Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the premier space agency of India. It manages India’s space missions alongwith assisting various civil and military institutions. The agency also provides satellite coverage for agriculture, disaster management, forest mapping, among others.

ISRO scientists and engineers command respect in the civil bureaucracy as well as in the military quarters of the country. Given that the agency is doing relatively better at the given budget that its international counterparts in the field of space, and with its future missions on the board, its reputation is likely to soar.

Millions of us dream about working for ISRO, so, in this article, we will talk precisely that — how you can become a scientist or engineer or get any other job at ISRO. Alongwith that, we will dispense some additional information regarding the exam pattern and eligibility criteria.

Also read: Everything important about ISRO in 500 words

How to get in ISRO?

You can join the agency in the following ways.

ISRO Centralised Recruitment Board

ISRO conducts its examination through the ISRO Centralised Recruitment Board, which is responsible for various exams such as Controllers in multiple departments, Scientists and Engineers, Administrative Officers and Accounts Officer, as well to the lower grade pay posts such as Driver for light and heavy vehicles.

You can check all of the vacancies available at ISRO here.

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology

Students who are pursuing their BTech from the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology are picked up by ISRO if they have maintained a minimum of 7.5 CGPA. The institute takes admissions based on JEE rank and has around 140 seats.

Thus, you will have to work hard in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), get admission in IISST, maintain a minimum of 7.5 CGPA, to be considered to work for ISRO.

Recruitment from various IITs and NITs

Every year, ISRO recruits several students from the IITs and the NITs. These institutions are the premier engineering and technology institutions of the country. To get into IITs or NITs, you will have to crack JEE examinations with a high rank.

Also, you have to maintain a respectable CGPA of 6.84 in all semesters.

Also read: 7 ISRO achievements in the 21st century you must check out

Eligibility Criteria

Now that you have understood the various ways to enter ISRO, now we will talk about the eligibility criteria for different ISRO jobs.

The eligibility criteria are as follows.

Scientists and Engineers at ISRO

For Scientist or Engineer jobs, the minimum criteria are:

• 65% aggregate minimum marks or 6.84 CGPA.
• The age limit of 35 years (General candidates), 38 years (OBC candidates) and 40 years (SC/ST candidates).
• BE/BTech degree in respective streams. You can check the careers section of ISRO for more details.

Note: Usually, the Scientists and Engineers are recruited from Mechanical, Electronics and Computer Science but sometimes candidates with Civil Engineering background are also hired.

Administrative/ Accounts/ Purchase and Stores Officer

The eligibility criteria are as follows.

Administrative officer

There are three eligibility criteria.

• MBA + 1-year experience in a supervisory capacity
• Post Graduate + 3 years experience including 1-year experience in a supervisory role.
• Graduate + 5 years experience including 2-year experience in a supervisory capacity.

Accounts Officer

The eligibility criteria are as follows.

• ACA/FCA or AICWA/FICWA + 1-year experience in a supervisory capacity.
• M.Com + 3 years experience including 1 year in a supervisory capacity.
• B.Com/BBA/BBm + 5 years experience including 2 years in a supervisory capacity.

Also read: What is a Infrared scanner and is it harmful to your eyes?

Purchase and Stores officer

The eligibility criteria are given below.

• MBA(in Marketing or Materials Management) + 1-year supervisory experience (in the relevant field).
• Graduate + Post-Graduate Diploma in Materials Management (or any other Purchase and Stores related PG Diploma) + 3 years experience, which includes 1 year in a supervisory capacity.
• Post Graduate with 3 years experience, which includes 1-year experience in a supervisory capacity.
• Graduate + 5 years experience, which includes 2 years in a supervisory capacity.

The age limit for the posts mentioned above are as follows:

• General candidates: 35 years
• OBC candidates: 38 years
• SC/ST candidates: 40 years

Candidates must ensure that they have a minimum 60% marks or 6.3 CGPA to apply for these posts.

Apart from that, ISRO has other vacancies related to posts such as Drivers, Technicians, Stenographers, among others. Kindly click here to remain updated for various jobs at ISRO.

Also read: Different WiFi standards explained: WiFi 1 through the latest WiFi 6

Exam Pattern and Syllabus

Mostly, ISRO conducts examinations in objective type pattern, with negative marking. There is no syllabus as such for the posts of Scientists and Engineers, and the candidates are advised to prepare according to the syllabus of GATE exams.

For Scientists or Engineer posts, the exam has 80 questions in MCQ format with a 90-minute time limit. Since there is a negative marking, the candidates are advised to attempt the questions with caution. If you desire to work in ISRO, start preparing at the earliest and gain the advantage over the rest.

Also read: 7 ISRO space missions to watch out for in the future