Hi there dear readers, I am Dheeraj Dimathia, a cadet of Rashtriya Military School Bangalore (2013-20). I will be sharing my journey towards getting recommended with all of you. Well, they say “Victory loves perfection and preparation”. A point to keep in mind. I hail from Jammu district of J&K and my father has been serving the Indian army for 30 years. Since my childhood, as most of the army brats are, I was too raised in a military environment. The discipline, the ethos, everything became a part of life in the early days. I did my schooling till class 5th from various Army Public Schools. I was in Class 5th when the game changer in my life came. There was this Georgian who met my father and suggested him the idea of sending me to Military school. The craze of Hostel Life inclined me more towards it. I went on to join Rashtriya Military School Bangalore in Class 6th and since then, a new version of life started.
The school is a feeder institution to N.D.A and aims to send its maximum cadets to various academies. The school has a well-planned routine, a great campus, and provides all-round development to the cadets. Once and for all…I can say that the school has made me whatever I am today….the discipline, the sense of responsibility, the adaptability, this school has taught us to go according to the situation, however hard it may be.
The school shapes each part of our personality and has taught that the only competition in life…is with urself…if you master it, you will go far, really far. In a nutshell, we can say the school provides us with a bumper offer of 1+1 free……the opportunity to fulfil your aim + a family beyond blood which is ready to stand beside you every moment of your life. GEORGIAN(as each one of is proudly called), it’s not just a name, it’s a brand, a feeling, an emotion that unites each one of us, the inseparable bond we all have, the integrity, the sense of belongingness towards each other we have, is what defines us.
So as we reached in class 12th, the final round of preparations started. We all were made to go through various classes, various mock tests and of course the brainstorming sessions with batchmates are the best. I believed that hard work is important, but smart work is a necessity. So, I used to plan things well in advance and always keep a rough plan in my mind on how to go further. 15 days before the exams, all we did was just lots of revisions and proper mock tests so as to have a feel of the examination hall (Afterall, it is the biggest exam for a Georgian after his 7 years of stay at school). After clearing the written exams, various people came to our school to give us an overview of the Services Selection Board, where one has to go for a 5 days selection procedure after clearing the written.
Also, many of us go to various academies for various guidance programs. I went to Georgians academy for professional studies for the same. The name says it all. The days spent there were full of productivity and the best part was getting guidance by the seniors of our very own school. After all this and with the help of the teachers at my school and my batchmates, I went on to appear for the SSB at Selection Centre Central,21 SSB. I was quite confident, but a little anxious too. But then, the motivation by my friends was the best thing at that time and they were like – either you can fear it now or leave the fear aside and crack it.
The short journey of 5 days undergoing the selection procedure, making new friends and bonds, was just awesome and will always retain a special place in my memories. On 7 Feb 2020, I was recommended from 21 SSB Bhopal for NDA 144 course in my first attempt. And subsequently, I cleared my medicals too. I would like to thank each helping hand for supporting me and motivating me at all times. A special thanks to my parents, my batchmates, my teachers and to K.P Sir and team. Some tips from my side to all the aspirants out there…….
Always keep in mind the reason why you want to go for it, it will keep you motivated.
Be well informed all the times (especially about the profession you want to join).
Be well planned and keep things ready in advance, this will add on to your personality.
I wish each of the reader and defence aspirants all the very best and lots of good luck for your turn.
So dear friends – Take pride in how far you have come, and have faith in how far you can go!!! And at last, be cheerful, always have a smile on your face(This one is a pro tip 😂).
Many aspirants who have cleared the AFCAT 1 2020 online exam are now waiting for the AFSB interviews to start. The AFCAT 1 2020 exam was conducted in Feb 2020 across the country and many Indian Air Force aspirants took part in it. The result of AFCAT 1 2020 was declared in March 2020 and successful candidates were able to select their AFSB interview dates and venue, but later the SSB/AFSB interviews were postponed due to the COVID-19 lockdown situation in the country.
The candidates who have selected their AFSB interview dates and venue are confused whether the interview will be conducted on the same date or they will be given the chance to select a new date and AFSB venue? Many candidates are asking us the same questions and below are some answers that might help them.
Candidates who were not able to select the AFSB interview date and venue will be given chance as soon as the portal opens, as the things are starting in the country slowly, the dates for SSB interview might open in coming months.
