Get an Indian ham radio licence (ASOC)

1Choose your grade

• Decide between Restricted (no Morse; VHF/UHF and limited HF) and General (Morse at 8 wpm; full HF).
• If you want General eventually, apply for both in one sitting — the fee is ₹200 for both versus ₹100 each, and the written papers overlap.

2Register and apply on Saral Sanchar

• Create an account at saralsanchar.gov.in with your mobile number and email.
• Open the Amateur Station Operator Certificate application, choose the grade, and upload photo, ID, address proof and date-of-birth proof.
• Pay the exam fee online (₹100 per grade).
• Note the application number. The regional WPC office schedules the exam separately — email or call them with the number if you hear nothing within a few weeks.

3Prepare for the written papers

The exam has two sections: Radio Theory and Practice, and Radio Regulations and Procedure (National and International).

• Work through a current guide — the ARSI beginner material or a club course (the Indian Institute of Hams and several city clubs run weekend classes).
• Learn the Indian band plan, the Q-codes, the phonetic alphabet, and the licence conditions; the regulations paper is where unprepared engineers fail.
• For General grade, practise Morse daily with a trainer app until 8 wpm send and receive is comfortable, not marginal.

4Sit the exam at the WPC office

• Carry the application printout, original ID, and photos.
• Restricted grade needs 50% overall and 40% in each section; General needs 60% overall, 50% in each section, and the Morse test.
• Results are usually communicated by the office; the portal updates later.

5Wait out the security clearance

After a pass, the file goes for verification by the local police and Intelligence Bureau. This is the stage that takes months.

• Keep the address on your application current; a police visit or call to that address is normal.
• If nothing has moved after 4–6 months, a polite RTI request to the WPC office is the accepted way to get a status.

6Pay for the licence and receive your callsign

• When the portal shows the certificate approved, pay the licence fee: ₹1,000 for 20 years or ₹2,000 for lifetime.
• Download the licence with your VU callsign from the portal.
• Only now buy or build a transmitter; log every contact as the licence conditions require.