The Indian Army has transformed the procedure for recruitment of Agniveers, Junior Commissioned Officers and other categories with the introduction of a Computer Based Online Common Entrance Exam as the first step. The online CEE for eligible registered candidates has commenced at 375 Examination Centers in 176 pan-India locations today and will continue till 26 April 2023.

The online exam is being conducted with assistance from Education Consultancy Services India Limited, a Mini Ratna Company under the Ministry of Education.

The technological threshold of youth in the nation has improved significantly and with enhanced network connectivity and the proliferation of smartphones, the youth is now empowered to undertake an online exam instead of traveling long distances to appear for physical exams. The changed methodology will ensure an increased focus on the cognitive aspect during selection and prevent chances of malpractice. It will have wider outreach across the country and also reduce the large crowds seen during recruitment rallies to make them more manageable & easier to conduct.

The new recruitment procedure will be carried out in three stages. In stage one, all candidates who have registered and applied online on www.joinindianarmy.nic.in will undergo Online Common Entrance Exam. In stage two, the shortlisted candidates will be called for recruitment rallies from June 2023 onwards in phases at locations decided by respective Army Recruitment Office where they will undergo Physical Fitness Test and Physical Measurement Test. Finally, in Stage three the selected candidates will undergo Medical Test. Thereafter, the final merit list of the successful candidates will be declared.

The modified recruitment system will make the recruitment process more streamlined, transparent and is designed to optimally exploit the latest IT infrastructure available in the nation.