Candidates who have already selected their SSB dates for AFCAT 1 2020, there is a high possibility that you will be provided with another date for the same venue or IAF might ask you to select new date and venue. We have to wait for an update.
The good news is, now you can directly reach the officials for any query related to AFSB interview and AFCAT. For AFCAT 01/2020 Help & Support Click here or write to us at:- [email protected] , and contact us on:- 020 – 25503105 / 106, Call Timings: Monday to Friday 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM & 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
SSBCrack will be keeping an eye on all the SSB interview related updates and will update it on our websites and social media platforms. Our advice for all the aspirants is, do not waste more time in waiting for the SSB dates, instead focus on your SSB preparations. You can get the SSB interview study material as linked below.
IAF Airmen Result 2020 for 01/2020, 02/2020, 01/2021 – PSL 02/2020 Published, Check Group X and Y Result (airmenselection.cdac.in)IAF Airmen Result 02/2020: Central Airmen Selection Board (CASB), Indian Air Force (IAF) has released the Provisional Select List (PSL) for the post of Airmen for intake 02/2020 in Group X and Y on its official website. The list contains the result of the candidates who had appeared in the medical tests. The candidates can download IAF Airmen PSL from the official website of IAF airmenselection.cdac.inand from all the Airmen Selection Centres (ASCS). However, IAF PSL Link is also given below. Candidates whose names appear in Provisional Select List (PSL) are NOT (R) NOT guaranteed enrollment.
Earlier, IAF Airmen PSL was scheduled to be released on 30 April 2020. Due to COVID – 19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic, the result was postponed to 31 May 2020.
As per the official website – “Provisional Select List (PSL) for intake 02/2020 which was scheduled to be published on 30 Apr 20 has been deferred due to COVID-19 pandemic. It will now be published on 31 May 2020. For latest updates, please visit https://airmenselection.cdac.in”
IAF Airmen Merit List is prepared after the completion of selection test. The list has been prepared on the basis of candidate’s performance in the selection test and the same is determined by application of cut off marks vis-à-vis number of qualified candidates in phase-ii testing and anticipated vancancy.
IAF Airmen Exam was conducted from 21 September to 24 September 2019. The result for the same was released on 31 October 2020
IAF had invited online applications for recruitment from unmarried male (indian/nepalese) candidates for selection test to join as Airmen in group ‘X’ trades (except education instructor trade) and group ‘Y’ trades {except Indian Air Force (security) and musician trades} for intake 02/2020. The online registration was started on 01 July and ended on 18 July 2020.
The 138th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA) successfully passed out on Saturday at a ceremony conducted in the premier institution”s Habibullah Hall in Pune district in Maharashtra.NDA Commandant Lieutenant General Asit Mistry presided over the function, attended only by cadets and limited number of faculty members in view of the coronavirus outbreak, said a defence release.A total of 335 cadets, comprising 226 from the Army, 44 from the Navy and 65 from the Air Force, graduated from the academy.
These include 20 cadets from friendly countries like Bhutan, Tajikistan, Maldives, Vietnam, Tanzania, Mauritius, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Turkmenistan, Fiji, Uzbekistan, Sudan, Mongolia and Bangladesh, it added. Battalion Cadet Captain Shivam Kumar won President”s Gold Medal for standing first in overall order of merit, while Battalion Cadet Captain Mukesh Kumar won President”s Silver Medal and Battalion Cadet Captain Parth Gupta the President”s Bronze Medal.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA0SLy0gWwS/
The ”Kilo” squadron bagged the prestigious ”Chiefs of Staff Banner” for being the “champion squadron”.While traditionally, parents of passing out cadets are invited and accommodated in the Academy for about three days to witness various facets of the training, the ritual was given a break to this time due to the pandemic.
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is the second out of the four
psychological tests employed by the SSBs in Phase 2 of their testing procedure
to evaluate a candidate’s patterns of thought, attitudes, observational
capacity, and emotional responses to judge his/ her Officer Like Qualities
(OLQs). There are some things therefore, that a defence aspirant must know
about TAT before appearing for the SSB Interview. But even before that it is
important for him/ her to know a little bit more about what TAT is, why it is
conducted, how does it work and how he/ she can successfully qualify the test.
What is TAT?
