percentage. Minimum marks are a state rule and vary (Karnataka, for example, asks for 35% aggregate in SSLC). Check your state's admission brochure for the actual cut-off.

States that hold an entrance test:

• UPJEE (Polytechnic) — Uttar Pradesh, conducted by JEECUP
• DCECE (Polytechnic Engineering group) — Bihar, conducted by BCECEB
• CET — Delhi, conducted by DTTE
• TG POLYCET (earlier TS POLYCET) — Telangana · AP POLYCET — Andhra Pradesh

States that admit on Class 10 marks instead: Maharashtra (SSC merit), Karnataka (SSLC merit — there is no Karnataka polytechnic entrance exam, despite what many sites claim), and West Bengal, where admission to the 1st year diploma is now on Madhyamik marks rather than a written test.

After your diploma you can enter the 2nd year of B.Tech/B.E., completing the degree in 3 more years instead of 4. Most states run a lateral entry entrance test for this.

Government: Junior Engineer posts in Railways, PWD, state power utilities and PSUs; municipal technical posts. SSC's Junior Engineer exam is open to diploma holders — but the requirement differs by department: a 3-year diploma alone is enough for CPWD, Central Water Commission, NTRO, Farakka Barrage Project and a few others, while Border Roads Organisation, Military Engineer Services and DGQA-Naval want the diploma plus two years' experience. JE (Telecom) in the Department of Telecommunications needs a full degree. An ITI certificate does not qualify for any JE post — the diploma is the entry ticket.

Private sector: site engineer, supervisor, quality inspector, maintenance and production roles.

• Army Agniveer (General Duty): Class 10 pass with 45% in aggregate AND at least 33% in each of the five subjects. Age 17½–22.
• Army Agniveer (Technical): Class 10 pass is enough if you also have a technical qualification — 50% aggregate with 40% each in English, Maths and Science, plus a two-year ITI course or a two/three-year diploma. (There is also a 12th-with-PCM route.) See the note below — this is the entry most students wrongly believe is closed to them.
• Army Agniveer (Tradesman): two streams — one for Class 10 pass and one for Class 8 pass. No aggregate percentage required, but 33% in five subjects. Age 17½–22. The current notification offers up to 9 trade options for 10th-pass and 2 for 8th-pass candidates; the exact trades change each year and by recruiting office, so read the current ARO notification rather than any list published elsewhere.
• Navy Agniveer (MR — Matric Recruit): Class 10 pass, unmarried men and women, age 17½–21. Serve as Chef, Steward or Hygienist.
• Indian Coast Guard Navik (Domestic Branch): Class 10 pass from a recognised board, age 18–22, with age relaxation for SC/ST (5 years) and OBC (3 years). Importantly, the Coast Guard is not part of Agnipath — Navik is a regular permanent post on Pay Level-3 with promotion prospects up to Pradhan Adhikari, and it carries SC/ST/OBC reservation. Recruitment is through the CGEPT; check the current advertisement for dates.

Every Army Agniveer notification states an exact date-of-birth window, and that is what decides eligibility — not your age on the day you apply. The current notification (Recruiting Year 2027) allows candidates born between 1 July 2005 and 1 July 2009, both days inclusive, which is the 17½–22 band.

Army selection is in two phases: Phase I is the online Common Entrance Exam at a computer-based test centre. Phase II is the Recruitment Rally — Physical Fitness Test, Physical Measurement Test, Adaptability Test and Medical Examination. Candidates awaiting Class 10 results may apply but must produce the original marksheet at Phase II.

You may apply for two categories you are eligible for, filling separate forms and sitting two entrance exams. Most students do not know this, and it materially increases your chances.

When applications open: Army Agniveer runs an annual cycle, with registration usually around February–April. Navy and Air Force Agniveer entries and the Coast Guard CGEPT run twice a year; the NDA exam is held twice a year. Check the official sites below — dates move.

