Science till 10th only? You can still be a pilot

New Delhi: Soon, almost anyone who has cleared Class XII could be eligible to become a pilot irrespective of which stream the person chose after Class X — arts, commerce or science.
Existing rules stipulate that a student should have completed Class XII with physics and maths as compulsory subjects for becoming a flier.
Now, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has recommended that anyone who has passed Class X with physics and maths — which almost all do — and then completed Class XII from any stream be considered eligible for becoming a pilot.
The only condition the new DGCA recommendation lays down is that students must have compulsorily studied physics as part of science in Class X — and not home science in place of physics, as is the option in some boards.
DGCA has sent this recommendation to the aviation ministry for clearance by minister Praful Patel.
28/02/08 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India