DRDO ITR Apprentice Recruitment 2026

Graduate & Technician (Diploma) Apprentices at ITR Chandipur | Advt. No. ITR/HRD/AT/11/2026 | Apply Offline — Application Must Reach by 02 November 2026

1. Recruitment at a Glance

⚠ About the Vacancy Number: The official notice does not print one grand total. It gives a discipline-wise table, and when you add the numbers they come to 54 (32 + 22). Some websites quote a different total, such as 60. We have used 54, which matches the official table. The notice also says the numbers are only indicative and may change later, so keep checking drdo.gov.in.

2. What an Apprenticeship Means — Read This Before You Apply

3. Vacancy Details — Discipline-Wise (Official Table)

What the numbers tell you: Computer Science and Electronics (degree + diploma together) hold 32 of the 54 seats — about 59%. Also, 10 of the 32 Graduate seats are for non-engineering streams (BBA, B.Com and B.Lib.Sc.), which is not common in DRDO apprenticeships, so commerce and library graduates have a real chance here. No category-wise (SC/ST/OBC/EWS) seat breakup is given. The notice only says reservation will be applied as per the Apprentices Act, 1961 and Apprentice Rules, 1992.

4. Eligibility Criteria — All Conditions in One Place

• NATS registration is a must. B.E./B.Tech/Diploma/BBA/B.Com/B.Lib.Sc. candidates must register at nats.education.gov.in. The notice says non-registered candidates are likely to be rejected. You also need your NATS Enrollment Number to fill the application form.
• Year of passing: only candidates who passed in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 or 2026 can apply. Anyone who passed before 2022 is not eligible.
• Regular course only: you must have passed the qualifying exam as a regular candidate.
• No higher qualification: candidates with a higher qualification than the one required are not eligible. For example, a B.Tech holder cannot apply in the Diploma (Technician) category.
• No earlier experience of one year or more: if you had training or job experience of one year or more after getting your essential qualification, you cannot be engaged as an apprentice under this Act.
• Nationality: the notice invites applications from Indian nationals.

5. Age Limit

The notice does not give a fixed upper age or an age-relaxation chart. If you are close to the upper end of typical apprentice age, check the NATS guidelines or call ITR before you spend time and money posting your application.

6. Stipend, Training Period & Conditions

• Stipend: ₹12,300 per month for Graduate Apprentices and ₹10,900 per month for Technician (Diploma) Apprentices.
• Training period: 12 months, starting from the day the Contract of Apprenticeship is signed.
• Contract: selected candidates must sign a contract for 12 months as per the Apprentices Act, 1961.
• No employment promise: ITR is not obliged to offer any job after training ends.
• No accommodation or transport: no government quarters, hostel or transport is given during selection or training.
• No TA/DA: travel or daily allowance is not paid for attending any stage of selection.
• Medical fitness: selected candidates must submit a Medical Fitness Certificate when they join.

7. Selection Process

1. Shortlisting of applications: ITR can use its own method of shortlisting. It is not obliged to shortlist every candidate who meets the minimum requirements, and just meeting the conditions does not make you selected.
2. Written Test / Personal Interview / Both: only for shortlisted candidates. Which one (or both) will be used has not been announced.
3. Verification of credentials: done for selected candidates before the contract is created. If your documents do not match the required qualification, your candidature is rejected.
4. Contract of Apprenticeship: signed for 12 months.

Test or interview dates are not announced yet. All details and call letters will be given only on the website or by email. ITR will not post hard-copy call letters, and downloading and printing the call letter is your own responsibility. So use an email ID that you check daily.

8. How to Apply — Step by Step (Offline)

1. Register on NATS at nats.education.gov.in and note down your NATS Enrollment Number.
2. Download Annexure-A, the application form, from drdo.gov.in. A .docx version is available on the website.
3. Type the form. The application must be typewritten. A handwritten application is not accepted — only your signature can be handwritten. Fill the form in CAPITAL LETTERS.
4. Write your marks in percentage. If you have a CGPA, convert it to a percentage as per your university norms. This may be checked at document verification.
5. Paste a recent passport-size photograph on the form, and sign it.
6. Attach self-attested photocopies of all documents (see the checklist in Section 9).
7. Seal everything in an envelope and write on top: “Application for Apprenticeship Training: Category ……… & Subject/Discipline ………” (for example, Category: Graduate Apprentice, Discipline: B.Tech Computer Science).
8. Send it by Speed Post or Registered Post only to: The Director, Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Balasore, Odisha – 756025.
9. Make sure it reaches ITR on or before 02 November 2026.
10. Keep a full photocopy of your application and the postal receipt for your own records.

⚠ “Receipt” Date, Not “Posting” Date: The last date is for receipt of the application at ITR, not for posting it. Chandipur is in Balasore district of Odisha, so postal time from other states can be several days. Plan to post by about 24–26 October so you have some buffer, and use the tracking number to confirm delivery.

9. Documents Checklist — What to Attach

• 10th certificate and mark sheet
• 12th certificate and mark sheet
• Diploma certificate and mark sheet (for Technician Apprentice, and as applicable)
• B.E./B.Tech/BBA/B.Com/B.Lib.Sc. certificate and mark sheet (for Graduate Apprentice)
• Caste certificate (if you belong to a reserved category)
• Identity proof
• One recent passport-size photograph (pasted on the form)

Details you will also need to fill in Annexure-A: NATS Enrollment No., Aadhaar number, category (UR/SC/ST/OBC/EWS), gender, whether physically handicapped, correspondence and permanent address, your email ID, your mobile number and a parent’s mobile number, and the year, board and marks of each exam.

10. Common Mistakes That Can Get Your Application Rejected

• Handwritten form: only typed forms are accepted.
• Not registered on NATS, or leaving the NATS Enrollment Number blank.
• Applying in the wrong category: for example, a B.Tech candidate applying as a Diploma apprentice because they also hold a diploma.
• Passing year before 2022, or a private / non-regular qualification.
• One year or more of job or training experience after your qualification.
• Sending by ordinary post or courier instead of Speed Post / Registered Post.
• Missing the superscription on the envelope, or not mentioning category and discipline.
• Marks written as CGPA without converting to percentage.
• Hiding facts or giving wrong details: the notice says suppression of facts can lead to disqualification at any stage.
• Canvassing or personal follow-up to influence selection, which leads to immediate cancellation.

11. A Simple Week-by-Week Plan

This plan is only a suggestion to help you avoid last-minute problems. The only official deadline is 02 November 2026 (receipt at ITR).

12. Don’t Confuse This With Other DRDO Apprentice Notices

• This notice — ITR, Chandipur (Advt. ITR/HRD/AT/11/2026): Graduate and Diploma apprentices, offline typed application by post, last date 02 November 2026.
• DRDO RCI, Hyderabad: 195 posts including ITI trade apprentices, applied through the NATS 2.0 or Apprenticeship India portals, last date about 01 November 2026.
• PXE, Chandipur: a separate establishment with its own advertisement, reported to be for 50 apprentice posts. It is not the same as ITR.

Both ITR and PXE are in Chandipur, which causes mix-ups. Always address your envelope to “The Director, Integrated Test Range (ITR)” for this recruitment.

13. Important Dates

14. Contact Details (From the Official Notice)

• Phone: 06782-272144 (during office hours)
• Email: hrd.itr@gov.in
• Postal Address: The Director, Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Balasore, Odisha – 756025

15. FAQs

Important Links

Download Official Notification & Annexure-A: Advt. No. ITR/HRD/AT/11/2026

Register on NATS (Mandatory): nats.education.gov.in

Official Website: drdo.gov.in

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