Namaste,
I am Kashish Bakshi, and this is a story of my journey to the IMA. It started
with the dream of a kid in class 5, who wanted to be a fighter pilot, having no
defence background whatsoever. A kid who had seen fighter jets fly over his
head since he was an infant. As my maternal grandmother’s house is in Ambala
and the AFS Ambala is nearby, so there were 8-9 fighter jets flying over us
daily, sounding as if the Gods were wrestling in the sky. As I grew up, my love
for the IAF grew deeper, but there was a turning point, when I was in class 9,
as I live in Dehradun, the home of the IMA, Indian Army started drawing my
attention.
As
an adolescent teenager in school, when someone used to ask me what I wanted to
be when I grew up, I answered “The finest fighter pilot there is”, but
unfortunately, that adolescent boy didn’t have a plan of action, as to how he
would achieve this feat. It was later when I realised it, when I failed to
qualify the NDA written exam 3 times consecutively. But the flair to join the
forces was still alive, and after 2 and a half years of B.Tech(CS) degree, I
started preparing for CDSE. I found out the syllabus and realised it was vast
for GS, so I knew I needed a sound strategy to crack the exam.
I watched the strategy to study by a CDSE topper, note making strategy from a UPSC CSE topper, and started preparing for AFCAT also which is a little easier than CDSE. There I was, in my 5th semester, with my SGPA dangling in 7 pointers. So I had to prepare for CDSE, AFCAT, get good marks to qualify placement criteria of campus placements, and study for job interviews. And the lockdown was a blessing in disguise, I managed my time accordingly and smashed every goal. I cracked CDSE and AFCAT in my first attempt, got SGPA above 9, got job offer letters from 2 companies. I was preparing for SSB side by side, during my written prep. My friend gave me his SSBCrack book for SSB. I also used to watch the current affairs videos by SSBCrack on YouTube. Everybody in my SSB coaching believed that I would make it in my first attempt, but I was conference out from 1 AFSB Dehradun(AFCAT) on 26th March, it was later that I realised that I was too obsessed with getting recommended.
Now I had my SSB at Allahabad on 14th April (CDSE) and this time, I decided to go with a free mind as I had 3 more attempts lined up (SSB for CDSE 1 2021, SSB for TGC-133, AFSB for AFCAT 1 2021) and 2 job offers. I thought “Hua to bohot achi baat hai aur agar nahi hua to agli baar aur improve kar lunga”. This thought process was the only thing that I changed in the 2 weeks’ gap between the attempts, and I made it this time. My friends and my juniors at my coaching ask me what did I change in myself magically in these 2 weeks and this is what I tell them, I just went with a free mind. I also got medically fit and now I’m waiting for my final semester exams and then joining the Academy.
So this was my story, an average boy from a civilian background, whose focus was always clear and who was willing to work hard to achieve his dream and finally got recommended from 14 SSB Allahabad. So, if you are determined, and consistent with your efforts, and have the right strategy, I personally guarantee that you will achieve your dream. KEEP HUSTLING and NEVER EVER GIVE UP!
Update: Indian Air Force AFCAT 2 2021 online registrations are likely to start from 1 June 2021 and close on 30 June 2021.
Indian Air Force invites Indian citizens (Men and Women) to be part of this elite force as Group A Gazetted Officers in Flying and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches. Online AFCAT examination tentatively will be conducted on 21 Aug 2021 and 22 Aug 2021.
Indian Air Force will conduct AFCAT 2 2021 tentative dates on 21 Aug 2021 and 22 Aug 2021. The AFCAT 2 2021 online application will open in June 2021. You can check the complete AFCAT 2 2021 notification soon for flying, the technical and non-technical branch of the IAF. In this article, you can find a few important details regarding the upcoming AFCAT 2 2021 Notification. Candidates can join the Indian Air Force as an officer through AFCAT 2 2021.
