In a landmark decision with tremendous reform in higher defence management in the country, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved to create the post of Chief of Defence Staff in the rank of a four-star General with salary and perquisites equivalent to a Service Chief. The Chief of Defence Staff will also head the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), to be created within the Ministry of Defence and function as its Secretary.
The following areas will be dealt by the Department of Military Affairs headed by CDS:
The Armed Forces of the Union, namely, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence comprising Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters, Air Headquarters and Defence Staff Headquarters.
The Territorial Army.
Works relating to the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
Procurement exclusive to the Services except capital acquisitions, as per prevalent rules and procedures.
Apart from the above, the mandate of the Department of Military Affairs will include the following areas:
Promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the Services through joint planning and integration of their requirements.
Facilitation of restructuring of Military Commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands.
Promoting use of indigenous equipment by the Services.
The Chief of Defence Staff, apart from being the head of the Department of Military Affairs, will also be the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He will act as the Principal Military Adviser to Raksha Mantri on all tri-Services matters. The three Chiefs will continue to advise RM on matters exclusively concerning their respective Services. CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three Service Chiefs, so as to be able to provide impartial advice to the political leadership.
As the Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, CDS will perform the following functions:
CDS will administer tri-services organisations. Tri-service agencies/organisations/commands related to Cyber and Space will be under the command of the CDS.
CDS will be member of Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Raksha Mantri and Defence Planning Committee chaired by NSA.
Function as the Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority.
Bring about jointness in operation, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance, etc of the three Services, within three years of the first CDS assuming office.
Ensure optimal utilisation of infrastructure and rationalise it through jointness among the services.
Implement Five-Year Defence Capital Acquisition Plan (DCAP), and Two-Year roll-on Annual Acquisition Plans (AAP), as a follow up of Integrated Capability Development Plan (ICDP).
Assign inter-Services prioritisation to capital acquisition proposals based on the anticipated budget.
Bring about reforms in the functioning of three Services aimed at augmenting combat capabilities of the Armed Forces by reducing wasteful expenditure.
It is expected that this reform in the Higher Defence Management would enable the Armed Forces to implement coordinated defence doctrines and procedures and go a long way in fostering jointmanship among the three Services. The country would be benefitted by coordinated action on greater jointmanship in training, logistics and operations as well as for prioritisation of procurements.
Background
This follows the announcement made by the Prime Minister on 15th August 2019, in his address to the nation, inter alia, “India should not have a fragmented approach. Our entire military power will have to work in unison and move forward. All the three (Services) should move simultaneously at the same pace. There should be good coordination and it should be relevant to the hope and aspirations of our people. It should be in line with the changing war and security environment with the world. After formation of this post (CDS), all the three forces will get effective leadership at the top level.”
Why India Needs Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
India should not have a fragmented approach.
Our entire military power will have to work in unison. All the three (Services) should move simultaneously at the same pace. ·
Changing nature of war and security environment;
Government conscious of National Security challenges. ·
Recognition to military expertise in department’s decision making.
Breaking Silos: Integration, collaboration, convergence and rationalization.
Meritocracy: Right person to do right job.
Context:
Vajpayee- Victory at Kargil- lessons learnt (Kargil Committee/ GoM)- steps towards integration
Vajpayee + – culmination of process started at that time.
Also more integration and further enhancement of role to meet newer challenges. · Not mere creation of a post but institutional reforms to achieve national security aims.
Role and responsibilities of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
Act as the Principal Military Adviser to Raksha Mantri on tri-Services matters. The three Chiefs will continue to advise RM on matters exclusively concerning their respective Services;
CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three Service Chiefs;
CDS will administer tri-services organisations. Their military command, will be with the Chief of the duly notified Service, which has a predominant role in effective functioning of that specific tri-service organization. However, Tri-services agencies/organizations/ commands related to Cyber and Space will be under the command of the CDS.
Provide integrated inputs of the Services to relevant authorities.
CDS will be member of Defence Acquisition Council and Defence Planning Committee.
Bring about jointness in operations, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance, etc. of the three Services within three years of the first CDS assuming office;
Ensure optimal utilization of infrastructure and rationalize it;
Enhance the share of indigenous equipment;
Evaluate plans for ‘Out of Area Contingencies’, as well other contingencies such as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief;
Implement Five-Year Defence Capital Acquisition Plan (DCAP), and Two-Year roll-on Annual Acquisition Plans (AAP), as a follow-up of Integrated Capability Development Plan (ICDP);
Assign inter-Services prioritization to capital acquisition proposals based on the anticipated budget;
Integrate and rationalise international cooperation plans;
Prepare strategy papers on military matters for consideration of the competent authority;
Bring about reforms in the functioning of three Services aimed at augmenting combat capabilities of the Armed Forces. This may, inter-alia; entail rationalization of facilities. Use of indigenous equipment across the whole spectrum. He will identify and end obsolete practices, which may have crept in due to the colonial legacy.
Build trust and confidence in the rank and file.
Prepare for Raksha Mantri an empirical and objective Report on annual achievements in jointness during the year
Sat Shri Akaal guys, I, KPS lubana from the state of Punjab, writing this blog on my experiments with SSB. 1st of all, I appreciate SSBCRACK for giving me this podium & continuously motivating chaps like me striving to join defense forces. Not a day passes without me visiting your website at least once. This journey of recommendations would not have been possible without help from my Teacher Pawan sir, hostel friends & other friends viz. Sunny, Joban, Rajan, Rohit & Honey. One reason I love to go to SSBs is because there I meet gentleman friends & I’m sure without having spent quality time with them for those 5-odd days, every time I go there, there won’t have been any selections. I miss you guys & look forward to see you all in uniform very soon. I trust & love you overwhelmingly. Last but not the least, I thank an anonymous editor for taking out time & rectifying this piece.
Beginning with the story, I’ve given 11 attempts so far, which includes 4 screen outs, as many conference-outs & 3 recommendations. It was a journey of rejections & selections but evolved me as a personality comprehensively, after making me realize my intrinsic abilities lying dormant & my evolution henceforth.
Since the recommendations are multiple in no., So i’ll share the experience in an overall task-wise manner, otherwise sharing every recommendation separately would make it to be a boring self-praising story, which my motive surely is not. I’ll also give examples of my personal experiences at times correspondingly.
The first couple of SSBs were through AFCAT (both Conf.outs), then 2 screen outs (AFCAT & Coast Guard), the next CDSe attempt at Kapurthala (Conf. out) was a real eye opener & propelled me to bag maiden recommendation in next attempt through AFCAT at 4 AFSB, Varanasi. The next good moment (recommendation) came after a arduous gap of 5 months when i got selected for SSC Tech 54 course from 17 SSB Bangalore for my family’s profession & my Love I .e.Indian Army. After a couple of months henceforward, I again got recommended for AFCAT from 1 AFSB, Dehradun.
Jumping straight to today’s duty,
OIR– Friends to be honest, I never prepared fully for this. Having cleared afcat 5 times & CDSE four times, it used to be easy for me. But I advice you to pick any topic in which you are weak and clear doubts comprehensively. E.g. I was weak in “Dices” topic, so I would either get it cleared beforehand or at SSB from other candidates who have reported (remember, they are your gentlemen friends & not competitors). Moreover, nowadays new SSB booklets(2019 re-printed) are being issued at some selection centers, which involve speedy math skills & moderate but not easy non-verbal reasoning. So guys, OIR is not going to be the same cakewalk it used to be. Go there prepared after clearing weak topics & le’mme pin this, it is surely used in your screening evaluation on DAY1, goes to other assessors during phase-II & helps u in final merit list.
