The Indian Navy has invited applications for 210 apprenticeship seats for the training year 2027–28/29: 180 at Naval Dockyard, Naval Base, Karwar (Karnataka) across 27 trades and 30 at Naval Aircraft Yard (Goa), Dabolim across 13 trades. ITI certificate holders receive a stipend of Rs. 9,600 per month; three non-ITI trades are open to 10th pass candidates and one (Rigger) to 8th pass, on lower stipend slabs. There is no upper age limit and no fee.
Candidates register on the apprenticeship portal apprenticeshipindia.gov.in, then post the printed candidate profile with documents to the Dockyard Apprentice School, Karwar within 30 days of the 10 October 2026 Employment News publication, which works out to 9 November 2026. Shortlisting is by 10th and ITI marks, followed by a 100-mark OMR written examination at Karwar in January 2027 with no negative marking. Training is likely to begin on 12 April 2027.
Download Naval Dockyard Karwar Apprentice Recruitment 2026 Notification PDF
Naval Dockyard Karwar Apprentice Recruitment 2026 Quick Facts
Eligibility Criteria
Qualification
Where the school board awarded grades or CGPA, the equivalent percentage as per that board’s norms must be stated; without it the candidature is not considered. Candidates with a grade-point system must get the conversion done by the appropriate authority before applying.
Age
There is no upper age limit (MSDE O.M. dated 20 December 2021). The minimum age is reckoned on the training commencement date of 12 April 2027: 14 years for non-hazardous trades (born on or before 12 April 2013) and 18 years for hazardous trades (born on or before 12 April 2009). The notice adds a caution: the Recruitment Rules for Tradesman Skilled posts in naval establishments do carry an upper age limit, which will apply to ex-apprentices of the Dockyard Apprentice School who later apply for those posts.
Who cannot apply
- Anyone currently undergoing apprenticeship training under the Apprentices Act, or in the three-month waiting period after terminating a contract (no waiting period applies to women).
- Anyone who has already completed two apprenticeships; a second apprenticeship must be in a different trade, and the Central Government’s stipend share is paid only for first-time training.
- Candidates with 100% disability are advised not to apply; the notice says such applications will be rejected because competent instructors and facilities are not available.
Reservation
- SC, ST and OBC seats are reserved under Sections 3A and 3B of the Apprentices Act. Unfilled reserved seats are not carried forward; they are filled from other categories in the same year.
- PwBD: 3% of overall seats, horizontal, for candidates with at least 40% disability holding a valid medical-board certificate from a government hospital.
- Children of Armed Forces personnel / ex-servicemen and ex-servicemen: 3% of overall seats, horizontal.
- If fewer candidates qualify than the seats in a trade, those seats are re-appropriated to other trades on overall merit, up to 25% above the trade’s published number.
Trade-wise Seats
Naval Dockyard, Karwar: one-year trades (161 seats)
Naval Dockyard, Karwar: two-year and non-ITI trades (19 seats)
Karwar grand total: 180 (UR 84, OBC 58, SC 26, ST 12), with 6 PwBD and 6 ex-servicemen’s-children seats reserved horizontally across trades.
Naval Aircraft Yard (Goa), Dabolim: one-year trades (30 seats)
The Goa list gives a maximum per trade; the total across all 13 trades is capped at 30, so not every trade will reach its maximum.
Stipend and Duration
These are the minimum rates under Rule 11 of the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992. Selected candidates sign the apprenticeship contract online through the NAPS portal. The notice states clearly that neither establishment nor any government agency is obliged to offer employment after training.
Naval Dockyard Karwar Apprentice Recruitment 2026 Important Dates
Changes to the schedule are notified only to the registered email address, so register with an email you check.
How to Apply for Naval Dockyard Karwar Apprentice Recruitment 2026
Application has two parts: online registration on the national apprenticeship portal, then a printed profile sent by post. Both are required.
Part 1: Register on apprenticeshipindia.gov.in
- Before you start, make sure your name, date of birth and father’s name on your Aadhaar card match your 10th certificate (8th certificate for Rigger). If they differ, correct Aadhaar first; mismatches are a listed ground for rejection.
- Open apprenticeshipindia.gov.in, choose Candidate Login/Register, fill in personal and contact details and submit. Activate your profile from the email you receive.
- Log in with your registered email; an OTP goes to your mobile.
- Complete the profile: date of birth (upload only the 10th mark sheet or a birth certificate from a competent authority as proof), father’s and mother’s names, address, educational qualifications (10th and ITI only), trade preference, bank account details, and validate your Aadhaar number.
- Open Apprenticeship Opportunities from the top-right dropdown, enter “Naval Dockyard, Karwar” under Search by Establishment Name, click Apply against your eligible trade, select “Uttara Kannada”, and click OK.
Part 2: Post the candidate profile
- Download and print the Candidate Profile from the portal.
- Attach self-attested copies of: 10th mark sheet (8th for Rigger); ITI mark sheets, semester-wise and consolidated; category certificate (OBC/SC/ST); disability certificate (PwBD); Aadhaar card.
- Add the certificate of undertaking in the notice’s proforma, stating whether you are applying for Naval Dockyard, Karwar or Naval Aircraft Yard (Goa), Dabolim. Tick one and strike out the other; sign with date and place.
- Send by speed post or registered post to:
The Officer-in-Charge,
Dockyard Apprentice School,
Naval Dockyard, Naval Base,
Karwar, Karnataka – 581 308 - It must reach within 30 days of the 10 October 2026 publication. Allow for transit time; post by the first days of November at the latest.
Before you apply
- One application only. Double or multiple applications are rejected, and the establishment choice is made once in the undertaking. Separate merit lists are drawn for Karwar and Goa.
- Apply only for a trade your ITI certificate matches; irrelevance between the applied trade and the ITI trade is a listed rejection ground.
- No money is payable to anyone. Report any tout or agent demanding payment to [email protected] with proof; the notice promises confidentiality.
- Give a valid mobile number and email; all notices, the admit card and the joining letter come only by email.
Selection Process
Stage 1: Preliminary merit list
Valid applications are placed in a trade- and category-wise preliminary merit list. For ITI trades the ranking is on the aggregate percentage of marks in ITI and 10th; for non-ITI trades on the percentage in 8th (Rigger) or 10th (Crane Operator Overhead, Forger & Heat Treater). Ties are broken by age (older first), then alphabetical order of first, middle and surname.
Stage 2: Written examination
Candidates are called in the ratio of 1:20 for every vacancy in each trade and category; the notice’s own example is 120 candidates for 6 UR Electrician seats. E-admit cards are sent by email only. The exam is at Karwar in January 2027.
- OMR-based multiple-choice paper, one mark per question, two hours, bilingual (English and Hindi).
- No negative marking.
- Minimum qualifying marks: 40% aggregate.
Stage 3: Final merit, verification and joining
- The final merit list and a 20% wait list are prepared trade- and category-wise on written-exam marks, separately for Karwar and Goa.
- Shortlisted candidates attend document verification; joining letters go to the registered email, subject to medical fitness.
- Medical: fitness certificate from the District Hospital in the Navy’s format, signed by a surgeon not below Assistant Surgeon, at joining.
- Police verification certificate is required at joining.
- No accommodation, boarding or travel expenses are provided during selection. Once selected, Karwar offers limited hostel accommodation for boys only, first come first served, for outstation candidates; Goa has no hostel.