Tentative Exam Dates:
AFCAT Events
AFCAT 2 2021
AFCAT 1 2022
AFCAT Notification Date
1 June 2021
December 2021
AFCAT Online Application Date
1 June 2021
December 2021
AFCAT Application Last date
30 June 2021
December 2021
AFCAT Admit Card date
August 2021
January 2022
AFCAT Exam date
August 2021
February 2022
AFCAT Result date declaration
September 2021
March 2022
How To Prepare For AFCAT Exam Online
Serious defence aspirants can join our full AFCAT online course, the course is specially designed for the AFCAT aspirants that will help them to score better marks in the AFCAT 2020 exam.
Our AFCAT 2021 Online course covers the detailed syllabus for Numerical Ability, English, GK, Reasoning and Military Aptitude for the online exam. It also covers AFCAT mock tests for better practice.
AFCAT 2 2021 Branch And Course Number
Flying
Ground Duty Technical
Ground Duty Non-Technical
AFCAT 2 2021 Exam Age Limits and Educational Qualifications:
Flying
Age – Flying Branch. 20 to 24 years as on 01 July 2022 i.e. born between 02 July 1998 to 01 July 2002. (both dates inclusive). Upper age limit for candidates holding valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by DGCA (India) is relaxable up to 26 years i.e. born between 02 July 1996 to 01 July 2002 (both dates inclusive).
Educational Qualification
A graduate candidate with minimum 60% marks and must have scored minimum 60%marks in Maths and Physics in 10+2 in 12th standard.
B.Tech/ B.E candidates who have scored minimum 60% marks and have scored 60% marks in maths and physics in 10+2 in 12th standard are also eligible for it.
Ground Duty Technical
Age – 20 to 26 years as on 01 July 2022 i.e. born between 02 July 1996 to 01 July 2002 (both dates inclusive).
Educational Qualification
The candidate must have B.Tech/ B.E degree in notified streams as mentioned in the official notification of the IAF with minimum 60% marks and have scored minimum 60% marks in Physics and Maths in 10+2 standard are eligible for technical entry.
Ground Duty Non-Technical
Age – 20 to 26 years as on 01 July 2022 i.e. born between 02 July 1996 to 01 July 2002 (both dates inclusive).
Educational Qualification
Administration and Logistics – Graduation degree with minimum 60% marks or equivalent.
Accounts – B.Com Degree with minimum 60% marks or equivalent.
Education – Post graduate degree (MBA / MCA or MA / M Sc degree in English / Physics / Mathematics / Chemistry / Statistics / International relations / International Studies / Defence Studies / Psychology / Computer Science / IT /Management / Mass Communication / Journalism / Public Relation) with minimum 50% marks, along with minimum 60% marks in graduation.
AFCAT 2 2021 Selection Procedure
Indian airforce will conduct the AFCAT online exam across the country at different test centers. AFCAT 2 2021 online exam will be conducted in August 2021.
IAF will publish the results of AFCAT 2 2021 in September 2021 and candidates will be able to check their marks, cut off marks etc on the official portal i.e. afcat.cdac.in
Selected candidates have to choose their AFSB interview venue and date on the same portal.
The screening test is the first stage of the interview, which consists of verbal, nonverbal tests and a PPDT test. The selected candidates will stay at the centres for further selection tests and those who could not qualify it, would be set free on the same day.
The next stage consists of a personal interview, Psychology and GTO tests, PABT (for flying only), on the last day conference will be conducted after which, the final result is announced. The selected candidates are sent for medical examination.