• NDA (National Defence Academy): a UPSC exam held twice a year, roughly age 16½–19½ — UPSC sets an exact date-of-birth window in each notification, so read the current notice. Unmarried women have been eligible since 2021, selected against separately notified vacancies. For the Army wing, Class 12 in any stream is enough. For the Air Force and Naval wings, you need Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
• Army Agniveer (Clerk / Store Keeper Technical): Class 12 in any stream with 60% aggregate and 50% in each subject, and at least 50% in English and in Maths/Accounts/Book Keeping. Age 17½–22.
• Navy Agniveer (SSR): Class 12 with Maths and Physics, plus one of Chemistry, Biology or Computer Science. Note: "Artificer Apprentice (AA)" is no longer a separate Agniveer entry — the Navy's two entries are SSR and MR.
• Air Force Agniveervayu: two streams — a science stream (Class 12 with Maths, Physics and English, or a three-year engineering diploma) and a non-science stream open to Class 12 in any subjects, both needing 50% aggregate and 50% in English. Note there is no Class 10 route into the Air Force, and the old "X/Y Group" and "Airmen" names are obsolete — it is now Agniveervayu, by intake number.

Pay: ₹30,000 a month in year 1, rising to ₹40,000 in year 4 (30% is deducted monthly into the Agniveer Corpus Fund and matched by the Government).

Seva Nidhi: on discharge you receive roughly ₹10.04 lakh, exempt from income tax (your ₹5.02 lakh corpus plus the Government's matching share), with interest.

Life insurance: non-contributory cover of ₹48 lakh during the engagement.

Certificates: an Agniveer who joined after Class 10 receives a Class 12 (equivalent) certificate on completing four years, awarded on the basis of skills attained, plus a detailed skill-set certificate.

Both admit only at Class VI and Class IX — Sainik Schools through the AISSEE, Rashtriya Military Schools through their Common Entrance Test (which admits both boys and girls). Because the highest entry point is Class IX, a student who has already passed Class 10 cannot join either. If you want this route, it has to be planned before Class 9.

Pre-sea training for ratings is regulated by DGMA. Only a course at a DGMA-approved maritime training institute counts — a certificate from an unapproved institute will not get you onto a ship, no matter what you were promised.

Course duration, minimum marks, age limits, and the medical and eyesight standards are set by DGMA training circulars and are revised from time to time. Importantly, the eyesight standard is different for deck-side and engine-side ratings — so a single blanket figure you see quoted online is unreliable in both directions.

1. Check the institute is approved — for your specific course. Approvals lapse, get suspended, and are course-specific: an institute approved for one course is not automatically approved for the one you are joining. Search the official list: DGMA list of approved maritime training institutes and list of approved courses.
2. If anyone is arranging a job or a ship placement, check their RPSL. A Recruitment and Placement Services Licence is legally required to recruit seafarers — an agent without one cannot lawfully do it. DGMA publishes the list of valid, invalid and temporarily suspended licences: check the RPSL list here. Check for suspension, not just presence.

No approved institute and no licensed agent guarantees you a job. And no legitimate recruiter charges you a fee for a job. If either promise is being made, that is the scam.

Yes — but it is a narrow and slow route, not an automatic promotion ladder, and it is frequently oversold to students. A rating who wants to become an officer must complete a substantial period of documented sea service, then a separate certificate of competency course, then pass DGMA examinations. Some ratings do it. Many do not.

Treat "join as a rating and you'll be an officer in three years" as a sales pitch. Check the current requirement with DGMA before planning around it.

All of these require 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology and a minimum age of 17:

• DMLT (Medical Lab Technology) — 2 years. The national curriculum states eligibility as "10+2 (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) from a recognized board; Minimum age: 17 years."
• Radiography / X-Ray & Imaging Technology — most recognised programmes are now 3–4 year B.Sc. degrees; a few state medical faculties still run 2-year diplomas, also on Class 12 PCB entry
• Operation Theatre & Anaesthesia Technology — 50% aggregate in PCB (45% for reserved categories)
• Dialysis Technology — 50% aggregate in PCB. The national curriculum states plainly that this is the entry level for the profession — there is no route in below it
• ECG Technician — where a state medical faculty runs one, 2 years plus 6 months of compulsory training
• Dental Hygiene — 2 years, and it may only be run inside a recognised dental college
• Optometry / Ophthalmic Technology — Class 12 with science and 50% marks; the mainstream qualification is a 4-year B.Optom

Regulator note: dental hygiene is now regulated by the National Dental Commission, which replaced the Dental Council of India on 19 March 2026. The Class 12 PCB entry rule remains in force.

