The number of the candidates from the state seeking jobs in the armed forces has gone up by about 30 per cent.

For instance, the Air Force Station Vadodara (AFSV), which is the induction center for candidates from Ahmedabad, Rajkot and other cities in the state, has witnessed about 30 per cent rise in the number of applicants registered with the unit this year.

“The applications have certainly gone up in all the three areas including technical, non-technical and flying branches of the Air Force,” said H H Nair, chief administrative officer, AFSV.

Slowdown coupled with job insecurity in the market has made the young look at armed forces as a lucrative career option, he said.

“Good standard of life in the armed forces, the thrill of being part of the elite forces and good pay packages have attracted the young,” he said.

“The pay package offered to a newly recruited officer can be in the range of Rs 4.5 lakh to 7 lakh. Besides, a candidate on his first posting as an officer gets minimum salary of Rs 35,000. This is at par with what people get in corporates,” said Anuradha, Flying Officer, AFSV.

The change has also come because of modifications in the existing policy of recruitment of the armed forces. Earlier, the aspirants approached the armed forces and now the forces go to the aspirants’ doorsteps for recruitment.

“In February we held a recruitment rally for airmen in Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district. It was to appoint candidates in Group ‘Y’ and Group X (technical) grade,” said Nair. Several other similar rallies have been conducted in various parts of the country, he said.