Next, PP&DT, making a normal story (how to do so, I’ll cover in TAT part) not just helps you in writing down your thoughts freely & naturally, but also in convincing other group members while discussing story. 10-12 lines on paper are sufficient. The time gap between story writing & discussion needs to be used judiciously. Speak story in mind or whisper it calmly multiple times. This is specifically helpful for candidates like me average/weak in communication skills. Moreover, I almost never practised for PP&DT at home since attempt 1 as I would repeat the story in mind multiple times before narrating it confidently. Coming to Narration part, whatever entry u r appearing for, be brief(45-50 secs) & precise but bold having eye contact with group members. Now being bold doesn’t mean fluent English, it means continuing even if u get stuck. I have even used Hindi in my narrations because the instructions are very clear about Hindi usage (you know them). During discussions, instead of wasting time on deciding mood, characters or gender, which are very ambiguous, directly come to the theme, contribute towards group 2-3 times with your strongest points, listen to all. Now, twice what happened with me was that my story was entirely different from group, so in that scenario, I advise you to go alongside group instead of beating around the bush about your own story & eventually contribute to group story by adding practical modifications to their story. If elected to narrate group story, mention others’ points but don’t narrate it in a hodgepodge manner, you need not include everyone’s points but the overall summary.
TAT– Beginning with good sleep will help in being calm. Now coming to TAT, i
must advise you following 05 things.
1. Observe the picture very very carefully for full 30 secs & note down individuals’ clothing, body gestures, background, paintings on wall etc. just to mention a few.
2. Whether the story is “positive” or “negative”, following step 1 will help you in that. E.g. if it is very much clear that blood is coming out of someone’s body part OR a vehicle is clearly seen crushing someone, then obviously u have to write accordingly. But if there just the person lying on ground OR someone holding a weapon, that doesn’t mean the story is in a negative sense. So, basically in a nutshell, the careful observation of the picture itself will guide you how to portray the story.
3. Another question, Whether to practice TAT or Not?……Friends, Initially, I used to practice a lot, time them etc. but during TAT at one of AFSBs in Evening, I went there after sleeping for a couple of hours. Guess what happened???….. I forgot whatever i just practised or learnt, & i was writing stories as if this is my maiden attempt, I had no control over my senses & was writing whatever picture came in front in a very blunt manner. After that, I felt exasperated that i’ve wasted another attempt at SSB by sleeping before TAT, but the result was otherwise. Thereafter, i followed the same concept of no practice & results were overwhelming. Another thing, why my psych performance improved was becoz instead of putting that an hour or so in practice, I would either do Running or talk to friends over a cup of tea, or start reading a book. So basically my point is that Psych test ( esp. TAT) is all about how challenging your daily schedule is, whether u really do put in efforts towards doing things u mentioned in PIQ/ TAT stories & how carefully u gauge the situation posed.
4. Blank story- People generally tend to practice it in advance & I used to do so, but believe my word friends, I don’t know what happened to me, in each of the 3 recommendations, I wrote a story which I never imagined. You remember 30 secs we get even for blank story, I would stare at white screen for those 30 secs when everyone would jump to pen down whatever they had prepared in advance. I would develop a broad story in mind, write it down as fast as I can thereafter.
5. Bad handwriting- My Achilles heel. I’ve suffered from it in form of low grades & bashing from respected teachers from times immemorial. But le’mme clarify that until & unless, it is at least legible, it’s OK. You need not worry. Psych is more interested in your sub-conscious mind & not in calligraphy.
About WAT, i would advise you to be precise. Initially, i didn’t get sentences to write on paper in test, but then i started adding my hobbies, games i played, friends, teachers, family and my general thoughts. In short, i responded to WAT words in way as if i am writing all about myself. I aligned Negative words with positive thoughts to make a meaningful sentence.
SRT– Another of my weaknesses, till now my highest mark throughout 11 attempts is 45 SRTs, which i achieved during my SSC Tech recommendation. It was 35 & 38 and Half(funny, ehh?) during Varansai & Dehradun recommendations respectively. So, the point must be clear, numbers matter less, content more. My Personal habit is that until & unless i’m fully satisfied with SRT solution, i don’t approach further and that precisely stems my speed. But don’t just follow the above line & be natural at your own speed & thinking. Coming to advice part, solution lies in problem posed itself. It gives enough hints to you write solution accordingly. Just like TAT, read it carefully, then give answer to only whatever is required & not less, not more.
SDT– I would go there after remembering 3-4 points in each column in advance, but tragedy would happen in actual test, when due to low cramming, i would forget whatever i remembered, and then jus’ like TAT, my response becomes natural in the sense that whatever my family, friends etc, think of me, i just vomit it out. But i advice you to improve your daily routine, practice productive hobbies etc. Subsequently, your SDT will improve. Everything comes at a price and getting good feedback from others involves hard work & overhauling your persona.
INTERVIEW & PIQ– Completely know about yourself & i
seriously mean, completely. E.g. After Kapurthala conf. out, i was sad that
under pressure, i was not able to answer even those questions which i knew or
at least i partially understood. So, i made a list of about 80-100
questions(no. will vary according to your persona) about my persona. The above
list also included some questions about respective armed forces for which i was
supposed to be interviewed. This list almost helped me single handedly in
entering that Interviewing Officer’s room confidently and eventually, what SSB
folks call it, Cracking the interview. I also asked 5-7 of my close friends,
brothers, sister & parents to mention 3 of my weaknesses & strengths.
Other things i advise are that in that room, listen to officer very
attentively. At times, he/she will be deliberately slow as to gauge how
attentive you are. Through your talk, it should be explicit that you are
welcome to talk to him for the next almost an hour. Many candidates (including
me) face problems in remembering & then answering questions in the sequence
that is posed to us, jus’ wanna say that be attentive & calm, you will
definitely remember most of the questions, personal experience speaking there.
Another human aspect i utilized was to keep a smiling face, personally speaking
it helps in tackling even the trickiest of the situations.
The PIQ form friends actually
should portray that your schedule is optimal & challenging, you should have
participated in some games/activities even if that means on a smaller stage.
Not everyone needs to be a national/state player to get selected.
Hobbies/Interests’ section needs to be given attention. Certain hobbies like
listening music, watching movies & web-series(sorry, prime & ‘Flix
fans) etc. which people write, needs to be replaced with something productive,
optimal and suitable to young life. Now, that doesn’t mean you become a bluff
master by penning down things like reading literature, giving tuitions, running
marathons, hiking etc when u know that it’s totally fake. Mind it, i have tried
all that during initial attempts & was sent back home packing on day5.
Another aspect that IO is interested is your alternate career option i.e. Plan
B. Practically speaking, SSB involves zero preparation (just think over it for
a minute) apart from improving yourself, so after education,you should either
be doing a job, taking tuitions, preparing for competitive exams (with good
results to show) OR any other activity that is making you self-reliant in life.
It secures you from incredibility of SSB procedure & medical/merit-outs
& that is precisely what IO is looking for. Whatever u think, but i keep
dressing sense in high regard. A tie in summers and a blazer, in addition, in
winters(even on screening, DAY1) is like icing on the cake.
