Astronomer

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics is a premier institute devoted to research in astronomy, astrophysics and related physics. This is a full-time research program where in the students' work towards their PhD degree under the supervision of an IIA faculty. Students may join the program in either the first semester beginning in August or the second semester beginning in January.
Entrance examination is held in December followed by interview in January. Students passing the JEST exam are interviewed in May / June. The eligibility criteria for PhD at IIA is M.Sc. in mathematics / applied physics / applied mathematics / optics and photonics / instrumentation / electronics, etc. All around excellent academic performance from 12th to PG will help you fulfill your dream.
You are advised to opt for PCM at 10+2 stage. You are advised to do B.Sc. Physics or mathematics. You may then opt for M.Sc. in mathematics / applied physics.

The standard route to this is not as such reading any specific books at this stage (I'm not discouraging you from reading popular books on cosmology, which you should whenever you can). What you need is a strong background in Physics which translates to a strong undergraduate and graduate (Ph.D) training in Physics.
You can start specialising to Cosmology during 3rd or 4th year of undergraduate by taking courses on General Relativity, Astrophysics and possibly even Cosmology if the course is offered. There's also a question about experimental or theoretical Cosmology (which is not clear from your question) and as such the approaches very different. I'm not familiar with the courses focused on experimental aspects. So, I'll leave it at that.

Hi,
Following degrees from renowned institutes like IISC or IIT in Ph.D (Astrophysics), Ph.D (Geophysics), Ph.D (Metaphysics). After graduation, the candidates can appear for the entrance exam, which is held by the NASA for the recruitment of scientists, astronauts, etc.
Candidates can also find employment in ISRO. There are many openings in ISRO, which is conducted for the recruitment of scientists and engineers. In order to join the ISRO, the candidates need to clear the joint entrance exam set by the IITs.
Eligibility:
1. Citizenship: candidates who are joining the ISRO need to be Indian citizens.
2. Age limit: the candidate should be at least 21 years at the time of joining. The age limit is relaxable for candidates belonging to the SC/ST category.
3. Qualification: candidates need to be graduates from a recognized board or university.
How to prepare for exam and interview:
Candidates need to pass the screening test first. They should submit the application form online. Next they need to undergo tests in professional and psychological aptitude assessment, which includes behavioral and logical skills. After that they will go through a medical evaluation. The final stage is an interview where the candidate will be judged before he/she is selected. The candidates should remember that only 2 or 3 people out of scores of candidates will be chosen at the end. So, they need to be prepared for the toughest competition.
I hope this helps.

Hi Subham,
There are a lot of openings for you after B.Sc Physics. You can opt for M.Sc Physics, Astrophysics : - This sector has many job opportunities you may join M.sc. Astrophysics in any university or if you want to see yourself as a scientist/Researcher you can proceed with M.Sc. in Applied Physics, and then go for PhD.
There are many options available to you depending on your interests, core strengths and chosen career path. Other than the conventional courses, you could explore courses in management, teaching, research, finance/banking, media, corporate communications, retail, hospitality etc. Postgraduate diplomas in specialized areas like leather, sugar, plastics, processing, packaging or environment technology are some other options you could look at. You can also take the Civil Services as well as the Indian Forest Service Exams with physics as one of the papers in the Mains examination.
We recommend that you take the time to explore your deepest talents, interests and career goals before you decide on what the next step should be. It will help to work with a career guidance professional. Alternatively, you can take some online assessments of your skills and personality to understand yourself better.
Hope this information helps. Please feel free to revert.
Wish you luck.