DRDO RCI Apprentice Recruitment 2026

195 Posts — Graduate, Technician (Diploma) & Trade (ITI) Apprentice | Apply Online by 01 November 2026

1. Recruitment at a Glance

⚠ How the Last Date Actually Works: The official notification does not give one fixed closing date directly — it says the application closes “30 days from the date of publication of this advertisement in a newspaper.” Based on the notification’s release timing, this works out to approximately 01 November 2026. To be fully safe, confirm the exact newspaper publication date and count 30 days yourself, or keep checking drdo.gov.in for any official corrigendum.

2. Vacancy & Eligible Qualification — Category-Wise

*The official notification marks all vacancy figures as tentative — they may change. Also, RCI has not published a trade-wise or branch-wise breakup within each category, nor a category-wise (UR/SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwBD) reservation table. It only confirms that reservation will apply as per the Apprentices Act 1961 and its amended rules — so don’t expect a detailed reservation chart in this notification.

3. Eligibility Criteria — Read This Carefully

• You must have the qualification relevant to your chosen category (see table above), from an Indian institution recognised by the appropriate statutory authority.
• Only regular candidates — not distance/correspondence mode — who scored 70% marks or CGPA 7.5 and above in their qualifying exam are eligible. This 70%/7.5 CGPA bar is considerably higher than most other apprentice notifications you may have seen, so double-check your actual percentage before applying.
• You must have passed in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, or 2026 — older pass-outs are not eligible.
• Candidates holding a higher qualification than the one prescribed for their chosen category are not eligible — for example, a B.Tech holder cannot apply for the Technician (Diploma) or Trade (ITI) category just because they also hold that lower qualification.
• Candidates who have already completed, or are currently undergoing, apprenticeship training anywhere are not eligible.
• Candidates with more than 1 year of work experience are not eligible.
• You must be an Indian national.

4. Age Limit

This is worth highlighting: RCI’s notification fixes only a minimum age of 18 years and does not mention any upper age limit at all. This is unusual compared to most government apprenticeship schemes, which normally do cap the maximum age — so slightly older eligible candidates (who otherwise meet the qualification and 5-year pass-out window) need not worry about being ruled out on age alone.

5. Stipend

⚠ Bank Account Must Be Aadhaar-Seeded: For Graduate and Technician (Diploma) Apprentices, 50% of the stipend is paid by the Board of Apprenticeship Training (BOAT) through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). This means your bank account MUST be Aadhaar-seeded/linked before you apply — an account without Aadhaar seeding can delay or completely block your stipend payment.

6. Selection Process

• Selection is based on Academic Merit and/or Interview, as required — there is no written exam.
• Reservation for SC/ST/OBC/PwD/EWS applies as per the Apprentices Act 1961 and its amended rules.
• Shortlisted candidates are contacted only through the e-mail ID given in the application — RCI is not responsible if you miss communication due to a changed mobile number or inactive e-mail, so keep your registered e-mail active and check it regularly.
• Before training starts, selected candidates must execute a formal apprenticeship contract on the respective portal (NATS or NAPS).
• Selected candidates must also produce a valid Police Verification Certificate from their place of last residence (minimum 1 year) or permanent address, at the time of joining.

The official notification does not disclose the exact weightage formula for academic merit, any interview marks split, or the shortlisting ratio — so there is no way to predict a precise cutoff in advance. Focus on having the strongest possible academic percentage, since that appears to be the primary basis for shortlisting.

7. How to Apply Online — Step by Step

A) For B.E./B.Tech/Diploma Candidates:

1. Register (mandatory) on the NATS 2.0 portal at nats.education.gov.in.
2. Log in to NATS 2.0 and apply by selecting Research Centre Imarat, DRDO — Enrolment ID: STLRAC000010.
3. Fill in all required details and submit before the closing date.

B) For ITI Trade Candidates:

1. Register (mandatory) on the Apprenticeship India portal at apprenticeshipindia.gov.in.
2. Log in, click on “Apprenticeship Opportunities,” then search by Establishment Name: “RESEARCH CENTRE IMARAT” — Establishment ID: E05203600040.
3. Choose your specific trade from the list and click Apply.

There is no offline or e-mail application route for the main application — portal registration and submission is the only valid method. Submit your application within 30 days of the advertisement’s newspaper publication, well before the deadline, since both portals can get busy closer to the closing date.

8. Documents Required (At Verification / Joining)

• Duly filled application form
• NATS/NAPS profile printout
• 10th class mark sheet and certificate
• Consolidated/final mark sheet of the qualifying examination
• Original/provisional certificate of the qualifying examination
• Caste certificate, if applicable
• PwD certificate, if applicable
• Valid EWS certificate, if applicable
• Any Government of India photo ID (PAN Card/Voter ID/Driving Licence)
• Aadhaar Card (mandatory)
• Copy of Aadhaar-seeded bank passbook/statement (mandatory)
• Medical Fitness Certificate issued by a Government Civil Assistant Surgeon
• Two latest passport-size photographs

All documents must be carried in both original and self-attested photocopy form — missing even one can hold up your document verification.

9. Important Terms & Conditions You Should Know

• Document verification is done only for shortlisted candidates, before the apprenticeship contract is created — any mismatch with your declared qualification leads to rejection.
• All qualifications must be from Indian institutions recognised by the appropriate statutory authority.
• Hiding or misrepresenting any fact leads to disqualification at any stage — even after you’ve started your apprenticeship.
• No TA/DA (travel or dearness allowance) is paid for attending any stage of the selection process.
• RCI does not provide hostel accommodation, quarters, or transport — neither during interview nor during the apprenticeship period. Factor this into your budget and planning if you are selected and the posting is far from home.
• This is training under the Apprentices Act, 1961 — there is no obligation of employment at DRDO/RCI once your one-year training ends. Treat this purely as a skill-building and experience opportunity, not a guaranteed path to a permanent job.
• Any canvassing or personal follow-up for selection leads to immediate cancellation of your candidature.
• RCI reserves full right to amend, cancel, suspend, or terminate the process at any time without giving a reason — Management’s decision is final, with no appeal entertained.
• Selected candidates generally cannot withdraw from training except for reasons genuinely beyond their control, and must sign the apprenticeship contract before training begins.
• Any legal dispute falls under the jurisdiction of the Hon’ble High Court, Hyderabad, Telangana.

10. Important Dates

Not specified in the official notification: any fixed document verification date or joining date — both will be communicated later, only to shortlisted candidates, through their registered e-mail.

11. FAQs

Important Links

Apply (Graduate/Diploma — NATS 2.0): nats.education.gov.in

Apply (ITI Trade — Apprenticeship India): apprenticeshipindia.gov.in

Download Official Notification PDF: RCI Apprentice Advertisement

Official Website: drdo.gov.in

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