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is a projective psychological test developed during the 1930s by Henry A. Murray and Christiana D. Morgan at Harvard University. Historically, the test has been among the most widely researched, taught, and used of such techniques. In this test, a series of provocative pictures are used to explore the respondent’s dynamics. It consists of a series of pictures of ambiguous social situations in which the examinee describes the social situation as they see it. Respondents are then asked to describe the scene in the picture, the apparent emotional content and thoughts of the people involved, what led up to the scene, and what the outcome will be, usually in a form of a story.
TAT
was developed on the premise shared by other projective techniques that people
reveal something of their own personality (i.e., their motivational and
emotional condition), as well as their cognitive structure, when ascribing
thoughts and feelings to ambiguously drawn characters in the pictures. It is
meant to evoke an involuntary display of one’s subconscious. It is used in a
psychiatric or psychological context to assess personality disorders, thought
disorders, in forensic examinations to evaluate crime suspects, or to screen
candidates for high-stress occupations like in SSB.
How Does TAT’s Scoring System Works?
Three
common systems of scoring TAT currently used in research are :
Miner Sentence Completion Scale (MSCS)
Developed by
Murray himself, this scale is assessed by the respondent asked to tell a story
about each of pictures that depict one or more individuals in a variety of
ambiguous situations. It is assumed that the content of the individual’s
stories about these cards will reveal unconscious desires, inner tendencies,
attitudes, and conflicts and analyzes the hero (leading character in each
story), the needs of the hero (such as achievement, order, and aggression),
press (the pressures operating on the hero), and themes (the interplay among
needs, press, and resolution of conflict)
Defense Mechanisms Manual (DMM)
This
assesses three defense mechanisms: denial (least mature), projection
(intermediate), and identification (most mature). A person’s thoughts or feelings
are projected in stories involved.
Social Cognition and Object Relations (SCOR)
This
assesses four different dimensions of object relations: Complexity of
Representations of People, Affect-Tone of Relationship Paradigms, Capacity for
Emotional Investment in Relationships and Moral Standards, and Understanding of
Social Causality.
Personal Problem-Solving System—Revised (PPSS)
This
assesses how people identify, think about and resolve problems through the
scoring of thirteen different criteria. This scoring system is useful because
theoretically, good problem-solving ability is an indicator of an individual’s
mental health. The PPSS-R scoring system allows clinicians and researchers to
assess for problem solving ability and social functioning in many types of
people, without being hindered by social desirability effects. It provides
information about four different areas related to problem solving ability:
Story Design, Story Orientation, Story Solutions, and Story Resolution. attempts
to measure the following information:
Story Design measures the
examinee’s ability to identify and formulate a problem situation.
Story Orientation assesses
the examinee’s level of personal control, emotional distress, confidence, and
motivation.
Story Solutions assesses
how impulsive the examinee is. In addition to evaluating the types of problem
solutions that are provided, the number of problem solutions that examinees
provide for each of the TAT pictures is summed.
Story Resolution provides
information on the examinee’s ability to formulate problem solutions that
maximize both short and long-term goals.
Another
extremely popular scoring system for TAT was designed by David McClelland who divided the TAT responses of a subject into seven
dimensions:
(a)
Stated need for achievement (someone in the story expresses a desire to achieve a goal)
(b)
Instrumental activity (whether the outcome of the instrumental activity is
successful, doubtful, or unsuccessful)
(c)
Anticipatory goal status (whether the person in the story anticipates achieving
the goal or being frustrated by it)
(d)
Obstacles or blocks (whether the goal in the story is blocked by an obstacle)
(e)
Nurturant press (whether there are nurturing forces aiding the characters in
goal achievement)
(f)
Affective states (emotions present associated with achieving or being
frustrated by the goal), and
(g)
Achievement themes (when achievement imagery is the focus of the story)
Points to Remember for TAT Story Writing in SSB
TAT is specifically designed to put candidates under pressure
because of the time restraints and extract genuine responses from them.
It helps the psychologist to evaluate a candidate’s OLQs in
him/ her.
It is a test of imagination where 11 slides with different
pictures and 1 last slide containing a blank picture are shown to the
candidates on screen.
The candidates are given 30 seconds to observe the picture,
after which the picture disappears from the screen, and then they are given 30
more seconds to think and 3 to 4 minutes to put their thoughts on the paper in
the form of a story. The candidate has to wait for the next picture to appear
on the screen and he repeats the same routine as with the picture before.
When you see a picture, try to keenly observe as many details
you can find in it as possible and noting them down in your head.
Think first and then write the story. Do not rush into
writing. Do not apply your preconceived ideas in a story.