• ANM: 10+2 in Arts or Science with English. Age 17–35.
• GNM: 10+2 with English and at least 40% marks. Science is preferred but not compulsory. Age 17–35.
• B.Sc. Nursing: 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English, 45%.

The Indian Nursing Council accepts NIOS 10+2 for ANM and GNM — so open schooling is a valid route in.

Short NSQF skill certificates, not diplomas:

• General Duty Aide / Assistant (GDA) — qualification code HSS/Q5101 (version 4.0, approved March 2026), NSQF Level 3, 600 hours, under the Healthcare Sector Skill Council. Entry: Class 10 pass. You can train at 16, but the minimum age to take the job is 18. You would work as a patient-care attendant in a hospital or nursing home — helping patients bathe, eat, move and stay safe. It is entry-level, physically demanding work at entry-level wages.
• ITI — Health & Sanitary Inspector — trade code DGT/1012, one year. Entry: 10th pass. A government-recognised healthcare-sector course run through ITIs.

1. Demand the affiliation letter on paper, naming your state's paramedical board or state medical faculty, with a number and a date. A wall certificate, a WhatsApp photo, or a "government approved" banner is not proof.
2. Verify with the issuing body, not the institute. Ask the board directly.
3. Ask which university or board awards the certificate, and who conducts the exam. If the institute conducts its own exam and awards its own certificate, that certificate is worth nothing.
4. Check the entry requirement they quote you. If they admit you after Class 10 for DMLT, radiography, OT, dialysis or dental hygiene, the course is not following the national curriculum — whatever they promise.
5. Check the duration against the law. Under the NCAHP Act, an allied-health qualification must run at least 2,000 hours over two to four years. A "6-month DMLT" or "1-year X-ray diploma" cannot be a recognised qualification.
6. Get everything in writing — fee, duration, awarding body, refund terms — with a receipt in the institute's registered name. Never pay to a personal UPI or bank account.

What a worthless certificate looks like: issued by the institute itself or by a private "board", "council", "society" or "university" you cannot find on any government website; no affiliation number; duration far shorter than two years; admission granted after Class 10; the words "government approved" with no department named.

Under section 57 of the NCAHP Act, using a diploma that is not a recognised qualification under the Act carries a fine of up to ₹1 lakh — and the risk lands on you, not the institute.

Your admission stays valid for five years, and within that you get nine chances to sit the public examination (held twice a year, March–April and September–October). You only have to clear the subjects you have not yet passed — credits for passed subjects accumulate.

On top of that, once you have sat your first public exam, you can also take the On-Demand Examination — as often as once a month per subject — for the rest of your five years.

If the five years run out before you finish, you can take fresh re-admission and carry over up to four subjects you already passed with NIOS, provided you passed them within the last ten years.

It is often described as "choose your own exam date". That oversells it. What it actually is: you book an exam slot when you feel ready, instead of waiting for the next board exam — subject to seat availability.

• Available at NIOS headquarters in Noida and designated Kendriya Vidyalayas — not at every study centre
• No on-demand exams in April, May, October or November
• Maximum once a month per subject; ₹600 per subject (₹250 extra if it has a practical)
• Offered in 16 subjects at Secondary level and 23 at Senior Secondary

If you join an ITI, you can earn a Class 10 or Class 12 certificate at the same time, without attending a separate school, under the NIOS–DGT Integrated Academic Certification Scheme.

