NCC Special Entry – Join Indian Army
NCC Special Entry – Join Indian Army
Name of Course/Entry : NCC Special Entry Scheme – 125th Course (April 2027)
Post : Short Service Commission (NT) for Men, including Wards of Battle Casualties
Total Vacancies : 70 (63 General + 7 Wards of Battle Casualties)
Important Dates :
Anyone tracking the NCC 125 Course last date and other key milestones should note the schedule below. These dates are as specified in the official notification and cover the application window through the likely SSB period
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Release / Online Application Opens | 20 July 2026, 1500 hrs |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 20 August 2026, 1500 hrs |
| Shortlisting for SSB (Tentative, based on Bonus Marks) | First week of September 2026 |
| SSB Centre & Date Selection Window | 14 days in September 2026 |
| Likely SSB Interviews | November/December 2026 (Maximum 5 days duration) |
| Course Commencement at OTA Chennai | April 2027 |
| Graduation/Provisional Degree Submission Deadline | 01 April 2027 |
NCC Special Entry Scheme 125 Course Vacancy 2026
The NCC Special Entry Scheme 125 Course vacancy 2026 stands at a total of 70 posts under the Short Service Commission (Non-Tech) category. These vacancies are split between general NCC candidates and a reserved category for wards of Army battle casualties.
| Post | Category | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| SSC (NCC) – Men | General (NCC ‘C’ Certificate holders) | 63 |
| SSC (NCC) – Men | Wards of Battle Casualties of Indian Army Personnel | 7 |
| Total | – | 70 |
Candidates should also note that the Indian Army notifies vacancies separately for each entry and gender, and the final selection is purely based on the notified vacancies against the applications received for this specific course.
Eligibility :
Candidates wondering about eligibility for the NCC Special Entry Scheme 125th Course can note that the entry is open only to unmarried male graduates who meet specific age, nationality, and NCC certification requirements. Wards of Battle Casualties have a slightly relaxed set of conditions, explained separately below.
Nationality :
A candidate must be a citizen of India, a subject of Nepal, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, or specified East African countries with the intention of permanently settling in India, subject to a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India (not required for Gorkha subjects of Nepal).
Age Limit
Applicants must be between 19 and 25 years as on 01 January 2027, meaning candidates born not earlier than 02 January 2002 and not later than 01 January 2008 (both dates inclusive) are eligible. No age relaxation details beyond this are specified in the notification.
Educational Qualification and NCC Requirement
For NCC ‘C’ Certificate holders, the minimum qualification is a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognised university, along with a minimum of ‘B’ Grade in the ‘C’ Certificate examination of NCC, after serving at least two/three years (as applicable) in the Senior Division/Wing of NCC. Final-year students may also apply, provided they complete their degree before the course begins; for such candidates, the aggregate percentage scored in the first two/three years of the degree course will be used for shortlisting. A provisional NCC ‘C’ Certificate will not be accepted at the SSB stage – candidates must hold the confirmed certificate before appearing for the interview.
Eligibility for Wards of Battle Casualties
Unmarried sons and unmarried daughters (including legally adopted) of Army personnel classified as Battle Casualties – killed in action, died of wounds, wounded/injured, or missing presumed dead – are eligible under a separate quota of 7 vacancies. The same graduation qualification applies, but an NCC ‘C’ Certificate is not required for this category.
Selection Process :
The selection procedure for the NCC Special Entry Scheme 125 Course follows a five-stage structure: Application, Shortlisting, SSB Interview, Medical Examination, and Merit List, followed by the Joining Letter. Each stage is explained below with the realistic timeline indicated in the notification.
Shortlisting of Applications: Based on bonus marks out of a maximum of 100 – up to 50 marks for performance in the NCC ‘C’ Certificate (50 for ‘A’ Grade, 25 for ‘B’ Grade) and up to 50 marks for graduation performance (ranging from 0 for below 60% to 50 for 85% and above). Shortlisting is tentatively expected in the first week of September 2026.
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SSB Centre & Date Selection: Shortlisted candidates choose their SSB centre and date on a first-come-first-served basis during a 14-day window in September 2026.
SSB Interview: Conducted over a maximum of five days at Prayagraj, Bhopal, Bengaluru, or Jalandhar, likely in November/December 2026. It follows a two-stage process – candidates who fail Stage I are returned the same day.
Medical Examination: Candidates recommended after Stage II undergo a medical test; the medical validity period is 270 days from the SSB medical board date to the PCTA joining date.