You must build a story and not merely describe the picture.
Therefore, the story should have a beginning and an end.
Your story should have a good and positive outline. Do not
unnecessarily put negativity in it. However, if you get a negative picture like
that of a dead body or a car accident, do not try to overlook or avoid that
which is so clearly visible. Instead try to give your story a positive ending.
If you don’t find any problem in the picture, there is no
compulsion to include any in your story. But do not forget to include a
positive outcome in it.
Your story should have a motto in it and should be practical,
realistic and mature. For example, if you see a picture showing a woman running
on a racing track, you can write that she is representing her school or
college, but if you say she is representing India in Olympics, it can become a
little impractical.
Your story should not be less than 90 words.
The ideal way to write your story is to give a little
background information due to which the scene has occurred, describe the steps
taken by your hero and the result or the outcome.
Your story must have the following elements in it:
A Hero/ Heroine : He/ She should exhibit
OLQs. However, he/ she should behave like a normal human being and not a
superman or superwoman. He/ She should have a name, what he/ she is currently
doing and from where he/ she belongs. He/ She should have the same sex and age
as you. He/ She should have an occupation or a purpose. Show this by saying X
was going to tuition (which shows X is a student) instead of saying that X was
walking through the road. Remember, do not reward your hero/ heroine at the
end.
Other characters : Make sure your hero/
heroine is not too dominant and does everything on his/ her own. He/ She should
take the help of other people around in the execution of a task, though leading
himself/ herself in it.
Situation in the Story : What it is? How it came
into being or what events led up to it? What will be the outcome or result?
Check the Resources : Some resources are
visible in the picture while there are some which are to be assumed as per the
area of action. It’s important to make use of correct resources in the story.
Figure out a Plan : Don’t describe your plan
in the story. Just implement it. The plan must be according to the people
present, resources available and must go with time.
Theme or Plot of the Story
: The
hero/ heroine along with other characters should attempt to solve the problem
with the resources available at their disposal. The plot should be interesting
and end successfully.
The Solution of the
Problem : You
should solve the problem completely and practically. Remember, a problem cannot
be solved at once. Several minor problems emerge while you solve the primary
problem. It’s important for you to mention about the minor problems as well and
how you tackle them to reach the climax.
It is not compulsory for you to write a theme or a story for
the Blank Slide. But the Blank slide story holds a great significance as it
will reflect more about your personality and lifestyle. Do not write something
random for it, instead portray your own inner qualities (OLQs) perhaps relating
your personal experiences, your failures and how you overcame them and achieved
accomplishments in your life. However, it is good to keep some connection
between what you write for the blank slide and the rest of the stories you
wrote before it. It will also be an added advantage for you if you prepare a
story outline beforehand for the blank slide and then imagine one on the spot
establishing a relation with the other stories you will write before it.
Steps to Improve Your TAT Story Writing
Write at least 2 TAT stories daily, by looking at pictures in
books or just observing things around you while you sit in a park or a café.
Think for half a minute and then try to write a story within 5 minutes.
After writing, read your story again and again to check if your
story contains all the required elements and look for improvements.
Practice a lot on daily basis at least a month or two before
your SSB.
Learn to write fast.
Do some meditation and yoga daily to calm your mind down and
increase mental strength and thinking capacity.
During the SSB, concentrate on one story at a time. Do not
think about how you did in the last story or how will you do in the next one.
Whenever you feel stressed or nervous, breathe deeply. Take a
deep breath, hold for a second and then let out a big sigh. Repeat as many
times as you like.
So I hope going through all these important points to remember and the steps to improve story writing for TAT in SSB, you have got all you need to know about TAT that will help you to prepare in a better and a more efficient way for TAT. Work hard and believe in your dreams. Also, don’t forget to relax and destress yourself.
As a defence aspirant, there should be only 1 question running in your mind at the end of the day – “Was this my best?” Whether it’s you preparing for UPSE or training yourself mentally and physically to crack SSB, give it your best shot because the word “Regret” doesn’t exist within most of the warriors. I am Kezhepat Indu who cracked SSB all the 4 times and made into AIR 2 in my 4th attempt. The love for the Indian Army, the OG uniform and the brass stars started when I was in college. Being an NCC cadet and attending different training camps such as Republic Day Camp and Youth Exchange Program added fire to this love and it became a passion.
