Jobs for ex-servicemen in India

Current jobs for people who served in the Army, Navy and Air Force, and a plain explanation of the reservation and age relaxation ex-servicemen get in government jobs. Each rule links to the official page it comes from.

Facts checked against official sources on 4 Nov 2026

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Three kinds of jobs to look at

  • Private-sector jobs from employers who want to hire veterans. You apply on VetNet.
  • Government job notices with ex-servicemen reservation. VetNet lists them with the official link; you apply on the official website.
  • Jobs shared through official channels: DGR, the Sainik Boards and your service's placement agency (listed below).

Who counts as an ex-serviceman

The reservations below are for ex-servicemen (ESM). If you were released on or after 10 October 2012, you are an ex-serviceman if you served in any rank in the regular Army, Navy or Air Force and then:

  • retired or were released with a pension, including at your own request after earning a pension; or
  • were released on medical grounds with a disability pension; or
  • were released because the establishment was reduced; or
  • completed your term of engagement and received gratuity (not at your own request, and not dismissed).

Source: DGR, Who is an ex-serviceman (PDF), checked 4 Nov 2026

Reservation for ex-servicemen in government jobs

A share of direct-recruitment posts is kept for ex-servicemen. The reservation is horizontal: an ex-serviceman selected against it is counted in their own category (General, SC, ST, OBC or EWS).

Upper age limit: take your actual age, subtract your military service plus 3 years, and check the result against the post's age limit. Each notice states the limits that apply to it, so read the notice before you apply.

Reservation for ex-servicemen in central government, PSUs, banks and Railways
WhereReserved for ex-servicemen
Central government, Group C10%
Central government, Group D20%
CAPFs, posts up to Assistant Commandant10%
Central PSUs, Group C14.5%
Central PSUs, Group D24.5% (includes 4.5% for disabled ex-servicemen and dependants of those killed in action)
Nationalised banks14.5% in Group C, 24.5% in Group D
Railways10% in Level 2 and above, 20% in Level 1
Defence Security Corps100%

Source: PIB, Ministry of Defence, 22 Jul 2022; PIB, Ministry of Defence, 31 Mar 2017; PIB, Railways reservation, 26 Feb 2026; PIB, ESM rules amendment, 10 Feb 2026, checked 4 Nov 2026

Before you take a government job: when the ESM benefit ends

Once you join a civil government job using an ex-servicemen benefit, you are no longer treated as an ex-serviceman for further re-employment. Plan which post you want before you accept one.

  • If you applied for other vacancies before joining your first civil job, you keep the ESM reservation for those, provided you give a self-declaration when you join.
  • If you already hold a regular central civil post, you still get the age relaxation for a higher post, but not the reservation.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Defence, 31 Mar 2017, checked 4 Nov 2026

Private-sector jobs

Private employers have no reservation to fill, so your resume has to show the fit. Describe what you did in civilian terms: the team you led, the equipment or budget you handled, and the results. Search VetNet by the work you did (logistics, security, operations, training, maintenance) rather than by rank.

Guides for your service and rank

Official job help for ex-servicemen

Alongside private job boards, these official channels share vacancies with ex-servicemen. Use them together with VetNet.

Source: DGR, Job assistance; DGR, Job fairs; DESW, About Kendriya Sainik Board, checked 4 Nov 2026

Frequently asked questions

How much reservation do ex-servicemen get in central government jobs?

10% of Group C posts and 20% of Group D posts filled by direct recruitment, and 10% of posts up to Assistant Commandant in the CAPFs. Central PSUs and nationalised banks reserve 14.5% in Group C and 24.5% in Group D.

How is the age relaxation for ex-servicemen worked out?

Subtract your military service plus 3 years from your actual age, then compare the result with the upper age limit in the notice.

Do I lose ex-serviceman status after I join a government job?

Once you join a civil government job using an ex-servicemen benefit, you are no longer treated as an ex-serviceman for further re-employment. Vacancies you applied for before joining keep the benefit if you give a self-declaration when you join.

Do I pay VetNet to apply for jobs?

No. Creating an account and applying for jobs on VetNet is free. Government notices are applied for on the official website.

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