About DRDO-SET

About DRDO-SET (Scientist Entry Test)

RAC advertises on DRDO Website (www.drdo.com & rac.drdo.in) & "The Employment News" (with curtain raiser) for Direct Recruitment of Scientists 'B'. The prescribed Essential Qualifications as mentioned in the advertisement are bare minimum and mere possession of same does not entitle candidates to be called for interview. Where number of applications received in response to an advertisement is large, it is not possible to interview all the candidates. RAC may, therefore, restrict the number of candidates for interview to a reasonable limit on the basis of qualifications/experience/ achievements higher than that of the minimum prescribed in the advertisement or by conducting a screening test named DRDO Scientists Entry Test (DRDO SET).

DRDO SET is conducted on all India basis on 1st Sunday of September every year in order to provide equal opportunity to all students from different educational institutions in view of the increasingly wide variation of marks due to increase in the number of educational institutions in the country. DRDO SET exam is of three hours duration consisting of two sections viz. Section 'A' of 100 questions to test the candidate's knowledge in the subject of their BE / BTech (for Engineering discipline) or MSc . ( for Science Discipline) and Section 'B' of 50 questions to test the candidate's ability in analytical and qualitative skills, current affairs and general awareness to test the aptitude and scientific knowledge required for Applied Research & Development. Based upon the organization's requirements, DRDO SET is conducted in Engineering Subjects such as Aero, Civil, Electrical, Chemical, Computer, Electronics/Electronics & Communication, Instrumentation, Mechanical, Metallurgy etc and Science subjects such as Chemistry, Physics and Math's/ Operations Research/ Statistics etc. These subjects are specified in the advertisement. DRDO SET exam is conducted only for those subjects where vacancies are sizable in number. Details of eligible candidates, examination schedule, result of the exam, schedule of interviews and list of selected candidates are made available time to time on DRDO website: www.drdo.com

In cases, where very few vacancies are available, NO SET exam is conducted and the individuals are directly called for the interview. The advertisement generally appears during the month of April / May every year.

Career in DRDO

Question: Are you a young and energetic person endowed with a high level of creative abilities, readiness to take up new challenges and inclination to treat learning and professional development as a lifetime passion?

Question: Do you think of innovation as a way of life, have an achievement-orientation and eager to put your knowledge to practical use?

If yes, DRDO will find you wherever you are North, East, West or South and whatever is your discipline - science, engineering, medicine with specialization of relevance to DRDO. You name it and you will find one or more of DRDO's network of 52 laboratories with modern research facilities employing state-of-art technologies in your specialization.

Experience the thrill of working in the frontier areas of service and technology once you are a part of DRDO.

Consider the range of technologies you may be associated with viz, missiles, computers, communications, avionics, weaponry, ammunition and a host of high facilities - be it in underwater, land or aerospace environments. DRDO has strategic alliances with well-known academic, production and R&D agencies.

DRDO is proud of its personnel selection system, which is objective, unbiased and transparent. On selection you will join the Organization as a Group 'A' Gazetted Officer of the Government of India in the pay scale of Rs. 8,000-13,500 (to be revised shortly after Govt. approval on 6th Pay Panel) at the entry level under the Defence Research & Development Service (DRDS).

DRDO takes utmost care in formulating innovative career advancement programmes for its scientists / engineers. It operates a flexible complementing promotion scheme, unconstrained by vacancies in higher echelons in the cadre. In simple terms, it means that with each promotion, based on your merit, your post is upgraded automatically.

Performance being the only criterion for promotion, one can aspire to rise to a level of an Outstanding Scientist in the pay scale of Rs. 22,400 - 24,500 (to be revised shortly after Govt. approval on 6th Pay Panel). In addition to the basic pay, you would get attractive allowances / perks, including professional update allowance, advance increment/special pay etc.

DRDO places great emphasis on human resource development programmes for its scientists. The organization not only offers professionally challenging jobs but also provides adequate opportunities to its scientists to grow within and outside the organization, and develop special skills.

From time to time, its scientists are trained at its own training institutes in Pune and Mussoorie. Also, they are sent to prestigious academic institutions for acquiring higher educational qualifications. A Continuing Education Programme, launched a couple of years ago, has now taken very strong roots in the organization. The focus is on improving existing professional skills and acquiring new knowledge in frontier disciplines. You may also find an opportunity for an overseas training or assignment for acquiring worldclass skills and expertise. Thus DRDO does everything possible to acquire cutting edge technological capabilities to be a global player and a technological force to reckon with.

In DRDO laboratories, one can feel a palpable openness and conducive working environment to achieve a high degree of self - actualization. Its research institute campuses are well equipped with housing and medical facilities, shopping centers and schools.