GTO TASKs– The advice that we keep getting but never
follow that GTO tasks are about co-operation & not competition holds true.
Hardcore repeaters must imbibe this.In the very first task GD, giving 3-4
points is adequate but don’t forget to listen to others thereafter and add to
their points if group gets stuck somewhere so that discussion can be carried
forward. In GPE, troika of careful listening, observing & visualizing will
help. You have to take care of special things like priority of problems,
resources required etc. Practical assumptions play a key role in moving
forward. Like PP&DT, there is a high probability that group gets stuck on
trivial things like means of transport, boat/ferry usage, no. of persons to go
for a task, then it becomes your responsibility to take group forward. For PGT,
HGT & FGT, instead of shouting at others or forcefully getting your ideas
executed, you just give 2-3 practical ideas & if even one of them gets
executed (yess, i’m serious), then it’s your ‘Balle-Balle’, Chill maaro. For
GOR, just remember couple of things- Josh and Help for others. The 3-liner
Chetwode Credo, if you remember, holds perfectly suitable in this task. For
lecturette, i advise you to choose a topic which you can handle mentally.
Dividing topic either into ‘past, present & future’ OR in ‘Intro, mid-part
& conclusion’ helps a lot. Another clause that we rarely make use is of
using Hindi if one gets stuck. I’ve used it considerably in lecturette whenever
i got stuck. Having eye-contact puts up a good show.For Command Task, i would
suggest that analyse the structure carefully, and forget whatever u jus’
learned from Coaching, Youtube videos or any repeater friend’s ideas. SSB
recommends normal candidates who can use brain on the spot according to nature
of problem by giving simple solutions & rejects those who copy/paste ideas
irrelevant to problem in front even if they are highly talented & use for
e.g. all the helping material to advance
even when only simple plank/balli is required. The pep-talk GTO does with you
before CT gives insight to him about you, answer him calmly. A mis-conception
among candidates is that if GTO is willing to recommend you, he’ll give you a
tough task like Bomb disposal etc. It’s not mandatory. In my all 3 selections,
i was offered tasks which were moderate (but not easy) & none was bomb
disposal related. Be happy if GTO breaks some structure or changes its colour,
Congo!!! he is interested in you. For Individual obstacles, just listen to GTO
attentively during each obstacle’s briefing, he actually is giving u hints
since he is also concerned about your physical safety. Also, Josh should be
there while doing obstacles(but don’t try to put up a show, it’ll be counter
productive). Points don’t matter, but GTO through your 3 mins run-around, will
automatically come to know whether you in actual do anything to keep yourself
physically fit or if u just bluffed in your PIQ. Another thing, if you have
touched red color during process or broke any other rule, make sure you don’t
try to be smart by moving forward & repeat the task. GTO knows everything.
Under his/her RayBan, lie the best camera lens on this pLaneT. Overall, GTO
will be easy if you go there on ground with an open, welcoming mind ready to
co-operate with others. Also, one or two bad tasks out of total 9 GTO tasks
doesn’t mean you are out or you may get less marks in that task.Remember SSB is
a comprehensive evaluation, let assessors take care of assessment, u just give
100% in every task & then forget about that task.
Friends,
i’m near end of this blog, but before that, a few suggestions on overall
process of SSB and then some pep-talk:
1. Go to SSB open-minded thinking that upto
whatever level u may have prepared, u can even get screened out or as far as
that u may get recommended also.
2. Instructions are everything. For your
Girlfriend/ boyfriend’s sake, Listen to them intuitively before every task.
3. Improve your daily schedule, make it more
challenging, break barriers put up by mind. Your performance in those 5 days
will improve subsequently.
4. My dear repeaters, i have great
affection for you people, for i also being from your category, but i advise
against you people going to SSBs week after week or a fortnight later, take
some time, improve your persona, comeback again with an open mind, because i
know just like me, you guys are never gonna’ sit silent until & unless u
get that “+” sign. My sincere wishes for repeaters. Just one more
point here, during my preparation, i came forward how Pakistan SSBs work. I
came to know that there must be at least 04 months grace period between 2 SSBs
that you are going to appear. I don’t wish to promote such embargo in India,
but real change only comes after a while, not at once. So take your time. We
can learn something from our arch-rival.
5. SSB, as stated earlier, is a comprehensive evaluation. So after 1 task is over, whatever its result you’ve perceived, just forget it & move forward freely. You may have erred at judging it. Personal experience there esp. in case of TAT, & psych test in general.
6. To all those candidates, who get merit/medical
out(esp. girls), i won’t offer you fake sympathy but jus’ wanna’ tell
you one thing that you people are already cream, having made all people around
you proud. You have already achieved what 95% of us crave for. Use this
achievement of having been recommended mentally to further upscale the newer
heights in life. Best wishes.
7. I have had varied experiences of candidates
getting screened out after recommendations. I even have got screened out as
well as conf. out after getting recommended, but that in fact helped me know
more about SSB & without these, i would not have been able to write this
blog as detailed as i have written now. For all such people out there, i
request don’t feel dejected or ashamed, it’s part of the process. Wear these failures
as badge of honor. I’m proud of them.
Finally,
Napoleon Bonaparte, the French General, once said
,” A soldier will fight long & hard for a bit of colored ribbon”.
kps Lubana says,” A SSB aspirant will fight
long and hard for a bit of colored “+” sign”.
Warm wishes,
My only motive to write this piece was to clear certain myths & misconceptions found among aspirants that i have come across while my preparation.
Indian army has published the territorial army notification for the ex-armed, interested officers can apply till 31st Jan 2019. This notification is only for the ex-officers and not for the civilians.
Applications are invited from gainfully employed Ex Armed Forces Commissioned Officers for an opportunity of donning the uniform and serving the Nation as Territorial Army Officers (Non Departmental), based on the concept of enabling motivated Ex Service Officers to serve in a military environment without having to sacrifice their primary professions. You can serve the Nation in two capacities – as a civilian and as a soldier. No other option allows you such an expanse of experiences.
Eligibility
Only Ex Service Officer can apply.
Nationality: Only citizen of India (male and female).
Age Limits: 18 to 42 years on the date of application.
Educational Qualifications : Graduate from recognized university.
Physical Standards: A candidate must be physically and medically fit in all respects.
Employment: Gainfully Employed.
Note: Serving member of the Regular Army/ Navy/ Air Force/ Police/ GREF/ Para Military and like forces are not eligible.
DATE OF INTERVIEW: APRIL 2020 (Firm dates will be communicated later by post).
LAST DATE OF RECEIPT OF APPLICATION: Application form completed in all respects will be accepted till 31 JANUARY 2020 at Additional Directorate General Territorial Army, Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence, ‘L’ Block, Church Road, New Delhi – 110 001.
The date of holding the Interview as mentioned above is liable to be changed at the discretion of the competent authority. 5. Ex Service Officers to ensure their eligibility for the examination : The Ex Service Officers applying for the ASB Interview should ensure that they fulfill all eligibility conditions for admission to the Interview. Their admission at all the stages of the Interview will be purely provisional subject to satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions. Mere issue of Admission certificate to the Ex Service Officers will not imply that their candidature has been finally cleared by the competent authority.
Type of Exam: Only Interview.