Syllabus of the AFCAT 2 2021
English: Comprehension, Error Detection, Sentence Completion/Filling in of correct word, Synonyms, Antonyms and Testing of Vocabulary, Idioms and Phrases
General Awareness: History, Geography, Civics, Politics, Current Affairs, Environment, Basic Science, Defence, Art, Culture, Sports, etc
Numerical Ability: Decimal Fraction, Time and Work, Average, Profit & Loss, Percentage, Ratio & Proportion and Simple Interest, Time & Distance (Trains/Boats & Streams)
Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test: Verbal Skills and Spatial Ability
(a) General Awareness
History
Sports
Geography
Environment
Civics
Basic Science
Defence
Art
Culture
Current Affairs
Politics
(b) Verbal Ability in English
Comprehension
Error Detection
Sentence Completion
Synonyms
Antonyms
Testing of Vocabulary
(c) Numerical Ability
Decimal Fraction
Simplification
Average
Profit & loss
Percentage
Ratio & Proportion
Simple Interest
(d) Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test
Verbal Skills
Spatial Ability
Standard of AFCAT 2 2021 Question Paper:
The standard of Numerical Ability Questions will be of Matriculation level. The standard of questions in other subjects will be of graduation level (Indian University).
The Online examination will consist of objective type questions and will be in English only for both AFCAT and EKT
AFCAT 2 2021 Marking Scheme
Three marks will be awarded for every correct answer.
One mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer.
No marks for unattempted questions.
Questions will be based on the metric system of Weights & Measures wherever applicable. Candidates must appear for the Online AFCAT in person. Under no circumstance will any scribe or another candidate be allowed to appear/ assist in the exam. Air Force has the discretion to fix qualifying marks in any or all the subjects of the examination.
AFCAT 2 2021 Important Dates
AFCAT 2 2021 online registrations are open from June 2021
AFCAT 2 2021 online exam will be conducted on August 2021
Conclusion – The candidates have significant time to prepare and compete for AFCAT 2 2021. Those who are appearing in their graduation course as mentioned above in the educational qualification criteria can target the exam. The exam comes with the moderate difficulty level and a strategical approach can bring marks over the cut-off.
You can prepare for AFCAT 2 2021 and AFCAT 1 2022 and other defence entrance exams such as CDS, CDS OTA, NDA, ACC, MNS, INET, and Airmen Group X and Y by taking Written Online coursesas they will not only give you access to full-length quality lectures but will also provide the facility to take standardized mock tests for better study and strategic growth in the exam. You can take multiple quizzes after each lesson to ensure a full understanding of the subject along with creating your customized lesson plans. You can check out the course content along with other important specifics at SSBCrack exams.
You can also access them through the SSBCrack Exams appavailable in the google play store.
One
thing that life has taught me is that you never know what life can throw at
you, so be prepared. Good day, everybody! I’m Shubham Pokhriyal, from Dehradun and
I was recently recommended for the IMA-151 course. My journey was not a
cakewalk, as the title of my story implies. The journey began in 2017, when I
took a year off and qualified the NDA written (2018), got recommended in
2019. I was certain that I would be accepted into any of the academies because
I was medically fit for all of them. But fate had other plans! As months
went by without receiving the joining letter, I realized I still had a long way
to go to achieve my dream.
Sometimes epiphanies strike while you are at your lowest. One thing I realized was that a B.tech degree would not make me happy, so I dropped out of college after having completed one semester. I’d already squandered 1.5 years of my life and couldn’t afford to waste anymore. As a result, I chose to pursue a B.Sc. through a “distance-learning program,” which allowed me to complete my three-year course in just 1.5 years. To sum up, I had regained my lost time, and now it was time to make a strong comeback.
During
my time at home, I prepared for the CDSE and AFCAT, which I qualified both on
the first attempt. I had my AFSB on November 20th, 2020, and I was screen out.
It was a big disappointment for me because I had previously been recommended
and now I was wondering, “Do I still have that in me?” Nonetheless, I
kept going, passed the written exams again, and now I had three SSBs lined up.
But, as said, God give his toughest battles to his
bravest soldiers.
When the SSB date selection for IMA was announced, I was in Delhi studying the stock market. Because of a glitch in my account, I was unable to select a date. After one week, when I was given the default date which was after 15 days, I was diagnosed with Scrub typhus. I returned to Dehradun, was hospitalized for three days, and it took me a week to barely stand up. Now I just had a week to prepare and finalize the rest of the arrangements. I practiced OIR and psych, read the news, and focused on my narration.