After my graduation, I applied for NCC special entry which had only 4 vacancies for women. I come from middle-class family background and more to it there isn’t anyone from the Armed Forces. I was nervous with all these thoughts in my head, but then I remained calm and maintained my stature. Clearing the first stage, that is the screening test, boosted my confidence. The psychology test, interview and GTO went well leading to the proud moment of getting recommended for my 1st SSB at Bangalore. The excitement in me grew stronger as days passed and the merit list was published. I looked for my name and found it in the 8th position. It was disheartening but then soon I realized I can improve and was confident. In the meantime, I moved to Bangalore and started working to be an independent woman and at the same time support my family.
2nd SSB was again at Bangalore, I got recommended, but this time I faced a new challenge during my medical test. I was rejected for axial length elongation of the eyeball. I appealed and went to Command Hospital, Pune for further tests and unfortunately, I got rejected from there too with a minute error. I had no intentions of quitting even when my heart felt heavy. I again appealed for medical review and went to Delhi RR for further test keeping my hopes high. When I reached Delhi, the merit list was published pushing me to 10th rank. I started thinking about what went wrong in my performance. But the funniest part is, a recommended candidate will not know why he/she was recommended and a conference out candidate will not know why he/she got rejected (well, we all assume about the reasons). With confusions, I still decided to work hard especially physically as I was very thin and actually struggled to lift a heavy plank for my GTO task.
The 3rd SSB was at Allahabad which created a tension in me, as I had read in many articles that it is called the rejection centre (that’s not at all true- Please do not get carried away with such statements). I was not really happy with my performance in this SSB compared to the previous ones and almost felt that I will not clear this time. Yet again I cracked it! The next challenge as I mentioned before was clearing the medical test. I was medically rejected due to the same issue. This time I dint have to go to Pune as the merit list came before the reporting date, putting me back to 8th rank and again only with 4 vacancies. It was at this point of time I realized that I had to do something more to cure the eye issue. The doctors who had conducted my medical test told me that there is no cure for the issue I faced. Apart from working on the interview, my effort to clear the medicals increased day by day. I met eye specialists from different medical fields. All of them had the same answer – No Cure! Somebody suggested Ayurveda and I went to their hospital, went through so many procedures and daily eye exercises. My focus was just to clear the medicals, and I did few checkups before appearing for my 4th SSB. Guess what, there was no improvement in my eye issue. This was a slightly tough moment for me to accept the fact that I will not clear the medicals and there is no treatment for it. Some of them discouraged me not to go further, but there was a fire still in me wanting to be satisfied within. As I said in the beginning the word “Regret” doesn’t exist for some. So I decided to make sure my name comes in merit list within top 4 because I wanted to prove myself that I have done my best. In future, I dint want to regret about it, but wanted to remain with a self-satisfaction I did my part because certain things are not under your control.
4th SSB I took it as a do or die situation. I tried to improve each and everything that I felt I can do it better, right from eye contact to talking about different topics in current affairs. I practised so many verbal and non-verbal questions to ensure that I perform better in IQ test. (The competition for NCC Spl Entry Woman is really tight, as you can miss your name in the merit list even for a mark or lesser than that). Daily workouts to ensure I am fit, reading newspapers to understand a brief about the current affairs, performing self mock interviews in front of the mirror and even lecturates. After 3 SSBs, I could guess what kind of questions I will be facing from the SSB board and I was well prepared. With full confidence, I got recommended again from 24 SSB Bangalore. As I knew about my eye issue very clearly, I did not carry great expectations for my medicals. The optimist in me made go further ahead to try for my luck. Once again I travelled to Pune and from there to Delhi wishing I could change the destiny. Neither luck or destiny was by my side, I couldn’t clear my medicals. The merit list was published, I saw my name on the second column. It then struck me, I had what I aimed for, I got the AIR 2.
The realization hit me hard. There are certain battles you win within yourself, this was mine. The satisfaction I carry till this precise moment even when I don’t have the OG uniform or brass stars on my shoulders cannot be expressed by mere words. The hard work I put has made me who I am today and still lead an amazing life. I respect those who deserve what I wished for and never miss an opportunity to motivate my juniors to join the Indian Armed Forces. Jai Hind
The NDA 2020 Passing Out Parade (POP), which is the culmination of the academic training at NDA is scheduled to be held at the end of the May month amid a pandemic. In view of the coronavirus pandemic, the Passing Out Parade at the National Defence Academy (NDA) here will be held in a “scaled-down” manner and parents of the cadets will not attend it, the institute said on Thursday. The parade of graduating cadets, a long-cherished tradition, will take place on May 30.