HOW TO APPLY: All desirous Ex Service Officers (Commissioned Officers only) of three services can download Application Form (IAF (TA)-9 (Revised) Part – 1) from www.jointerritorialarmy.gov.in (FREE OF COST) and send applications alongwith Photocopy of Release Order and Photocopy of Release Medical Board Proceedings to Additional Directorate General Territorial Army, Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence, ‘L’ Block, Church Road, New Delhi – 110 001.
SELECTION PROCEDURE:
The Ex-Service Officers will be screened by the Army Headquarters Selection Board (ASB) held at Additional Directorate General Territorial Army, Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence, ‘L’ Block, Church Road, New Delhi – 110 001.
Recommended Ex-Service Officers will undergo Medical Examination at Armed Forces Clinic, New Delhi followed by their Police Verification for final selection. (c) Vacancies for male and female candidates will be determined as per organizational requirement.
EMBODIMENT FOR TRAINING:
One month Basic Training in the first year of commission.
Two months Annual Training Camp every year including the first year.
ARMY HEADQUARTERS SELECTION BOARD (ASB) – 2020 (DATE OF INTERVIEW: APRIL 2020) (LAST DATE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATION: 31 JANUARY 2020) (Territorial Army Official Website : www.jointerritorialarmy.gov.in)
LAST DATE: Form completed in all respects will be accepted till 31 JANUARY 2020 at Additional Directorate General Territorial Army, Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence, ‘L’ Block, Church Road, New Delhi – 110 001. For more details about Territorial Army visit us at www.jointerritorialarmy.gov.in and download APPLICATION FORM (FREE OF COST). This is the only authentic website of Territorial Army.
After the ‘Pipping Ceremony’ the Reviewing Officer gave away awards to the Flying Officers who excelled in various disciplines of training. Flying Officer Arunabha Chakraborty from the Flying Branch was awarded the ‘Sword of Honour’ and President’s Plaque for standing First in Overall Merit in the Pilots’ Course. Flying Officer Aayush Pandey and Flying Officer Purnendu Kumar Singh were awarded President’s Plaque for being first in Overall Merit in Navigation and Ground Duty branches respectively. The recipient of President’s Plaque and Sword of Honour, who was the cynosure of all eyes on Saturday, didn’t leave his mother’s side even for a minute. As soon as he marched off from the parade ground at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Flying Officer Arunabha Chakraborty (21) emotionally hugged his mother, Alaka Chakraborty, a homemaker in Agartala, the capital city of Tripura. Her eyes welled up after seeing her son’s shoulders decorated with the air force ‘stripes’. As a child, Flying Officer Chakraborty was fascinated by aeroplanes and always dreamt of touching the skies. “Flying was my fascination since childhood and my parents encouraged my passion,” the 21-year-old fighter pilot said.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6Vc7CXg5ej/
After primary education in Agartala, Chakraborty bagged a seat at the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun, and later passed from the National Defence Academy, Pune. “Now, I have 130 hours of flying experience,” he said with a wide smile. Even when Chief of the Air Staff Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria congratulated him on the sidelines of the event, the newly-inducted officer stayed close to his mother and even introduced her to the IAF chief. Asked if the Rafale entices him, the youngster said he likes to fly Jaguar and Sukhoi fighter jets. Flying Officer Arti Tomar, the only woman fighter pilot in the batch, said her senior in engineering college, Avani Chaturvedi, one of the three first women fighter pilots of the force, inspired her to join the IAF.
Her close pal, Har Raj Kaur Boparai, a transport pilot from Patiala in Punjab, revealed that she never liked her desk job at Deloitte and always wanted to serve the nation as armed force officer. “I look forward to serving the nation with pride — a rookie turned into an air warrior, a metaphorical transformation by itself,” she said.
The Indian Army on Saturday clarified that it has proposed the shifting of the training of its Technical Entry Scheme (TES) course from Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Gaya to the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun. “Indian Army has proposed Technical Entry Scheme (TES) training at OTA Gaya to be shifted to IMA Dehradun. This is aimed at optimising the training infrastructure at IMA. Talks and rumours of the closure of TES entry are wrong. TES will continue,” tweeted Indian Army. “Contrary to some media reports that OTA, Gaya is closing the fact remains that only Technical Entry Scheme (TES) training may be shifted to Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun once the proposal is accepted by the Defence Ministry,” stated Army officials.
This means that the scheme, which allows selected 10+2 students from the science stream to pursue career opportunities in the technical branches in the Army, shall continue without any disruption, they added. “Army has proposed shifting of TES training to IMA Dehradun and there are good reasons for it,” said a senior Army officer. According to Army, training infrastructure of IMA, OTA Chennai and OTA Gaya both remain underutilized due to shortage in the number of cadets.
“IMA, Dehradun has the capacity of 1600 cadets every year but trains just 1350 and OTA Chennai has the capacity of 800 cadets per year but has 350 cadets per year. OTA Gaya capacity stands at 700 cadets and this remains under-utilised,” argued the Officials.
“The idea is to optimize the training infrastructure and train at full strength’ said a senior Army officer. Meanwhile, in another proposal which is under active consideration, Indian Army is planning to streamline the induction of officers by limiting the entry to just four streams i.e. through the National Defence Academy (NDA), through the Army Cadet College (ACC), Technical Entry Scheme (TES) and the Short Service (SS) scheme. Currently, there are seven schemes with varying training terms and entry requirements running concurrently, resulting in administrative issues.
‘In the emerging technology-intensive environment, Technical Entry Scheme is essential and has due primacy. Technical Entry Scheme will remain our focus for better absorption of technology in the Army. The TES entry shall always be there. Talk of the TES entry closure is wrong’, said the senior Army officer.
It has been further clarified that the space vacated by the cadets at OTA Gaya will be occupied by the Sikh Light Infantry Regimental Centre which is currently co-located with the Rajput Regimental Centre at Fatehgarh, UP
Srinivasa Ramanujan, born on 22 December 1887, was an Indian mathematician who made substantial contributions to Mathematical Analysis, Number Theory, Infinite Series and Continued Fractions, including solutions to mathematical problems then considered unsolvable, despite of being provided with almost no formal theory in Mathematics. During his short life, 22 December 1887 – 26 April 1920, Ramanujan independently compiled nearly 3,900 results. Nearly all his claims have now been proven correct. The Indian government declared 22 December to be National Mathematics Day.
On his birthday,
let’s remember a few of his contributions which will surely help the defense
aspirants who are appearing with Mathematics.
In this article
we’ll be discussing about 3 such theories of Ramanujan, whose proof will help
you as a direct statement:
The
Ramanujan Summation
Roger-Ramanujan
Continued Fraction
Ramanujan’s
Number ‘1729’
Why was he
called as “The Man Who Knew Infinity”?
This phrase actually means that Ramanujan was
such a natural genius that his contributions to mathematics could reach infinity if
he would have lived forever.
Although there
can be another reason to call him so. He has given ‘The Ramanujan
Summation’ which states that if you add
all the natural numbers, that is 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on, all the way to
infinity, you will find that it is equal to -1/12.
Let’s look on the proof of this very important result:
And since we have a value for B=1/4, we simply put that
value in and we get our result:
1/4 = -3C
1/-12 = C or C = -1/12
Hence proved!
Roger-Ramanujan
Continued Fraction:
The Rogers–Ramanujan
continued fraction is a continued fraction discovered by Rogers and independently by
Srinivasa Ramanujan, and closely related to the Rogers- Ramanujan Identities.
Continued
fraction:
A fraction which
contains an addition or subtraction-based fraction either in numerator or in
denominator or in both is termed as continued fraction.