I received my degree through distance learning. I didn’t have any extracurricular activity certificates in college, and I didn’t have enough time to properly prepare for my SSB, so what got me through it? Is it luck? No way, buddy! In reality, I had spent my entire life preparing for the SSB. I didn’t spend a single day of those 1.5 years on anything unproductive. Every day, I learned something new, and in that, I never neglected to spend time with my family. With my story, I just want you to know that life can throw you many unexpected troubles, but instead of complaining, accept them and move on. You aren’t the first person who has had bad luck. You’re most likely not the last one. However, your perspective on things can definitely make a big difference.
Indian army has published the notification for SSC Tech 57 men and SSC Tech 28 women for the course commencing at OTA Chennai from Oct 2021. Eligible engineering graduates can apply for the SSC Tech 57 and SSCW Tech 28 from 25th May 2021 and the last date for the online application is 23rd June 2021. SSC Tech is a special entry for the male and female engineering graduates to join the Indian Army as an SSC officer. Let’s read more about the official notification.
Notification: Applications are invited from eligible unmarried Male and unmarried Female Engineering Graduates and also from Widows of Defence Personnel who died in harness for grant of Short Service Commission (SSC) in the Indian Army. Course will commence in Oct 2021 at Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Passing Out Parade at OTA Chennai
Age Limit
For SSC(Tech)- 57 Men and SSCW(Tech)- 28 Women. 20 to 27 years as on 01 Oct 2021 (Candidates born between 02 Oct 94 and 01 Oct 2001, both days inclusive).
For widows of Defence Personnel who Died in Harness Only. SSCW (Non Tech) [Non UPSC] and SSCW(Tech) – A maximum of 35 years of age as on 01 Oct 2021.
Educational Qualification for SSC(Tech) (Men and Women): Candidates who have passed the requisite Engineering Degree course or are in the final year of Engineering Degree course are eligible to apply. Candidates studying in the final year of Engineering degree course should be able to submit proof of passing by 01 Oct 2021 and produce the Engineering Degree Certificate within 12 weeks from the date of commencement of training at Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Such candidates will be inducted on Additional Bond Basis for recovery of the cost of training at Officers Training Academy (OTA) as notified from time to time as well as stipend and pay & allowances paid, in case they fail to produce the requisite degree certificate.
Educational Qualification for Widows of Defence Personnel who Died in Harness:
SSCW (Non Tech) (Non UPSC). Graduation in any Discipline.
SSCW (Tech). B.E./ B. Tech in any Engineering stream.
Note. Candidate studying in final year of Degree must ensure that she submits the proof of passing Degree exam by 01 Oct 2021 to Directorate General of Recruiting, failing which her candidature will be cancelled.
Vacancies: Candidates must note that only the Engineering streams and their acceptable equivalent streams, strictly as notified in the table below, will be accepted. Candidates with degrees in any other engineering stream(s) are not eligible to apply. The variation between the nomenclature of Engineering stream as given on the degree parchment / mark sheet and that submitted by the candidate in his online application will result in cancellation of candidature.
For SSC(Tech)-57 Men:
For SSCW(Tech)-28
Type of Commission
Grant of Commission: Selected candidates will be granted Short Service Commission on probation in the rank of Lt from the date of commencement of the course or the date of reporting at Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, whichever is later and will be entitled to full pay and allowances admissible to Lt during training period. Pay & allowances will be paid after successful completion of training.
Confirmation of Short Service Commission: On successful completion of Pre Commission training at OTA, Officer will be confirmed Short Service Commission (Technical) in the rank of Lt.
Ante Date Seniority: One year ante date seniority from the date of commission will be granted to Engineering Graduates of Short Service Commission (Technical) in the rank of Lt.
No Ante Date Seniority for widows of Defence Personnel for SSC(NT): Widows of Defence Personnel selected for SSCW (NT) entry will be granted Short Service Commission in the rank of Lieutenant but will NOT be entitled to any ante date seniority.