“As a training institution, NDA has quickly adapted to a new normal and is able to complete the spring term,” it said in a release here. “But there is still a lot of end of term activities which form part of passing out of a cadet from the academy after three years of rigorous training,” it said.
“The passing out will be held on 30 May in a scaled- down manner,” it said. In view of the nationwide lockdown, parents of the cadets will not be able to attend the parade, the premier defence training institute added.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has witnessed unprecedented events unfolding across the world. The presence of over 1,900 cadets at the premier armed forces training establishment National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, has necessitated comprehensive action and strict preventive measures to keep the NDA campus safe from Corona pandemic. The Passing Out Parade (POP), which is the culmination of the academic training, scheduled to be held at the end of the month, had come under a cloud. However, the authorities have clarified that the event will be held.
“The conduct of passing out parade (which will be as per schedule) and calling parents is still being deliberated upon as it depends on lockdown situation, government policies implied at that time.”
The POP is held twice every year in May and November. The parade is organised on the Khetrapal ground and witnessed by family members, friends of the cadets besides serving officers and veterans and other dignitaries. They are given special passes to enter the NDA campus.
According to NDA, keeping in view the vulnerability, precautions were initiated from the beginning of March itself. Activities like central functions, social gatherings and screening of movies etc were stopped. Subsequently, based on the instructions from higher headquarters and advisories of the Govt of India, the conduct of training at NDA has been suitably modified with effect 23 March.
“Quickly adapting to the lockdown and attendant restrictions, the faculty and staff at NDA initiated a vigorous drive to maximise usage of available IT infrastructure for the continuation of the academic curriculum of cadets. The ‘Thin Clients’ with cadets, connected through a ‘campus Area Network’ (CAN), were quickly configured to facilitate online classes, uploading of lecture videos, study material, online assignments and interface in conformity with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) guidelines”, the statement reads. NDA is affiliated to JNU, Delhi.
The officials further said that harnessing the full potential of the available IT resources has enabled NDA to complete the academy syllabus on schedule. The exams for the final term cadets are already in progress. For the ‘Junior Term’ will be conducted during the first half of May 2020.
While ensuring the requisite social distancing norms flexibility, adaptability and innovation have guided a constructive approach that endeavours to keep NDA campus COVID free and yet conduct essential training activities while conforming to the directions and guidelines about the prevailing situation.
The conduct of exams was planned under the direction of Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor, adhering to all guidelines of social distancing as issued on time to time basis.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday inducted Tejas Mk-1 FOC aircraft into the recently resurrected No 18 Sqn, the “Flying Bullets” at Air Force Station Sulur, marking yet another important step towards enhancing the operational capability of the Air Force. The Squadron is the first in the IAF to induct this platform. This is also an important milestone in the country’s indigenous fighter aircraft program and a significant boost to the ‘Make In India’ initiative. Tejas Mk-1 FOC is a single engine, light weight, highly agile, all weather multi role fighter aircraft capable of air-to-air refueling thus making it a truly versatile platform.
The Squadron was operationalised by Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria. Air Officer Commanding in Chief of the Southern Air Command, Air Marshal Amit Tiwari, and the Commodore Commandant of 18 Sqn, Air Marshal TD Joseph, Mr R Madhavan CMD HAL, Dr Girish S Deodhare, PGD (CA) and Director, Aeronautical Development Agency were also present during the ceremony. While addressing the personnel at AF Station Sulur, the CAS congratulated them and lauded the efforts put in by Southern Air Command and AF Station Sulur towards the induction of the new airborne platform. He complimented Chairman HAL, ADA, DRDO labs, DPSUs, MSMEs and all agencies involved in the production of LCA for achievement of this historic milestone.
The occasion was marked by the presentation of aircraft documents of the Tejas FOC version by the HAL CMD to the CAS. The CAS further handed these over to the Commanding Officer of 18 Squadron Group Captain Manish Tolani, along with the ceremonial keys to the unit. The event commenced with a fly past comprising of a helicopter formation of the Mi 17 V5 and the ALH, An-32 transport aircraft and Tejas Mk-1 fighters.