A finite continued fraction is represented as follows:
Ramanujan’s
Number ‘1729’:
1729 is
known as Hardy-Ramanujan number.
Hardy related his and Ramanujan’s conversation
as:
“I remember once going to see him when he was
ill at Putney. I had ridden in taxicab number ‘1729’ and remarked that the
number seemed to me rather a dull one, and that I hoped it was not an
unfavorable omen. “No,” he replied, “it is a very interesting
number; it is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two
different ways.”
The two different ways are:
1729 = 13 + 123 = 93 + 103
So, isn’t his
observation outstanding!
So, I hope all these will be remembered by you as results. It’ll be helpful for you in some or the other way, that’s for sure! Find my lectures on SSBCrackExams, where you’ll find real-time applications of all of the above in the form of questions that can be asked in your examination.
A Combined Graduation Parade was held at Air Force Academy, Dundigal today, the 21st December 2019, which marked the successful culmination of training for 127 Flight Cadets of Flying and Ground duty branches of the IAF. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC was the Reviewing Officer of the Combined Graduation Parade, where he conferred the ‘President’s Commission’ on the graduating Flight Cadets who successfully completed their professional training. Twenty one women officers joined the growing number of women in the IAF. On this day the President’s Commission is formally conferred on these young and tough air warriors after a long period of rigorous training. The graduation ceremony was undertaken through a smart parade and administration of Oath. The parade commenced with the flag bearing skydivers of the famous Akash Ganga team, spreading the tricolor over the blue skies of Dundigal. The Air Warrior Drill Team once again put up a sharp synchronized performance, delighting the spectators with their handling of weapons. The event was witnessed by the proud family members and friends of passing-out cadets. Several senior serving and retired officers from the three services were present.
The Reviewing Officer was received by Air Marshal AS Butola, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command and Air Marshal J Chalapati, Commandant Air Force Academy. The Reviewing Officer was presented with a ceremonial Salute by the Parade followed by an impressive March Past. The highlight of the Parade was the ‘Pipping Ceremony’, where the Flight Cadets were awarded their ‘Stripes’ (Air Force rank) by the Chief Guest. They were then administered the ‘Oath’ by the Commandant of the Academy in the presence of the Reviewing Officer and other dignitaries.
After the ‘Pipping Ceremony’ the Reviewing Officer gave away awards to the Flying Officers who excelled in various disciplines of training.Flying Officer ArunabhaChakrabortyfrom the Flying Branch was awarded the ‘Sword of Honour’ and President’s Plaque for standing First in Overall Merit in the Pilots’ Course. Flying Officer Aayush Pandey and Flying Officer Purnendu Kumar Singh were awarded President’s Plaque for being first in Overall Merit in Navigation and Ground Duty branches respectively.
Later, addressing the Parade, the Reviewing Officer complimented the newly Commissioned ‘Flying Officers’ fortheir immaculate turn out, precise drill movementsand high standards of parade.Congratulating the passing-out cadets, the Chief of the Air Staff said, “It is a matter of great pride for me to witness this momentous occasion of the Combined Graduation Parade of the Indian Air Force”. He emphasized in his address the importance of core values of the Indian Air Force namely, Mission, Integrity and Excellence and exhorted the newly commissioned officers to uphold these values in professional as well as personal lives. On this occasion, he also conveyed his congratulations to all the proud parents who supported their wards and encouraged them to pursue their dreams.
Aerobatic displays by the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team(SKAT) and Sarang, the Helicopter Display Team held the audience spellbound with their gaze fixed upwards watching a painting being created right in front of their eyes. An impressive flying display by the Pilatus PC-7 trainer aircraft added to the ceremonial setting of the occasion.
The grand ceremony culminated with the newly Commissioned Officers marching-out in two columns in slow march to the traditional notes of ‘Auld Lang Syne’(the poignant farewell tune played by Armed Forces of the world when bidding adieu to colleagues and comrades), acknowledging the first salute given to them by their immediate juniors. They marched in step past the reviewing officer with synchronous strides. The newly commissioned officers passed through the portals from where the best Pilots and Ground Duty Officers of IAF have begun their journey to take-on the future assignments and challenges. An unflinching determination was visible in the eyes of the young officers to surmount the challenges and to ‘Touch the Sky with Glory’.
If you an Indian defence aspirant and want to join the Indian army as an officer in 2020, here are the upcoming officer’s entries that you can look for. The Indian Army finds potential officer through the entries like NDA, CDS, TGC, SSC, NCC, TES, ACC and more. In this article, you can find the details on these Indian army entries and exams and how one can preparing these defence exams.
Armed Forces epitomize the ideals of service, sacrifice, patriotism and composite culture of the country. Recruitment to the Armed Forces is voluntary and open to all citizens of India irrespective of caste, class, religion and community provided the laid down physical, medical and educational criteria are met.
1. National Defence Academy Exam
The NDA exam is conducted by UPSC for the aspirants who are in 10+2 and want to join the Army, Navy and Airforce after 12th.
NDA 1 2020 Exam: NDA 1 2020 exam will be conducted by the UPSC on 19th April 2020. Candidates can apply for this exam from 08 Jan 2020. To read more about NDA 1 2020, visit this link
NDA 2 2020 Exam: NDA 2 2020 exam will be conducted by the UPSC on 06th Sep 2020. Candidates can apply for this exam from 10 June 2020. To read more about NDA 2 2020, visit this link
Prepare For NDA Exam Online with SSBCrackExams
Every year about 10 lakh candidates appear for the NDA exam, out of which only 16 to 20 thousand qualify the written test. As it is conducted by Union Public Service Commission, the questions that come for the exam are usually of a higher & advanced level, making it quite a challenging exam to crack. This course constructed by SSBCrackExams is, therefore, designed according to the standard of knowledge & expertise expected from the qualifying candidate. With 2000+ video lectures & 6000+ practice sets, this course aims to deliver to the students strong content & detailed explanation on complex subjects from Maths, English, General Studies, General Sciences & Current Affairs. This all-inclusive course, therefore, prepares a student with all the necessary requirements for acing higher scores in the written test & pursue their dreams. Enroll for NDA 2020 Exam Online Coaching
The CDS Exam is conducted by UPSC for the aspirants who are in the final year of graduation or passed out of college. Through CDS exam, one can join, IMA, AFA, INA and OTA. Women can only join OTA Chennai through CDS Exam.
CDS 1 2020 Exam: CDS 1 2020 exam will be conducted by the UPSC on 02nd Feb 2020. Candidates can apply for this exam from 30 Oct 2019. To read more about CDS 1 2020, visit this link
CDS 2 2020 Exam: CDS 2 2020 exam will be conducted by the UPSC on 08th Nov 2020. Candidates can apply for this exam from 05 Aug 2020. To read more about CDS 2 2020, visit this link
Prepare For CDS Exam Online with SSBCrackExams
Every year about 10 lakh candidates appear for the CDS exam, out of which only 16 to 20 thousand qualify the written test. As it is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, the questions that come for the exam are usually of a higher & advanced level, making it quite a challenging exam to crack. This course constructed by SSBCrackExams is, therefore, designed according to the standard of knowledge & expertise expected from the qualifying candidate. With 1000+ video lectures & 8000+ practice sets, this course aims to deliver to the students strong content & detailed explanation on complex subjects from Maths, English, General Studies, General Sciences & Current Affairs. This all-inclusive course, therefore, prepares a student with all the necessary requirements for acing higher scores in the written test & pursue their dreams. Enroll for CDS 2020 Exam Online Coaching
The Territorial Army is part of Regular Army and its present role is to relieve the Regular Army from static duties and assist civil administration in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services in situations where life of the communities is affected or the Security of the Country is threatened and to provide units for Regulars Army as and when required.