Lady cadets of OTA Chennai before their passing out parade
Training:
Selected candidates will be detailed for training at Officers Training Academy, Chennai according to their position in the final order of merit (engineering stream-wise) upto the number of available vacancies and subject to meeting all eligibility criteria.
Duration of Training- 49 weeks
Candidates will neither be allowed to marry during the period of training nor he/ she be allowed to live with Parents/ Guardians. Candidates must not marry until they complete the full training at the Officers Training Academy. A candidate, if he/ she marries while under training, shall be discharged and will be liable to refund all expenditure incurred on him/ her by the government. This provision is also applicable to widows of Defence Personnel. A candidate, who marries subsequent to the date of his/ her application, though successful at the Service Selection Board interview and medical examination, will not be inducted for training, and his/ her candidature will be cancelled.
Training at OTA is at Govt expense. All candidates who successfully complete PreCommission training at Officers Training Academy, Chennai will be awarded ‘Post Graduate Diploma in Defence Management and Strategic Studies’ by University of Madras.
Cost of Training: The entire cost of training at OTA is at Government expense. In case the Lady/ Gentleman Cadet is withdrawn from training academy due to reasons other than medical ground or the reasons not beyond his/ her control, he/ she will be liable to refund cost of training @ ₹ 11,952/- per week till 30 Sep 2020, thereafter a yearly escalation of 8% p.a. will be calculated on the Per Capita Cost of Training for each ensuing year (or as notified from time to time) apart from allied charges as fixed by the government from time to time, for the period of his/ her stay at OTA, Chennai.
The final allocation of Arms/Services will be made prior to passing out of Lady/Gentleman cadets from OTA, Chennai and will be at the sole discretion of Integrated HQ Ministry of Defence (Army) keeping in view the existing policy. The candidate will not have any objection in the event of his/her final selection on allotment of any arms/service in the interest of the organization. No representation is tenable on this account. Selection Procedure:
Gentlemen Cadets of OTA Chennai before their passing out parade
Selection Procedure:
Shortlisting of Applications. Integrated HQ of MoD (Army) reserves the right to shortlist applications and to fix cutoff percentage of marks for each Engineering discipline/stream (cumulatively obtained upto 6 th semester for Engg Degree course/ 2nd semester for M Sc. Computer Science/ 8th semester for Architecture) without assigning any reason. After shortlisting of applications, the centre allotment will be intimated to the candidate via their email. After allotment of Selection Centre, candidates will have to login to the website and select their SSB dates which are available on a first come first serve basis initially. Thereafter, it will be allotted by the Selection Centres. The option to select the dates for SSB by candidates may be forfeited due to occurrence of any exceptional circumstance/events.
Only shortlisted eligible candidates depending on the cut off percentage will be interviewed at one of the Selection Centres viz. Allahabad (UP), Bhopal (MP), Bengaluru (Karnataka) and Kapurthala (Punjab) by Psychologist, Group Testing Officer and Interviewing Officer. Call Up letter for SSB interview will be issued by respective Selection Centres through candidate‟s registered e-mail id and SMS only. Allotment of Selection Centre is at the discretion of Directorate General of Recruiting, IHQ of MoD (Army) and NO request for changes are entertained in this regard.
Candidates will be put through two stage selection procedure. Those who clear Stage-1 will go to Stage-2. Those who fail in Stage-1 will be returned on the same day. Duration of SSB interviews is five days, and details of the same are available at official website of Directorate General of Recruiting ie. www.joinindianarmy.nic.in. This will be followed by a medical examination for the candidates who get recommended after Stage-2.
Candidates recommended by the SSB and declared medically fit, will be issued Joining Letter for training in the order of merit, depending on the number of vacancies available, subject to meeting all eligibility criteria.
