DRDO Internship 2026: TBRL Chandigarh Engineering and MSc Applications Close 13 November

Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), a DRDO lab in Chandigarh, has opened a six-month paid internship for engineering and MSc students, and applications must reach the lab by 13 November 2026. This DRDO internship is open to BE, BTech and four-year BSc students from the sixth semester onwards and to second-year MSc Chemistry and Physics students who have at least 75% marks and no backlogs. Interns get Rs 5,000 a month, and you apply by post with a request letter signed by your Principal, HOD or TPO.

The notice was published on 10 November, so the window is very short. If you want this, get the college letter signed and the envelope posted right away. For other defence lab openings, see our guide to DRDO internships.

TBRL Chandigarh internship at a glance

If you are also tracking other Punjab and Haryana region labs, the DGRE Chandigarh internship is another six-month DRDO option for final-year students.

TBRL internship seats by branch

Each branch has a code. You write it on your form, in the request letter and on the envelope, so note yours before you start.

Mechanical students have the most room here, with 15 seats. TBRL says it will not consider equivalent qualifications or related branches, so your degree has to match one of these disciplines. Seats can also be shifted between branches if one discipline lacks suitable candidates.

DRDO TBRL internship eligibility

You must be an Indian citizen in a full-time course at a recognised Indian college or university that is AICTE or UGC approved. The notice sets these conditions:

• UG: pursuing BE, BTech or BSc (four-year course), sixth semester onwards (third or final year), in the academic year 2027-2028 as the notice states.
• PG: in the second year of MSc in Chemistry or Physics.
• The internship must be part of your degree course.
• At least 75% marks. If your college uses CGPA, the college converts it to a percentage in the request letter.
• Age below 28 years as on 31 December 2026.
• No backlogs.

Stipend, duration and location

The stipend is Rs 5,000 a month, released in two lumps of Rs 15,000: one after three months and one after six. Payment goes straight to your bank account, and you need at least 15 days of attendance in a month to qualify. If you leave midway, you get neither the certificate nor any payment.

Read the address carefully. Applications go to Sector-30 in Chandigarh, but selected interns report to the TBRL range at Ramgarh in Panchkula district, Haryana. TBRL gives no accommodation or transport, so lodging, food, travel and medical costs are yours. Leave is limited to sick leave backed by a valid prescription.

You submit a progress report after three months and a project report at the end. The completion certificate comes only after your project work is evaluated and the report is submitted. TBRL also says the internship carries no promise of a job.

How TBRL selects interns

Selection is on merit and project fit. The lab looks at your cumulative percentage or CGPA up to the last semester and your profile, shortlists against the seats, and may hold an online or telephonic interview. Document verification follows.

If two candidates have the same percentage, the older one gets preference. Only selected students hear back, by email in the first or second week of December 2026, so check the inbox you write on the form. Canvassing or follow-up calls to influence selection lead to cancellation.

What the request letter and application form need

The PDF has two parts. The first is a request letter that your college prints on its letterhead and that the Principal, HOD or TPO signs with the office seal. It asks for your semester, branch and branch code, enrolment number, contact details, semester-wise marks (with a CGPA conversion factor column), faculty coordinator details, and college details such as the AICTE or UGC permanent ID, DTE code and affiliation. In it, the college also agrees to relieve you for six months and confirms you will be present at least 15 working days a month.

The second part is your own application form, filled in capital letters with a passport photo pasted on. It covers personal details, Aadhaar number, branch code, average marks and any achievements, plus a checklist of enclosures.

How to apply for the TBRL Chandigarh internship

1. Read the full advertisement on the official DRDO notice page for TBRL.
2. Download Application Form and Request Letter Format (one PDF).
3. Take the request letter to your Principal, HOD or TPO. It must go on college letterhead with their signature and office seal.
4. Fill your application form in capital letters, paste a recent passport photo and sign it.
5. Enclose the signed request letter, mark sheets for all previous semesters or years, a copy of your latest Aadhaar card and a copy of your college ID card.
6. On top of the envelope, write "Application for Paid Internship: Starting January 2027" along with your branch code.
7. Address it to The Director, Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Sector-30, Chandigarh 160030, Kind Attention: HRD Division, and send it so it arrives by 13 November 2026. Late or incomplete applications are rejected.

Documents to carry if you are selected

Start on the police verification as soon as you get the selection email, because it has to come from your hometown or place of residence. At joining you will need:

• TPO letter for the six-month duration
• Bonafide and character certificate from the college
• Original NOC on college letterhead confirming you are relieved for six months and will attend at least 15 working days a month
• Police verification, or the acknowledgement from the police station
• Undertakings on the Official Secrets Act, 1923 and on Ministry of Defence IT rules
• Bank details for the stipend
• Original Aadhaar card and college ID card, plus three passport-size photos
• Original mark sheets for all previous semesters, or a college letter saying it holds them

TBRL returns originals right after verification, and the college may be asked for an indemnity form. You can find more lab and ministry openings in our government internships guide or browse all opportunities on Talentd. The tentative start date is 1 January 2027.