Prepare For Territorial Army Exam Online with SSBCrackExams
We are the only portal that provides the online course to crack the TA exam since long we are serving the Territorial Army aspirants in their preparation needs through various content. Every year about 1 lakh candidates appear for the Territorial Army exam, out of which only 2 to 5 thousand qualify the written test. As it is conducted by the Indian Army, the questions that come for the exam are usually of a higher & advanced level, making it quite a challenging exam to crack. This course constructed by SSBCrackExams is, therefore, designed according to the standard of knowledge & expertise expected from the qualifying candidate. With 1000+ video lectures & 4000+ practice sets, this course aims to deliver to the students strong content & detailed explanation on complex subjects from Maths, English, Reasoning, General Studies & Sciences. This all-inclusive course, therefore, prepares a student with all the necessary requirements for acing higher scores in the written test & pursue their dreams. Enroll for CDS 2020 Exam Online Coaching
Candidates who have qualified 10+2 CBSE/ICSE/State Board Examination with minimum aggregate of 70% marks in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics are eligible to apply for commission under the 10+2(TES). On being successful in the SSB and being declared fit by the medical board, they undergo one year basic military training at the Training Academy and thereafter undergo three years engineering degree course in respective streams before getting Permanent Commission. On being commissioned, they are further put through one year of post commissioning training for the Arm/Service into which they are commissioned. Upcoming TES Notification:
Engineering graduates from the notified discipline of engineering, postgraduates with minimum second division aggregate marks in notified discipline for Army Education Corps and MSc in Agriculture/Dairy for Military Farm are eligible to apply for Permanent Commission through this entry. After the SSB and the Medical Board, the selected candidates are required to undergo one-year pre-commissioned training at the IMA, Dehradun, before being commissioned. Engineering Graduates through this entry are also entitled to one-year antedate seniority on commissioning. The candidates are directly shorlisted for SSB interview based on their percentage. Upcoming TGC notifications:
The Short Service Commission (Technical) Entry Scheme provides avenue for recruitment to eligible technical graduates/post graduates into Technical Arms. After SSB and Medical Board, the selected candidates are required to undergo approximately 140 49 weeks pre-commission training at OTA, Chennai. On completion of training, they are inducted as Short Service Commissioned Officers. Cadets through this entry are also entitled to one year’s ante-date seniority on commissioning. Terms and conditions of other short service commission officers are applicable. The candidates are directly shortlisted for SSB interview based on their percentage. SSC Tech upcoming notification:
University graduates possessing NCC ‘C’ Certificate with minimum ‘B’ grade and 50% aggregate marks in graduation examination are eligible to apply for Short Service Commission through this entry. Those studying in third year are allowed to apply provided they have secured minimum 50% aggregate marks in first two years. Such candidates will need to secure overall aggregate of minimum 50 % marks if selected in interview failing which his candidature will be cancelled. Candidates must possess graduation degree at the time of joining OTA or those candidates studying in third year should be able to produce the degree within 12 weeks from date of commencement of training at OTA. Such cadets are exempted from written examination conducted by the UPSC and are directly put through the SSB interview followed by a medical board. Candidates meeting the qualitative requirements have to apply through NCC Group Headquarters at the State level. After Screening by respective Group Headquarters, Directorate General of NCC forwards the applications of eligible cadets to the Recruiting Directorate of Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army). Upcoming NCC Special Entry Scheme notifications:
Law graduates with minimum 55% aggregate marks in LLB and between 21 to 27 years of age can apply for Judge Advocate General Branch. Eligible candidates are called for direct SSB interview and medical test, thereafter. It is a Short Service Commission Entry wherein suitable candidates can opt for Permanent Commission.
Eligible women candidates are recruited in the Army as Short Service Commission Officers. Commission is granted in Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineers, Corps of Engineers, Signals, Army Educational Corps, Military Intelligence Corps, Judge Advocate General’s Branch, Army Supply Corps, Army Ordnance Corps and Army Air Defence. Women are offered Short Service Commission in three streams viz. Non-Technical Graduate, Technical and Post Graduate/ Specialist for a period of ten years, extendable by additional four years purely on voluntary basis. Recently, Government of India had granted option for permanent commission for 141 officers in Army Education Corps and Judge Advocate General Branch after completion of 10 years of service. The duration of training is 49 weeks at Officers Training Academy, Chennai. For Short Service Commission Women (Technical) Entry, passed or final year/ semester students of B.E/ B.Tech in notified streams are eligible to apply. Eligible candidates appear for direct SSB interview and Medical Test, thereafter. The applicants for Non-Technical Graduate, however, would be required to apply through UPSC and after written examination would come up for SSB interview as is being done for Short Service Commissioned male officers. A total of 20% allotted seats from NonTechnical stream have been reserved for NCC ‘C’ certificate holder women candidates with minimum ‘B’ grade and 50% aggregate marks in graduation examination. The applications will be routed through NCC Directorate, Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army), as applicable for male officers. For Judge Advocate General Branch, applications are invited from Law Graduates with minimum 55%, for direct SSB interviews. Widows of Defence Personnel who meet the laid down eligibility criteria are granted four years age relaxation and 5% seats of each course (2.5 each in Tech and Non-Tech) are reserved for them. Short Service Commission Women (Tech), NCC entry and Judge Advocate General Branch are exempted from written examinations and would need to apply directly to Additional Directorate General of Recruiting, Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army). The notification would be published along with SSCW (Tech) twice a year.
10. Army Cadet College (ACC) Entry
The eligible Other Ranks (OR) in age group of 20-27 years and minimum two years of service, having 10+2 pass qualification can apply for Regular Commission. After qualifying in written examination conducted by the Military Training Directorate, the aspirants are screened by SSB and the Medical Board. Successful candidates are trained at Army Cadet College Wing, Dehradun, for three years at the end of which they get a graduation degree. This is followed by one year precommission training at IMA, Dehradun.
11. Special Commissioned Officers (SCO) Scheme
Under this entry JCOs/NCOs/OR in the age group 142 of 28-35 years, with a Senior School Certificate Pass (Class 10+2 pattern) qualification, are eligible for Permanent commission after screening by SSB and Medical Board. They have to undergo pre-commission training of one year at OTA Gaya. The rules for substantive promotion and acting promotion are the same as for regular officers. These officers are employed in units as sub unit commander/ Quarter Master and on various Extra Regimental Employment appointments up to the rank of Major. They retire at the age of 57 years after serving for period of about 20-25 years in the Army. The scheme not only improves the career prospects of the existing JCOs and OR but also helps in making up the deficiency of the support cadre officers in the Army to some extent.
12. Permanent Commission (Special List) (PC SL)
Under this entry, JCOs/ NCOs/ OR up to 42 years of age and minimum 10 years of service, with a Senior Schools Certificate Pass (Class 10+2 pattern) qualification are eligible for commission after screening by SSB and Medical Board. They are granted PC (SL) after successful completion of four weeks orientation training at the IMA.