Merit List: It is to be noted that mere qualifying at the SSB interview does not confirm final selection. Merit list will be prepared on the basis of the marks obtained by the candidate at SSB interview. In case equal SSB marks are obtained by more than one candidate, the older candidate(s) in age will be ranked higher in the merit. In case both SSB marks and age of more than one candidate are same, the candidate(s) with higher percentage of marks in qualifying examination will be placed higher in the merit. Higher educational qualifications, previous performances, etc have no role to play. Those in the merit list and who come within the stipulated vacancies and are medically fit will be issued joining letters for pre-commission training at OTA, Chennai, subject to meeting all eligibility criteria.
How to Apply: Applications will only be accepted online on website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in. Click on ‘Officer Entry Appln/Login’ and then click ‘Registration’ (Registration is not required, if already registered on www.joinindianarmy.nic.in). Fill the online registration form after reading the instructions carefully. After getting registered, click on ‘Apply Online’ under Dashboard. A page „Officers Selection – ‘Eligibility’ will open. Then click ‘Apply’ shown against Short Service Commission Technical Course. A page ‘Application Form’ will open. Read the instructions carefully and click ‘Continue’ to fill details as required under various segments – Personal information, Communication details, Education details and details of previous SSB. ‘Save & Continue’ each time before you go to the next segment. After filling details on the last segment, you will move to a page ‘Summary of your information’ wherein you can check and edit the entries already made. Only after ascertaining the correctness of all your details, click on ‘Submit Now’. Candidates must click on ‘Submit Now’ each time they open the application for editing any details. The candidates are required to take out two copies of their application having Roll Number, 30 minutes after final closure of online application on last day.
UPSC has published the CDS 1 2020 OTA Chennai Merit list for men and women. The following are the lists, in order of merit, in respect of 147(96*+51^) candidates who have finally qualified on the basis of the results of the Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2020 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission and Interviews held by the Services Selection Board of the Ministry of Defence for admission to the (i) *Officers Training Academy, Chennai, for 113th Short Service Commission Course (for Men) and (ii) ^Officers Training Academy, Chennai, 27th Short Service Commission Women (Non-Technical) Course, commencing in April, 2021. The list of 113th Short Service Commission Course (for Men) also includes the names of the candidates who were recommended earlier on the basis of the result of the same examination for admission to Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Naval Academy, Ezhimala, Kerala and Air Force Academy, Hyderabad (Pre-Flying) Training Course(s).
The number of vacancies as intimated by the Government, for (i) 113th Short Service Commission Course (for Men) is 225 and for (ii) 27th Short Service Commission Women (NonTechnical) Course is 16.
The results of Medical Examination of candidates have not been taken into account in preparing the merit list. The candidature of all the candidates is Provisional. Verification of Date of Birth and Educational Qualification of these Candidates will be done by Army Head Quarter.
Candidates can also obtain information regarding results by accessing to UPSC website http://www.upsc.gov.in. However, marks of the candidates will be available within 15 days from the date of declaration of final results on Commission’s website for 30 days.
Yet again, a young Indian Air Force fighter pilot Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary lost his life in a MiG-21 crash in Punjab on 20th May 2021 late at night. The young pilot was on a routine sortie and returning to the base when his aircraft developed a technical snag and crashed near Moga, Punjab. Here we are publishing some details about brave Sqn Ldr Abhinav Choudhary that will motivate other defence aspirants.
1. Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary received his education in a Meerut school till class 7 and completed his further schooling in RIMC Dehradun thereafter he joined the National Defence Academy in 2010 and later completed his training at Air Force Academy. He was posted at the Pathankot base from 2014 onwards.
2. Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary was married to Sonika Ujjwal on 25th December 2019 (17 months back). The young pilot refused to take dowry during his marriage and has given a positive message to society. His family also returned the money gifted by the girl’s family during the events of marriage. His father Satendra Choudhary accepted only one rupee as a shagun for the wedding ceremony. Abhinav stood against this evil practice in society and said that the dowry system must be banned and money cannot tie the two families into a relationship.
Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary
3. Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary (28), who hailed from Baghpat-Meerut and had got married just over a year ago, had taken off in his MiG-21 ‘Bison’ from the Suratgarh airbase in Rajasthan for a “routine” night combat training sortie.
Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary
4. “His body was found 2 km away from the crash spot after an intense search of nearly four hours. His parachute was found open and an SOS was also sent from his device to IAF, but he had died by then. He tried to land safely using the parachute, but apparently broke his neck and spinal cord.” It was an unfortunate incident as we could not save the pilot but the jet crashed in open fields and there was no other loss of life.
5. “This piece of clothing belongs to my son. I will wear this because this is all that remains. I lost my lion son. Everything is over, destroyed,” said Satyendra Chaudhary, father of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinav Chaudhary
Hope the inspiring journey of the brave pilot will inspire millions of defence aspirants to join the Indian Air Force.
There was an aircraft accident last night involving a Bison aircraft of IAF in the western sector. The pilot, SqnLdrAbhinavChoudhary, sustained fatal injuries. IAF condoles the tragic loss and stands firmly with the bereaved family. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Many defence aspirants are madly obsessed with our special forces and rightly so. If you ask them which one do you want to join, most of them will want to join the PARA Special Forces. All of us wonder, what motivates a soldier and an officer to opt for the special forces and why it is the toughest selection process to become an elite. In this video, Major Dr. Surendra Poonia is sharing his journey from a being medical officer to a PARA SF officer. Hope the story will motivate many defence aspirants and guide them towards success.
How to join Indian Army PARA SF as an Officer
For gentlemen Cadets of IMA and OTA: Pre Commission. Volunteer GCs from IMA/OTA will be commissioned at the scale of two officers per battalion per year. These officers will be allotted a parent regiment by MS Branch.
For Officers serving in the Indian army [Post Commission] : Officers from all Arms and Services can volunteer for the Parachute Regiment subject to them having less than five years service on the day they volunteer, being in medical category SHAPE-I and being graded `EXCELLENT’ in BPET. These officers will retain their affiliated to their Regiment/Corps (as parent regiment).
One hundred and ten (110) Medical Cadets, including 21 female cadets, of the 55th (C3) batch of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) have been commissioned as Medical Officers into the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS). The Medical Cadets were commissioned by Commandant, AFMC Lt Gen Nardeep Naithani in a brief ceremony at AFMC on May 15, 2021.Ninetyfour cadets were commissioned into the Indian Army, 10 in the Indian Air Force and six in the Indian Navy. The newly commissioned medical officers were administered the oath of allegiance to the Constitution of India by Col Training, AFMC Col AK Shakya. The Passing Out Parade had to be called off for the first time since 1982, keeping in mind the Covid-19 restrictions.
In his commissioning address, Lt Gen Naithani congratulated the newly commissioned officers for joining AFMS which is the finest integrated medical organisation in the country. He complimented the parents of the students for the success of their children. He added that C3 batch has the unique distinction of having the entire batch that entered AFMC in 2016 graduating together with 100% success, which by itself is the best tribute to the teachers at AFMC.
The Commandant reminded the graduating batch that they were joining the medical profession at a time when the country was passing through a difficult phase. He exhorted them to put their knowledge and skills acquired at AFMC to provide the best possible care to their patients as they join the nation’s battle against Covid-19 as COVID warriors. Lt Gen Nardeep Naithani expressed confidence that given their academic rigor and training, the newly commissioned Medical Officers would always measure up to the highest standards expected from military doctors.
The preparatory period for commissioning of this graduating batch of AFMC has been curtailed to only two weeks against four to five weeks earlier. These two weeks have been utilised completely to give intensive training to specifically prepare these young doctors to work in Covid care settings. The medical cadets have also completed the American Heart Association (AHA) certified course in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). The commissioned Medical Officers would be leaving immediately to join as interns in 31 AFMS hospitals across the country, which are also designated for COVID care of Armed Forces personnel as well as civilians.
