DRDO SAG Internships 2026: Stipend, eligibility, vacancies — all you need to know

DRDO Internships 2026: Vacancies & important dates

The information for selected students is scheduled for the last week of December 2025. The start date for the internship is January 1, 2026. There is no application fee for the internship.

It is important for the applicants to know that they will not be granted any leave, with the exception of sick leave, upon production of valid prescriptions. All gazetted and closed holidays applicable in the laboratory will also apply to the interns. Notably, if a student is unable to complete the programme and leaves the internship prematurely, no certificate will be issued.

DRDO Internships 2026: Eligibility

The internship programme advertisement outlines specific Eligibility requirements for applicants. Undergraduate engineering applicants must be pursuing a full-time BE and BTech course in their fourth (IV) year in the respective discipline. Post Graduate applicants must be pursuing a full-time ME, MTech and MSc course in their second (II) year in the relevant discipline. A strict criterion is that students who have backlogs (failed in any semester of their degree) are not eligible to apply.

DRDO Internships 2026: How to apply

The application for the paid internship must be submitted only through email to sagh.sag@gov.in. The subject line of the email must clearly state, “Application for Paid Internship – January 2026” along with the applicant’s Branch Code and Branch/ Discipline, and should be addressed to the Director, Scientific Analysis Group (SAG). Applicants must attach scanned copies of the following documents:

–A filled Application form.

–The No Objection Certificate from the college (as per Annexure-I).

–Class 10th Mark Sheet.

–Class 12th / Diploma Mark Sheet.

–Mark Sheets of all the completed semesters (for B.E./B.Tech./M.E./M.Tech./M.Sc.).

— Aadhaar Card

–College ID Card.

DRDO Internships 2026: Selection procedure

The procedure is merit-based and multifaceted. SAG and DRDO will offer the paid internship to students who possess a good academic record with a minimum of 75 per cent marks or 7.5 CGPA and above from an AICTE/UGC approved College/University.

Applicants must also furnish a No Objection Certificate (in original) from the Principal/HOD/TPO on the college letterhead, confirming the student will be relieved for the internship training at SAG (as per Annexure I).

Eligible students will then be selected based on a comprehensive assessment, which may include their CGPA, an interview, and/or an interaction, subject to satisfactory verification of all submitted documents.

Finally, only the selected candidates will be formally notified about the joining procedure via the Email ID provided in their application form.

DRDO Internships 2026: What will be the stipend?

The stipend for the six-month internship period is applicable only if the student is present at the lab for a minimum of 15 working days per month. The total stipend for the entire duration will be paid directly into the student’s bank account in two equal instalments. The first instalment of Rs 15,000 will be paid after the completion of the third month, and the second instalment of Rs 15,000 will be paid after the completion of the sixth month of the internship.

Any other expenditures, such as lodging, boarding, transport, or medical costs, must be borne by the individual concerned throughout the entire course of the internship. Attendance will be recorded by the candidates according to the lab’s process, and working hours will be determined by the laboratory’s schedule.

DRDO Internships 2026: Documents to be used before joining

When selected candidates report for the internship, they must submit several crucial documents. These include the No Objection Certificate from the Principal/HOD/TPO (in original) on the college letterhead, confirming the student will be relieved for the training at SAG, as per Annexure-I. Additional documents required are police verification from the student’s hometown, place of residence, or present address, and a cancelled check of the student’s bank account for the transfer of the internship amount.

Furthermore, interns must submit three specific undertakings:

–An Undertaking for adherence to the Indian Official Secret Act, 1923 (as per Annexure-II).

–An Undertaking that interns will follow the IT Rules and Regulations applicable to the Ministry of Defence and its amendments (as per Annexure-III).

For verification purposes, candidates must bring the original Aadhaar card and college ID card, along with one photocopy of each, for submission. Similarly, the mark sheets of 10, 12, Diploma, and all completed semesters must be presented in original for verification, and a set of photocopies of each must be submitted.