Agniveer vs Defence Officer through NDA
Side by side on pay, work, transfers and growth — so you can rank your preferences with confidence.
Pay level
Own pay structureLevel 10 + MSP
Starting in-hand
₹30,000–₹40,000 gross₹1,15,000 pay + allowances
Group
Group NAGroup A (Gazetted)
Exam
AgnipathUPSC NDA
Qualification
10th pass12th pass
Age limit
17–2116–19
Field work
highhigh
Stress (1–5)
44
Transfers
all indiaall india
First promotion
Regular soldier (Sepoy) (After 4 years, for up to 25% of each batch selected on merit and need; they then serve a further 15 years with pension)Captain (2 years, time-scale)
Choose Agniveer if…
- ✓ Military training and discipline at a young age
- ✓ A sizeable tax-free corpus at 21–25
- ✓ Preference in later CAPF and police recruitment
Choose Defence Officer through NDA if…
- ✓ Become an officer by about 22 with a degree and no fees
- ✓ Early responsibility for people and equipment
- ✓ Pay, housing and medical cover from the day of commissioning