Rakesh Jadhav/MUM/BHARTI-AXALIFE/IN
20/08/12 07:06 PM |
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The Defiance services offer dignified, disciplined and prestigious placements. An officer in the Indian army inherits glorious heritage and timeless traditions, blended perfectly with the latest technology in the fields of Management, Engineering and Medical Sciences. It offers a golden opportunity to be a part of the world’s finest army and get trained not only to be an officer but also a gentleman for life.
Apart from attractive pay and perks, army offers the best in life style, even better than all other professions. Be it the social interaction, finest clubs, golf courses, medical facilities and ample opportunities to indulge in adventure and sports, army has it all. In fact you are paid to lead a healthy life in a healthy environment.
Facilities like subsidized housing, free medical for self & family, canteen facilities, group insurance cover, soft loans for house and/ or vehicle and above all the feeling of belonging to a family (Army) which cares for you, are the perks of the Army which no other organization provides.
Nature of works: The Indian army is mainly divided into Combat Arms and Services.
Personality
Acareer as a soldier or an officer requires a special type of personality. The screening tests that the Indian army conducts are primarily designed to check a candidate’s personality. More emphasis is laid on the candidate’s personality than on his (there is only a short service commission (SSC) for women called the Women’s Special Entry Scheme (Officers), all the other posts in the Indian armed forces can only be filled by men) physical abilities. The services selection board (SSB) tries to find out whether a candidate has it in him to handle mental and physical pressure. Since life as a soldier or officer involves combat and the harsh realities of it, there are only a few who can handle such mental and physical pressure. The tests that the services selection Board conducts are not physically very grueling but are meant to assess the candidate’s mental character more than anything else. A successful candidate needs to withstand physical and mental pressure. Even the courses in the National Defence Academy (NDA) or the Indian Military Academy (IMA) test a candidate’s ability to handle pressure to an extreme. Punishments (which are the only form of ragging allowed in these institutes) are justified on the basis that they are part of the training –they are meant to build a prospective soldier or officer’s ability to withstand and not succumb under physical and mental pressure.
Joining the Army is possible both after school as well as after graduation. Various types of entries are enumerated below:
Permanent Commission
A permanent commission means a career in the army till you retire. For a permanent commission you have to join the National Defence Academy or the Indian Military Academy.
The National Defence Academy, Pune: You can take the NDA entrance exam right after class XI. Clear the UPSC exam and a 5day service Selection Board interview, pass your medical, and you are in NDA. Three years in NDA and you will be a much improved person. There are 31 extra-curricular activities to choose from. These include aero-modeling, golf, gliding, sailing, wind surfing, astronomy, photography and many more.
Indian Military Academy, Dehradun: Indian Military Acdemy is yet another cradle of leadership. There are four main entries to get into IMA. In your final year of graduation, you need to pass the Combined Defence Services exam, clear the SSB, be medically fit and join IMA as a Direct Entry if you come in merit. The other entries are 10+2 Tech entry where you apply after your 12th exams, university Entry Scheme is for those who wish to apply for army in pre-final/final year of engineering. Those who have completed B.E./B. Tech, in notified streams can also join IMA in the Technical Graduate Course. The selection procedure is same as for IMA (Direct Entry). The duration of training is 1½ years for IMA (DE), five years (one year at IMA and four years at Cadet Training Wings) for 10+2 TEST (including one year after commissioning) and one year for all other entries.
The IMA has excellent facilities for all-round development. You can go for adventure sports like rafting, para jumping, and rock climbing, trekking and mountaineering.From the IMA, you are commissioned as a “Lieutenant” in the Indian army, to go out into the world and live up to the IMA motto- “Velour & Wisdom”.
Short Service Commission
You also have the option of joining the Army and serving as a commissioned officer for 10 years. At the end of this period you have two options. Either elect for a permanent Commission or opt out.Those not selected for permanent commission have the option of a 4 years extension. They can resign at any time during this period.
A short service commission empowers you with analytical thinking, planning skills, administrative and organizational abilities. Qualities which will make you an invaluable asset for any organization that you join after the Army and there are opportunities to side step to an alternate career for which Army will also help you.
Officers Training Academy, Chennai: Once selected for short service commission, you go to the officers Training Academy at Chennai. The selection process is a written exam followed by the SSB interview and medicals. For Technical (Engineering) graduates it is direct SSB interview and medicals. If you have done NCC Senior Division (Army) and obtained ‘C’ certificate with minimum ‘B’ grade, you can apply through your NCC Branch HQ/Zonal HQ to Recruiting Directorate for direct SSB interview. SSB qualified candidates undergo a medical examination. The duration of training is 49 weeks. OTA training provides you with opportunities to broaden your perspective and widen your horizon. Whether it’s skeet-shooting, golf, riding or angling –at OTA you can do it all.
Short Service Commission for Women (Officers): the Indian army also has women officers. You can take up the challenge of short services commission and prove to the world that when it comes to courage and leadership, you’re second to none.
Women officers receive training at OTA, Chennai. You should be a graduate/ postgraduate to apply. After the written exam, there is the SSB interview followed by a medical examination.
NDA/ Naval Academy Examination
There is one common written examination for entry into army, Air Force and Naval Wings of NDA and Executive Branch of Naval Academy on the following pattern.
Mathematics 21/2 hours-marks 300 General Ability: 21/2 hours-marks 600.
Candidates who are declared qualified in the written examination have t appear before a services selection Board (SSB) for intelligence and personality test to assess the candidates for their officers’ potentiality and those for the Air Force in Pilot Aptitude test and officer potentiality.
Graduate / Direct Entry
Individuals between the age of 19 and 22 and having a three year Bachelors degree can appear for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam, which is held every 6 months at various centers in India. Again like the NDA process, there will be an SSB interview and a medical examination. On clearing these, individual is straight-away enlisted into the Indian Military Academy (if he opts for the Army), without entering NDA, and gets trained there for 18 months after which, he gets a commissioned rank.
Best of Luck ...
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