Indian Army General Duty

Indian Army GD (General Duty) is the largest entry point for young men who want to serve as soldiers in the Indian Army. Since 2022, GD soldiers are recruited as Agniveers under the Agnipath scheme for a four-year engagement, through a computer-based Common Entrance Examination (CEE) followed by a recruitment rally run by Army Recruiting Offices (AROs).

For the 2026-27 cycle, the notification came out on 13 February 2026, the CEE was held in June and the result was declared on 12 July 2026. The biggest change this cycle is the higher upper age limit of 22 years. This Indian Army GD 2026 guide covers eligibility, physical standards, the CEE pattern, selection stages, pay and a practical preparation plan in one place.

Indian Army GD 2026 at a Glance

Indian Army GD Notification 2026: What Changed

The Army released one combined notification for all Agniveer categories, including GD, Technical, Clerk/Store Keeper Technical, Tradesman and Women Military Police. GD candidates apply through the ARO that covers their home district, and the rally is held under that ARO.

• Upper age limit raised to 22 years: Earlier cycles capped GD at 21 years. Candidates born between 1 July 2005 and 1 July 2009 (both dates inclusive) were eligible this year.

• Adaptability test at the rally: Shortlisted candidates also take an adaptability test along with the physical and medical stages, so the rally is not only about fitness.

• CEE in multiple languages: The online test is offered in English, Hindi and several regional languages, which helps candidates who studied in a regional medium.

Older pages may still show the 21-year age limit or the pre-2022 rally-first system, so follow the official notification on the Join Indian Army website.

Important Dates for Indian Army GD 2026

Rally dates come from each ARO's schedule and can change. Track the official Join Indian Army website, your candidate login and your registered email for the rally admit card.

Indian Army GD Vacancy 2026

The Army does not announce a single GD vacancy figure in the notification. Reports put the total across all Agniveer categories at more than 25,000 for this cycle, but this is not an official figure for GD alone. Vacancies are distributed state-wise and district-wise based on the recruitable male population of each area, which is why merit lists are published ARO by ARO rather than as one national list.

Indian Army GD Eligibility

Educational Qualification

Candidates need a Class 10 (Matric) pass with at least 45% marks in aggregate and a minimum of 33% in each subject. Where a board awards grades, the notification explains how grades are converted, so check that section if your marksheet shows grades instead of marks. Wards of serving soldiers, ex-servicemen and war widows may get relaxation in qualification as per Army rules.

Age Limit

The age limit for Agniveer GD in the 2026-27 cycle was 17.5 to 22 years. In date-of-birth terms, candidates had to be born between 1 July 2005 and 1 July 2009. If you were too old by the earlier 21-year rule, check whether you now fall inside the new window.

Other Conditions

• Marital status: Only unmarried candidates can apply, and Agniveers must not marry during the four-year engagement.

• Domicile: You apply under the ARO that covers your home district, and your documents must support that domicile.

• Medical fitness: Candidates must meet the Army's medical standards, checked at the rally and the medical examination.

For the full rules, including documents that prove eligibility, see the Indian Army GD eligibility guide.

Physical Standards (PMT) for Army GD

Height requirements depend on the region you belong to. The figures below follow recent Agniveer GD notifications. Chest must be at least 77 cm with a minimum expansion of 5 cm, and weight must be proportionate to height and age as per the Army chart.

Specific groups such as Gorkhas, tribal candidates and some hill communities have lower height standards listed in the notification. Your region is decided by your domicile, so check which group your state and district fall under.

Application Fee and How to Apply

The application fee is Rs. 250 for every candidate, paid online during registration. The steps below describe the usual process.

1. Register: Create an account on joinindianarmy.nic.in with your mobile number and email, and verify both.

2. Fill the form: Enter personal, domicile and Class 10 details exactly as they appear on your certificates.

3. Choose the category: Select Agniveer General Duty and your exam centre preferences.

4. Upload documents: Photograph, signature and any certificates the form asks for, in the stated size and format.

5. Pay the fee: Pay Rs. 250 online and download the final application for your records.

Common reasons for trouble later include a name or date-of-birth mismatch with the Class 10 certificate, the wrong ARO or domicile, and an unclear photograph. Fix these before submitting, because errors surface at document verification after you have already cleared the CEE and the rally.

Indian Army GD Exam Pattern (CEE)

The CEE for GD is an online, objective test of 50 questions for 100 marks, to be finished in 60 minutes. Each question carries 2 marks. The subject split below is the one commonly seen in sample and previous papers.

The Army deducts 25% of the marks for every wrong answer, which works out to 0.5 marks for a 2-mark GD question. Unattempted questions are not penalised.

What This Means for You

• About 72 seconds per question: Science and GK can be answered quickly, which saves time for maths calculations.

• A wrong guess costs a quarter of a question: Guess only when you can rule out at least two options.

• Maths, GK and Science carry equal weight: Do not neglect any of the three. Reasoning is only 10 marks but is usually the fastest to score.

Some websites still say the GD paper has no negative marking. That is not correct for the Agniveer CEE, so practise with negative marking switched on.

Indian Army GD Syllabus

The Army lists the subjects for the CEE, and the questions are pitched at Class 10 level. The table shows where most questions come from.

For a topic-wise checklist with suggested starting points, see the full Indian Army GD syllabus.

Indian Army GD Selection Process

1. Phase 1, CEE: The online written test. Candidates are shortlisted ARO-wise for the rally based on CEE merit.

2. Phase 2, recruitment rally: Physical Fitness Test (PFT), Physical Measurement Test (PMT) and the adaptability test at the rally venue.

3. Document verification: Original certificates are checked against the details in your application.

4. Medical examination: A detailed check against Army medical standards.

5. Final merit: Prepared from performance across the stages, including bonus marks where applicable, and the number of vacancies in your area.

Physical Fitness Test Standards

A run slower than 5 minutes 45 seconds or fewer than 6 pull-ups means you are out at the rally, regardless of your CEE score. Bonus marks are also given in the final merit to sons of serving soldiers and ex-servicemen, NCC certificate holders and sportspersons who meet the notification's criteria.

Indian Army GD Salary and Benefits

Agniveer pay is a fixed monthly package. 30% of it goes into the Agniveer Corpus Fund, and the government adds an equal amount.

• Seva Nidhi package: About Rs. 10.04 lakh from the corpus at the end of four years, plus interest, tax-free.

• Insurance: Non-contributory life cover of Rs. 48 lakh during the engagement.

• Career beyond four years: Up to 25% of each batch can be selected for the regular cadre on merit. Others leave with the Seva Nidhi and skills that count for later jobs.

How to Prepare for Indian Army GD

Treat the CEE and the rally as one preparation, not two. A strong written score is wasted if you fail the 1.6 km run.

• Revise Class 9 and 10 basics: Maths and science questions come straight from school concepts, so NCERT books are the right base.

• Build a GK routine: Spend 20 to 30 minutes daily on current affairs and keep monthly notes for quick revision.

• Start running early: Aim to bring your 1.6 km time under 5 minutes 30 seconds well before the CEE, and practise pull-ups on alternate days.

• Practise with negative marking: Timed full-length tests teach you when to skip a question.

Indian Army GD Cut-Off

The Army does not publish a single national cut-off for GD. Shortlisting is ARO-wise, so the qualifying score differs by area depending on vacancies and the number of candidates. Treat any cut-off figure you see online as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above it rather than a bare pass.