Merit List: Prepared strictly on SSB interview marks; ties are broken first by age (older candidate ranked higher) and then by qualifying exam percentage.
Joining Letter: Issued to candidates within the merit list and available vacancies, subject to meeting all eligibility criteria, for Pre-Commission Training at OTA Chennai starting April 2027.
Indian Army NCC Special Entry Scheme 125 Course Apply Online 2026
Candidates looking to complete the NCC Special Entry Scheme 125 Course apply online process can follow the numbered steps below. Applications are accepted only through the official Indian Army recruiting website – no offline or hard-copy submissions are entertained.
Visit www.joinindianarmy.nic.in and click on ‘Officer Entry Application/Login’.
Click ‘Registration’ and complete the registration form (skip this step if already registered on the portal).
After registering, click ‘Apply Online’ under the Dashboard, then select ‘Eligibility’ on the Officers Selection page.
Click ‘Apply’ against the “Short Service Commission NCC Special Entry Course” option.
Fill in personal information, communication details, education details, and previous SSB details across each segment, clicking ‘Save & Continue’ after every section.
Review all details on the ‘Summary of your information’ page and click ‘Submit’ only after confirming accuracy.
Take two printouts of the submitted application (with Roll Number) 30 minutes after final closure of the online application on the last day.
Candidates must submit only one application; multiple applications from the same candidate will result in cancellation of candidature, with no representation entertained.
Salary and Pay Scale After Commissioning
Selected candidates commissioned as Lieutenant draw pay as per Level 10 (₹56,100 – ₹1,77,500) in the Defence Pay Matrix, along with Military Service Pay of ₹15,500 per month. The approximate CTC on commissioning is ₹17–18 lakh per annum, excluding free medical cover and one home-town travel benefit per year.
| Rank | Pay Level | Pay Scale (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant | Level 10 | 56,100 – 1,77,500 |
| Captain | Level 10B | 61,300 – 1,93,900 |
| Major | Level 11 | 69,400 – 2,07,200 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Level 12A | 1,21,200 – 2,12,400 |
| Colonel | Level 13 | 1,30,600 – 2,15,900 |
During the 49-week training period at OTA Chennai, cadets receive a fixed stipend of ₹56,100 per month. On successful commissioning, this training period is not counted as commissioned service, though admissible allowance arrears for the training period are paid to cadets.
Documents Required at the Selection Centre
Candidates must carry originals along with self-attested copies of the following documents to the Selection Centre; DigiLocker certificates are not accepted in place of originals unless the issuing institution certifies that only e-certificates were issued.
Signed printout of the application with a self-attested photograph
Matriculation/Secondary School Examination Certificate and Mark Sheet
12th Class Certificate and Mark Sheet
Graduation Degree/Provisional Degree from a recognised university (provisional degree not older than six months as on 01 April 2027)
Mark sheets of all years/semesters
NCC ‘C’ Certificate, issued on or before the date of online application submission (not required for Wards of Battle Casualties)
University certificate on CGPA-to-marks conversion criteria, where applicable
For final-year candidates, a certificate from the Principal/Head of Institution confirming the result will be declared by 01 April 2027
For Wards of Battle Casualties, additional documents including the Battle Casualty certificate and relationship certificate issued by the Manpower (Policy & Planning) Directorate
Common Mistakes to Avoid While Applying
Many applicants lose out on the NCC Special Entry Scheme 125 Course not due to ineligibility but due to avoidable errors during the application process. Keeping the following points in mind can help candidates avoid rejection.
Do not submit the application with a provisional NCC ‘C’ Certificate if it hasn’t been upgraded to the final certificate before the SSB – it will not be accepted at that stage.
Double-check that your name, parents’ names, and date of birth in the online application exactly match your Matriculation/Secondary School certificate, since any mismatch leads to cancellation.
Convert your CGPA to percentage using your university’s official formula before filling in the “Marks obtained in Graduation” field, as discrepancies found later can cancel your candidature.
Once the application window closes, no corrections are entertained, so review the “Summary of your information” page carefully before hitting Submit.
Avoid submitting more than one application – the system treats multiple applications from the same candidate as grounds for cancellation, not deduplication.
Keep a buffer before the deadline; queries received less than three days before the closing date are not guaranteed a response.
Important Links
Apply Online: Click here
Notification : Click here
Official Website: Click here