Lt Gen Nardeep Naithani, who himself is a distinguished alumnus from the 17th (Q) batch of the college, also awarded trophies, medals and prizes to medical cadets for their outstanding achievements in academics and all-round performance. The President’s Gold Medal for the best all-round out graduating cadet as well as the Kalinga Trophy and the DGAFMS gold medal for best academic record during the MBBS course were awarded to Medical Cadet Vinita Reddy. Medical Cadet Suyash Singh, who was also the College Cadet Captain, received the Maj Gen NDP Karani Trophy for second best overall performance. Medical Cadet Nikita Dutta was awarded the Lt Gen Thapar Gold Medal for topping the Final MBBS examination.
Perseverance will always take your car ahead and hard work will work as a nitro for it. “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” -Nelson Mandela. These were the lines that kept me going. Motivated and cheered me to try till the very last attempt. Hello aspirants. My name is Dev Pardeshi, I was recommended for NDA-146 from 33 SSB Bhopal on the 13th of February 2021. After three failures the happiness of hearing my chest number from the mouth of that officer that day left me berserk.
Since my childhood, I had always dreamt of joining the forces. My inclination towards the forces takes its roots in my dad who is Ex-Army personnel. When I was in class 8th I got to know about the prestigious cradle of military leadership, the NDA, and that was the day I decided “NDA to me jaa ke rahuga.”
In my class 12th, I gave two attempts of writing but couldn’t clear them. So I decided to take a drop year and prepare for it. This time I left no stones unturned and prepared well and cleared the exam with a decent 400+ score. I got the first call up for SSB for NDA-144 and the centre was Bhopal. As per the tips from a senior from school, now in NDA, I started the preparation for SSB. I practised for OIR from RS, practised writing TAT, WAT, SRT & SD from YouTube practice sets. My dad also asked his CO to guide me and all this boosted my confidence.
With all the tips, guidance and a positive approach, I reached the SSB Centre, Bhopal. Even after giving in whatever I had in me, I was conference out. 10.02.2020. For TES-43 I got the same centre and the result too was the same. Conference out. 06.03.2020. NDA-145 got the same centre again and the results were stubborn enough to not change. 21.12.2020.
By this time I started thinking maybe ‘I don’t have it in me.’ I came back from Bhopal and thought about everything that had gone wrong. I jotted down my mistakes and started working on them. Within one month I could do reasonable justice to all the previous mistakes I had committed in those 5 days.
This time also I got my SSB at Bhopal. With much less hope and enthusiasm, I reached the centre. OIR Test was done well and I confidently participated in the PPDT. During those 5 days process, I did everything differently. I weaved good stories and sentences in TAT and WAT. I managed to write 38 SRTs and I didn’t even complete the SD.
In the GTO I kept all my focus towards the group and always tried to take the group ahead. I gave good ideas and also tried to hear others in the GD. I tried to have understood others views in the GPE. In the PGT I either tried to give ideas or worked on the ground. I did 12 obstacles and was also helpful to my teammates in the group obstacle race. My CT was the fastest as I got the way out within minutes. In interview I could answer all the questions asked and also had a good conversation with the Interviewing officer. Most of the question asked were personal life-based. I was honest while answering and told the truth about my weaknesses and didn’t try to hide any.
During these 5 Day, I enjoyed a lot with my batch mates and had a great time in the dorm. On the conference day, I was a little nervous but was not afraid of the results. When the call bell rang. I stood up, walked to the conference hall’s door and entered with a smile. I was asked some questions and was given a situation, which was ‘Since you’re an experienced chap, suppose on the day of your Psychological Tests and the GTO two freshers from your batch comes up to you and asks you for some tips. What advice will you give them and why?’
I told that for psychological tests I will only ask them to write whatever’s relatable and not to wander anywhere for ideas. And for GTO I will tell them that group should be their first priority, not yourself. Have confidence in yourself and perform. I said that I will give these devices only as I’ve committed these mistakes previously.
Hearing this my IO who happened to be the Commandant smiled. I was wished luck and was asked to wait for the results. When the results came, 7 of us got recommended. And now I know ‘I have it in me!’