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Hello folks. My name’s Anoorag Nayak and I got recommended for NDA-143 from 17 SSB Bangalore and secured AIR 64 in the Merit list. The icing on the cake is that my recommendation was on Kargil Vijay Diwas. It was a proud and happy moment for me to get recommended to the same organization which has the privilege of having produced Bravehearts who won us Kargil. However, unfortunately, I got Medical-out. Nevertheless, I want to share my experience with fellow aspirants. This was my 2nd attempt and I had been C/Oed for NDA-141 from 24 SSB Bangalore in my earlier attempt. I was really anxious to come back to this city for my 2nd attempt. This city had given me a lot of painful memories. I dreaded the day I got the same centre for my 2nd attempt- Selection Centre South. Being a colonel’s son, I always had nursed the dream of joining the elite Indian Army. In a way, I was determined to crack it this time and follow in my father’s footsteps and to be a 2nd generation fouji.
Day 1 (Screening)– 26 of us reported to the centre and 20 of us were retained for stage 2. My OIR went well as I attempted all the questions with speed and accuracy. In PPDT, we were shown a girl playing the piano. I made a story about a musical prodigy preparing for a competition and bringing laurels to her school. Perceptions varied all across but the discussions were very smooth and so-called fish market didn’t happen at all.
Psychology went smoothly as well. I completed all 60 SRTs and WATs by writing short and crisp responses and made realistic, original and natural stories directly related to the picture shown without any preconceived ideas.
In my earlier attempt, I feel psychology tests is the part where I had faltered. I had tried to write very elaborate responses in SRT and WAT and had tried to write unoriginal and unrealistic stories in TAT where I had made my hero to be a shaktiman-type dude and his actions were as if you had activated the God-mode cheat code on some video game.
Day 3 (Ground/Group Tasks)-
I was at my best during these tasks. Full of
energy, full of josh.
Group discussions went
very smoothly wherein I gave 4-5 good points and reinforced other people’s
point of view as well.
PGT (Progressive
Group Task) went average and our group completed 3 of the 4 obstacles in time.
I was at the front along with two others and helped in executing other people’s
ideas although I couldn’t give many ideas of my own.
HGT (Half
Group Task) was amazing and we literally completed it within a minute as there
was no clash of ideas amongst the group as the group had been halved. FGT went
along similar lines.
In GPE (Group Planning
Exercise), I wrote a good plan and utilized all the resources to the fullest
while keeping the time and distance factor in mind. I also wrote many
alternatives to each course of action.
In the discussion phase of GPE, we took some
time to arrive at a common group plan as resolving and accommodating all the
various ideas and the conflicts that emerged and finally deciding on the
modalities or nitty-gritties required some persuasion and ability and
willingness to accept other people’s viewpoint on part of everyone. However,
the plan that was ultimately fleshed out was very robust.
In Individual obstacles, I was able
to complete 9 of them. I missed out on the balance beam. (It had rained the night
before.) I tried it 4 times before finally moving on to other obstacles (as
there was a time constraint) with a view to coming back to it after completing
the rest in case I had any time left.
In my earlier attempt, I had also done 9. Last
time I had missed out on the Commando walk as I was unable to
balance myself. This time I was determined to complete it and I started with
Commando Walk, walked across it in a blitz without second thought or looking
down and shouted my chest no. at the top of the platform with full Josh!!
In the Lecturette, I spoke on the topic Indo-China relations fluently and confidently for 3 minutes while looking and scanning through each of my groupmates in the eye.
Lastly, there was the Command Task.
I feel throughout the 5 days, this was the task where I was able to perform
best and show my true mettle to the assessor.
I completed quickly from one side. The GTO told
me to go back to the start line and use the middle path or approach. I was
about to complete it as well but then he changed the color of the structure
from white to blue. I managed to complete it as well. Then he again told me to
go back and use the third approach. The third one was difficult and initially I
was totally clueless as to how I could do it. But after putting my brain
through the grind and observing the structures carefully, I was able to do it.
I was also called by 5 other people as their subordinate during their CT and am
happy that I managed to strike a good rapport with my group.
In the Snake race, we had a lot of
fun as a group and also won the race (as the other group had some healthy
fellows). Thankfully, no one got injured.
Interview (same day as GTO)-
Right after my tiresome GTO tasks, I was called
for my interview. My interview was taken by the Addl. IO of 17 Ssb board.
He asked me about my family background,
educational background, sports and extracurriculars, hobbies and lastly tested
my general awareness. I answered all the questions confidently and
honestly. There was a slight amount of grilling, especially in the GK and
sports and extracurriculars field but I maintained my composure.
Highlights of the questions asked-
IO- Why do you want to join the armed forces?
Me- Bookish response. (Adventure, sports etc)
IO- That’s a very bookish response. Now tell me
the actual reason you want to join. In the civil, you get more opportunities.
Do you know that more people in the civil have climbed the Mount Everest than
army officers?
Me- Sir, I have lived in a cantt since my
childhood. I got inspired by looking at officers and I want to make my parents
proud and follow in my father’s footsteps. In the civil also, we get many
opportunities but army is where my heart is.
Few other questions-
Q- Can you tell me the states bordering your
state?
Q- Can you describe your father’s uniform?
Q- Do you know the Raising day and motto of
Ordnance Corps? (My father’s corps)
Q- What is currently happening in Hong Kong?
Q- Give me any 2 national and 2 international
news.
Q- Give me 5 bullet points as to how India can
solve its Water Crisis.
Q- What was your topic in Lecturette and both
the Group Discussions?
Q- How many SRTs did you do?
Q- What are 2 negative qualities of your father?
Q- What are the 2 qualities in your best friend
that he should improve?
Q- Are you closer to your mother or father and
in case of any issue, whom do you approach?
I play badminton, so he also grilled me a lot on it.
Q- How many feathers are there in a shuttlecock?
Q- What is the diagonal length of a badminton
court?
Q- What is India’s National tournament for
badminton? (I wrongly answered as PBL but he corrected me and told me that its
Syed Modi Grand Prix.)
I feel I made a positive impression on the IO
and after every answer of mine, he was saying “fair enough”. I was doing
most of the talking and directing my interview towards the desired direction
and didn’t lose my footing at a single instance.
Well, the D-day was finally here. The day that
decides the fate of many aspirants. The day that breaks the heart of many and
also the day that is described by few as the best day of their lives.
I was very anxious as I entered the hall filled
with fully-uniformed officers. They had an aura of their own. The shining
stars, sanguine lanyards, and the olive greens that are coveted by many but
only few manage to earn totally overwhelm the onlooker.
I greeted the President and sat down. The
conference lasted for 1 minute. I was asked about my stay, what all did I learn
during it and also for a compulsory suggestion. I answered them boldly and
quickly and then exited the room feeling confident about my recommendation.
Then we were made to wait outside for a while
and then finally made to move to the room where our fates were gonna be
revealed.
The officer who was going to announce our
results came in and everyone’s pulse rates quickened. He went like- Chest No.
2, Chest No. 5 and then he announced Chest No. 9 (mine) …
When I heard my Chest No., I was on cloud nine
and literally went numb. All my memories of the past one year since my earlier
attempt flooded my mind. All the apprehensions about my future, about my
self-worth, about whether I have it in me were quickly erased. I finally knew
that “Yes, I have it in me!!”.
I called my dad and with khushi ke asoon in my
eyes, I told him- “Dad, I did it.”