No 18 Sqn was raised at Ambala on 15 Apr 1965 with the Folland Gnat Aircraft. Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, the only Param Vir Chakra recipient of the Indian Air Force was a part of the Squadron during the 1971 Indo-Pak War. The Squadron also has the unique distinction of having operated two HAL made aircraft, the Tejas and the Ajeet which it also operated from the same station. Over the years it also operated MiG-27 ML aircraft from various bases across the country. The Squadron was number plated in Apr 2016. The Squadron falls under the operational control of Southern Air Command which is responsible for integrating the Squadron into the IAF Concept of Operations.
Before the induction ceremony, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria PVSM AVSM VM ADC flew a sortie in the Tejas Mk I fighter with 45 Sqn.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday inducted Tejas Mk-1 FOC aircraft into the recently resurrected No 18 Sqn, the “Flying Bullets” at Air Force Station Sulur, marking yet another important step towards enhancing the operational capability of the Air Force. pic.twitter.com/ZDoeDVWqFG
The Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun will hold the passing out parade of its gentleman cadets for spring term without their family members due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said on Wednesday. Lieutenant Colonel Amit Dagar, IMA’s spokesperson, said the decision was taken “to ensure the health safety of the GCs and the staff” of the academy, one of the premier training institutes of Indian Army officers. “The PoP for the spring term will be held on June 13.
However, this time the family members and the dear ones of the passing out GCs would not be able to attend the event at the academy due to the pandemic. This would likely be for the first time in our academy’s tradition,” Lt Col Dagar said. He said the institute will try that the event is covered as much as possible in real time.
“Because this time the family members would not be attending the event, we would put in maximum efforts to ensure that it is covered extensively in real-time through media so that they could witness their dear ones gloriously passing out as officers of Indian Army,” the spokesperson said. The number of those who will join the parade will be “completely ascertained in a few days along with the decision of whom to invite as the reviewing officer of POP.”
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. Jai Hind to all dear aspirants I am Vishal Kumar Vishwakarma from Varanasi. I recently got recommended in AFCAT entry for flying/adm in my 4th attempt. I come from a defence background currently working in Banglore. Joining defence forces, serving the nation directly has been my all-time dream, a dream which never let me sleep.
I started this journey from 2018 my first attempt C/O, followed by screen out in Army TGC entry, I still remember myself making the note and noting the time and date to keep another unsuccessful attempt in my bones.
I made a promise to myself that I will prove it; I am worthy of that glorious blue, olive green and white colour. My third attempt TGC Bhopal I had come prepared with a lot of knowledge, tips, suggestions, do’s and don’ts.
And I screened-in, my hopes were held high in self, I was called 5 times in my CT Task, I was very much confident of getting recommended this time. But seems like I am still below the set bar. I felt sad; I literally could not even concentrate on my job for a few days. But that’s not the way of life to be lived. I had to restart myself; I was again with all the books and videos preparing myself for the SSB. AFSB Mysore, around 210 candidates reported on day1, around 45 screened in.
Starting from the psych test, in the process of self-learning I strongly believe that one who presents the exact self qualities will have his victory. Followed by IO, be well equipped with your current affairs, know your PIQ and if you want to nail this test keep your arsenal loaded (I was asked currency of Tajikistan, Russia, Myanmar since I have mentioned numismatic and to my surprise, I answered None XD). The most awaited GT, try to dynamic, give ideas, support and head towards the finish. In lecturette, be clear, have calm and confident composition and deliver with passion.
The most awaited conference, there was the silence of excitement and agitation in the air, the officer walks in donned in his blue dress, addresses us announces three numbers, I was second with chest no. 82 (I was so astonished to hear the number that the officer had to call my number twice, lol) and that moment was the result of dedication and hard work. I strongly believe that every one of us, can be the part of this camaraderie, and being an officer is not getting commissioned but it’s being faithful and responsible towards the society and our job.
SSB is not a competition; it’s a platform where you need to perform and showcase those officer like qualities. Dear reader, it’s my humble request, you give your best and rest leave it on them. You need not be a Shakuni or Krishna just be yourself and help others, never think SSB as completion or an examination it’s just a personality portrait of yourself. So paint it well, know your colours and brushes.
A tip for all the aspirants: Your GTO starts the moment you are allotted your beds so, make good rapport in the team. I will like to end the description with thanks to my parents and mentor like friends. “Some goals are so worthy, it’s glorious even to fail” – Capt Manoj Pandey. Don’t be hopeless if you don’t clear today, there is always a tomorrow. Good Luck. JAI HIND!
