Class 12 arts & commerce students can now pursue career as commercial pilots in India if ministry okays proposal

In a significant reform, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved a proposal to revise the educational eligibility criteria for commercial pilot training in India. The move aims to allow Class 12 graduates from arts and commerce streams to pursue a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), ending the nearly three-decade-long restriction that limited CPL training to science stream students with physics and mathematics.

The DGCA has forwarded its recommendation to the Union aviation ministry, which will finalise the amendment before sending it to the law ministry for notification. Currently, CPL training requires candidates to have studied physics and maths in Class 12. Once the new rules are notified, all Class 12 graduates — provided they meet medical fitness and other criteria — will be eligible to train as commercial pilots.

“The DGCA recommendation has been sent to the aviation ministry. Once they finalise it, this ministry will send in to the law ministry to notify the change. When that happens, the change will come into effect,” a senior official told TOI.


Since the mid-1990s, India has restricted CPL (Commercial Pilot Licence) training to students from science and maths backgrounds. Prior to that, a Class 10 (matric) pass was sufficient to enrol. Senior captains argue that this is an outdated rule unique to India, as no other country enforces such a requirement. They believe the necessary understanding of physics and maths for pilot training is already covered in early schooling. Over the past three decades, numerous arts and commerce students have had to reappear for Class 12 exams in physics and maths through open schooling just to meet the eligibility criteria for CPL training.

Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) have highlighted several measures the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) must take to make pilot training in India less challenging. They point out that the journey to becoming a pilot — from training to landing a job — is far from easy. Many aspiring pilots come from middle-class families, often relying on hefty loans to support their aviation dreams.

Meanwhile, senior pilots have issued a word of caution for those looking to enter the profession. “Even after the expensive CPL traning and endorsement, getting a job can take a long time. If you are planning to become a pilot, the entire family must factor in the financial aspect and the time lag in getting a job after the entire training is complete. The reality is not as rosy as it seems for wannabe pilots. It’s a ,” they caution.