Medicals–
In the medicals, I got a TR (Temporary medical rejection) due to
Substandard CP-4 Color Vision (color blindness) by Command Hospital Air Force,
Bangalore. My AMB (Appeal Medical Board) got rejected and the Review Medical
Board at AFMC Pune got rejected as well.
I was completely heartbroken and mentally shattered at my
medical rejection. But then I realized that medicals are never under our
control. The only thing that was under my control was SSB and I am satisfied
with the fact that I gave my best and cracked it with a decent merit.
I was confident of clearing merit but this minor genetic
disorder of color blindness ultimately managed to decide my fate. After all,
you can’t beat destiny. Maybe I am not meant for soldiering. But who knows?
Maybe I am. I am still hopeful of joining the forces and wish to complete
what I started. I am definitely gonna try for CDSE and JAG entry (since I am
pursuing law) after my graduation. Maybe, if luck permits, I may get through
the medicals in those entries.
However, the takeaway is that we should never give up. I want to
keep trying until all my chances or attempts to join the forces are exhausted.
This is so because later on in my life, I don’t want to have any regrets that I
didnt give my best in what I sought to achieve.
As an aspirant, I have bared it all. From not being able to clear written in NDA-140, to getting conferenced out in NDA-141, to not being able to give written in NDA-142 due to a stomach infection to finally getting recommended for NDA-143 but getting medical out. It’s been a hell of a journey. But I will keep bouncing back up every time I fall and so shall you.
Hello Everyone! MIRACLE OF SHAMBHAVI. My name is Naitik Bhadauriya, AIR 120 in NDA 142 course. I was recommended from 22 SSB Bhopal on 26 March 2019 for Army. I know many of you must be curious as to what’s or who’s Shambhavi, but just hang on for some more time it will come out something totally different. So the journey began on 10 Sept 2017 when I went to give my first NDA written examination i.e. NDA 2 2017. I was not very enthusiastic about NDA at that time and also I was ill-prepared ‘because my half yearly examinations were going on; so naturally I didn’t clear the examination. On another hand one of my batch mates in school and a good friend of mine cleared not only the written part but SSB as well and got AIR 38 in the same NDA course! I was really inspired seeing him making it to NDA while still studying in school and felt that I can do that too.
So I prepared for NDA 1 2018 and fortunately cleared the written part and believe me past 10 years solved papers, NCERT Math, Exemplar of class 11 and 12 and regular newspaper reading is enough to clear the written part of NDA. I got Bangalore as my SSB centre and I started my preparations at once. Just like most of the aspirants I did the big mistake of just working on the tests such as TAT, WAT, SRT, Lecturette etc and not on my actual personality. Instead of enhancing the Officer Like Qualities(OLQs), I was just beautifying my outcomes of various tests that are conducted in SSB; little did I know then that no matter how beautiful answers you write in SSB it has ways to get to the core of your personality and asses you on that basis. Obviously as a result I was conference out from 24 SSB Bangalore on 2 Sept 2018. I was shattered, all those long hours devoted to TAT, WAT, and Lecturette etc. just gone to waste. I still remember the pain I felt when my chest no was not announced in the conference hall. After some time I calmed myself down and analyzed thoroughly as to why I failed. Then after deeply studying the whole testing method and my performance I realized that I prepared the wrong way. All that the board looks for is 15 OLQs and if I have to get recommended I must develop those in me, and not just work on tests (though working on that is also necessary). Simple! Isn’t it?
I had my NDA 2
2018 on 9 Sept 2018 and I had barely a week to prepare. Thanks to my subject
combination in class 12 i.e. Humanities with Math I easily cleared the written
part and got Bhopal as my SSB centre. This time my approach was crystal clear
which was to work on my personality and develop the OLQs. Hey wait, I didn’t
tell you about Shambhavi, I guess this is the right time to tell. So in
November 2017 I attended a programme called “Inner Engineering” organized by
Isha Foundation. In that programme we were taught a very simple, yet powerful
ancient mediation called “Shambhavi Mahamudra” (I bet u didn’t know it will
turn out this) in a week’s time. This was a life changing experience for me; I
had never experienced something so intense within me. As I started practicing
Shambhavi regularly I could feel the balance and equanimity rising with me. But
amidst the board examination and NDA preparation it got lost somewhere.
After I got the SSB call from SSC BHOPAL I decided that I’ll resume Shambhavi in my life and I started practicing it regularly. It created the necessary balance within myself within 3-4 months after which developing OLQs was not a big thing for me. It completed rewired me in few months. What I did was that I identified certain core OLQs on which other OLQs are directly or indirectly dependent. They were Reasoning Ability, Power of Expression, Social Adaptability, Sense of Responsibility, Confidence and Liveliness. These 6 OLQs covered almost all the other OLQs required. For e.g., how can u influence the group or take initiative if u don’t have confidence; how can you cooperate if u can’t socially adapt to various people and how can you have effective intelligence or organizing ability if you can’t reason out things. After that I figured out ways as to how can I develop each of the 6 OLQs. I solved many reasoning questions, OIRs and brain teasers to enhance Reasoning Ability. In my college I interacted with all kinds of people (whether I liked them or not), worked with them, participated in all kinds of events and hosted and organized programmes to develop other core OLQs. Also I made a deep self analysis of myself for the interview and kept myself updated with the current affairs. I also started reading about the armed forces and the recent happenings there.
This time I just gave one week to prepare for
all the tests and before leaving for SSB I observed myself and somewhere I knew
I will make it this time. My SSB began on 22nd March 2018 and it
went so smoothly that I can’t tell you (quick tip: never ever take OIR lightly,
it’s quite important.) Though the GD during the screening process was a total
mess but still 4 of the repeaters including me got screened in and I got chest
number 1! The rest four days went very smoothly, I was very balanced and stable
within myself (Hail Shambhavi!) as a result I aced in all the tests. All the
psychology tests went pretty well and in the interview the officer asked about me
and my choices in life, though I messed up once or twice but overall it went
well. I loved doing the GTO tasks, I cooperated well with everyone and spoke
where it was necessary, kept quiet when I should have and very calmly I went
through all the tests (quick tip: always observe the structures before giving
the solutions, take 10-15 seconds and observe them thoroughly). I was asked
very mundane questions in the conference and was asked to leave. I can’t
describe my happiness when my chest number was called in the conference hall;
at that moment everything seemed still and quiet, my dream finally came true.
My parents and mausi cried last time when I didn’t get recommended and they
cried this time also when I told them I got recommended. (I didn’t cry in either
one) Then our medicals were conducted and I was considered fit for all the
three wings of the armed forces.
I generally don’t recommend something but still I would recommend each one of you reading this article to bring Shambhavi Mahamudra in your life. You may think that these things are too outdated but believe me this is the greatest service that you will do to yourself. It will be a life changing experience for you and that’s my guarantee. Especially the defense aspirants must bring this in their lives because this will create the necessary ambience within you that’s required to develop the OLQs. Secondly don’t just keep beautifying your TAT, WAT and other tests; yes they are necessary but they are not the deciding factors rather develop the OLQs within yourself, put yourself in difficult situations, work with people you don’t like and observe how you act and accordingly amend yourself; that’s the right approach for clearing SSB.
I have my reporting in NDA on 24th June 2019, so I’ll be leaving pretty soon. Best of luck to all the defense aspirants and believe me clearing SSB is not rocket science, it’s very much possible for each one of you if only you approach it the right way. JAI HIND!