Your ITI trade subjects are credited to NIOS — 4 subjects for a 2-year trade, 3 for a 1-year trade — so you study just one or two academic subjects with NIOS (always including one language) instead of all five. You register with NIOS while your ITI training is running, and sit NIOS exams only for those one or two subjects.

One timing rule: if you are in a 1-year ITI trade after Class 10 and want the Class 12 certificate, a minimum two-year gap from the year you passed Class 10 still applies.

The examination fee is separate — ₹300 per subject, plus ₹150 for a subject with a practical. Budget roughly ₹4,000–4,500 in total for a first attempt at five subjects. Each additional subject costs ₹940; transfer of credit ₹230 per subject. Fees are not refundable.

Jail inmates get a full fee waiver.

NIOS certificates are recognised at the same level as CBSE, ICSE and State Board certificates. The legal basis is a Government of India resolution of 14 September 1990 (published in the Gazette on 20 October 1990) making NIOS the certifying authority for school education up to pre-degree level, plus an Association of Indian Universities letter of 1991 granting equivalence for university admission.

Three things to know, honestly:

• JEE Main requires a minimum of five subjects in your Senior Secondary. This condition actually disqualifies people — plan your subjects around it.
• NEET is fine. The National Medical Commission confirmed in February 2025 that studying through NIOS is allowed, including taking Biology as an additional subject.
• Some engineering colleges still get this wrong. AICTE had to write to every approved college in September 2025 reminding them that NIOS is "recognized at par with other national and state boards" because some had denied admission to NIOS students. Keep that circular handy if you meet resistance.

Note also that NIOS vocational certificates are a separate track, and their acceptance depends on each state's rules.

NIOS states this itself, in capitals: "DO NOT EXPECT FULL TIME CLASSROOM TEACHING" as in a regular school. Specifically:

• You get 30 contact sessions per subject, in your first year only, on weekends and holidays. The rest is self-study.
• Practicals are mandatory and in person. Miss them in year one and you must re-register and pay again.
• Assignments (TMAs) carry 20% of your theory marks and must be submitted before you sit the exam in that subject.
• The two-year gap rule: you must have a two-year gap from the year you passed Class 10 to be certified at Senior Secondary. You cannot compress Class 12 into one year through NIOS.
• NIOS fixes your exam centre; you do not choose it.
• Nobody takes attendance or chases you for assignments. The five-year window is generous precisely because many learners need it.

Choose your study centre carefully — it is where you attend sessions, do practicals and get assignments evaluated, and it cannot be casually changed. Study centres must provide contact sessions and assignment evaluation free of charge; do not pay extra for them.

• MP State Open School Education Board — runs Ruk Jana Nahi, a second-chance exam for students who failed the MP Board Class 10 or 12 exam, letting them re-sit only their failed subjects (up to six in Class 10, five in Class 12), twice a year. A parallel scheme, "Aa Laut Chale", serves dropouts.
• RSOS (Rajasthan) · TOSS (Telangana Open School Society) · APOSS (Andhra Pradesh Open School Society) · Haryana Open School (run as part of the Board of School Education Haryana) · Chhattisgarh State Open School (sos.cg.nic.in)
• Patrachar Vidyalaya (Delhi) — run by the Delhi Directorate of Education, not by CBSE. Since 2025-26 its students follow the NIOS curriculum and sit NIOS exams, so the certificate is a NIOS one.

• Free training across a wide range of sectors: IT, healthcare, retail, construction, automotive, agriculture, tourism, beauty & wellness, AI, drones and more
• Benefits: free training, a nationally recognised NSQF certificate, and placement assistance
• Where to go: skillindiadigital.gov.in — the government's single official platform. PMKVY now runs through this hub.

An apprenticeship is on-the-job training with a real employer, and you are paid a stipend. Openings exist from Class 8 level upward, through Designated and Optional Trades.

Stipend rates were raised by about 36% in September 2025, moving the minimum range from ₹5,000–₹9,000 to ₹6,800–₹12,300 per month, with future revisions linked to inflation. Part of the stipend is paid by the government directly into your bank account.

Register at: apprenticeshipindia.gov.in