NCC 46 Special Entry Scheme Army Notification: Indian army has published the notification of NCC Special Entry 46 for the NCC candidates with C certificate, it is a direct SSB entry and candidates who get shortlisted will get a direct call for SSB interview. Aspirants can apply for the NCC 46 entry from 09 January till 07 February 2019. Notification: Applications are invited from UNMARRIED male and female (including Wards of Battle Causalities of Army Personnel), for grant of Short Service Commission (Non-Technical) in the Indian Army. The course will begin in October 2019 at OTA, Chennai.
For NCC candidates (including wards of Battle Casualties) 19 to 25 years as on 01 July 2019 (born not earlier than 02 July 1994 and not later than 01 July 2000, both dates inclusive). Date of birth acceptable is that entered in the Matriculation or an equivalent examination certificate.
Eligibility:
Graduate with an aggregate of minimum 50% marks taking into account marks of all the years. Those studying in final year are also allowed to apply provided they have secured minimum 50% aggregate marks in the first two/three years of three/four years degree course respectively. Such students will need to secure an overall aggregate of minimum 50% marks if selected in the interview, failing which their candidature will be CANCELLED.
The candidate should have served for minimum two academic years in the senior Division/Wing of NCC and should have obtained minimum of ‘B’ Grade in ‘C’ Certificate Exam of NCC.
Vacancies:
NCC MEN: 50 ( 45 for general category and 05 for Wards of battle causalities of armed forces personnel only.)
NCC Women: 05 ( 04 for general category and 01 for Wards of battle causalities of armed forces personnel only.)
How To Apply:
Applications will only be accepted online on website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in No offline applications will be accepted.
Open the website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in
Click on Officers Entry ‘Apply/Login’ and then click ‘Registration’.
Follow onscreen instructions for registration. Fill online Registration after reading instructions very carefully. After registration, your profile will open. Click on ‘Apply Online’ to process the application. A page ‘Officers Selection-Eligibility’ will open.
Your registration details will confirm your eligibility to apply. Click on ‘Apply’ and a page ‘Application Form’ will open. Proceed with the application as per onscreen instructions. Read onscreen instructions carefully and click ‘Continue’ to fill details under various segments personal information, Communication details, Education details and details of previous SSB. ‘Save & Continue’ each time before you proceed to the next segment.
After filling details of last segment, you will move to a page ‘Summary of Information’ wherein you can check & edit entries you have made so far. Only after ascertaining’ the correctness of all your details click on ‘Submit’. After submitting click on ‘PDF’ and take out ‘two copies’ of the application form having the Roll Number and other details generated by the system.
The second copy of the printout of online application is to be retained by the candidate for his reference. There is no need to send any hard copy to Directorate General of Recruiting.
The degree or a provisional certificate issued by a recognized university by AIU.
The candidate must have scored minimum 50% aggregate in his graduation. A final year student must have scored aggregate 50% in his previous years.
The NCC certificate must have a minimum B grade.
Opening And Closing Dates Of Application Forms – the candidates can apply for it in between 09 January 2019 – 07 February 2019.
Important points: Candidates appearing/ appeared for the interview of CDS entry that is SSC 110 (NT) or SSC W 24 (NT) will not be eligible for NCC 46 entry.
Preparation Books for NCC 46 SSB Interview: Shortlisted candidates will face the SSB interview directly, you can straight away prepare for the SSB interview, the SSB preparation will help you in NCC 46 entry.
IMPORTANT – Download eBooks for SSB Interview Preparations
Indian Army will publish the SSC 53 Tech Men and SSC 24 TechWomen notification on 23rd January 2019, candidates can apply online for SSC tech 2019 entry up to 21st February 2019. Engineering graduates who are defence aspirants and want to join the Indian army after their graduation can apply for the SSC Tech 53 men and SSC Tech 24 women. SSC Tech is a technical entry for engineering graduates, it has no written exam and application are shortlisted based on your percentage in engineering. Applications are invited from unmarried MALE and unmarried FEMALE Engineering Graduates and also from Widows of Defence Personnel for grant of Short Service Commission in the Indian Army in all Arms/Services. The course shall be commencing in October 2019 at Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu. As SSC tech entry has no written exam and if you are shortlisted, you will directly face the 5 Days SSB Interview. NEW: APPLY FOR SSC TECH 54 and 25
Nationality: A candidate must either be : (i) A citizen of India, or (ii) A subject of Bhutan, or (iii) A subject of Nepal, or (iv) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before the 1st of January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India or (v) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India. Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v) above shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by Government of India. Certificate of eligibility will however not be necessary in the case of candidates who are Gorkha subjects of Nepal.
Age Limit: – (i) SSC(T)-53 Men and SSC(T)-24 Women:- 20 to 27 years as on 01 October 2019 (Candidates born between 02 October 92 and 01 October 99) (both dates inclusive).(ii) SSCW(Non-Tech)(Non-UPSC)- For Widows of Defence Personnel who died in harness only. Max 35 years of age as on 01 October 2019.
Educational Qualification: Candidates who have passed Engineering Degree course or are in the final year of Engineering course are eligible to apply. The candidates studying in the final year examination of Degree Course should be able to produce the Engineering Degree within 12 weeks from the date of commencement of training at OTA. Such candidates will be inducted on Additional Bond Basis for recovery of the cost of training at OTA as notified from time to time as well as stipend and pay & allowances paid, in case they fail to produce the requisite Degree Certificate within the specified time.
SSC 53 Tech SSCW 24 Important Note: – Candidates must note that the minimum educational qualification for induction into SSC(T)-53 Men and SSC(T)-24 Women is BE/B.Tech degree in the Engineering stream notified below. Therefore, to become eligible for induction into SSC(T)-53 Men and SSC(T)-24 Women course, candidates studying in final year of engineering must complete all the formalities including written, practicals, projects, backlogs, viva voce, etc, for the award of qualifying BE/B.Tech degree before 01 October 2019 failing which their candidature is liable to be canceled.
SSC 53 Tech SSCW 24 Vacancies
SSC 53 Tech SSCW 24 HOW TO APPLY:
Applications will only be accepted online on website “www.joinindianarmy.nic.in”. Click on ‘Officers Entry Apply/Login’ and then click ‘Registration’. Fill the online registration form after reading the instructions carefully. After getting registered, click on ‘Apply Online’. A page ‘Officers Selection – Eligibility’ will open. Then click ‘Apply’ shown against Technical Graduate Course. A page ‘Application Form’ will open. Read the instructions carefully and click ‘Continue’ to fill details as required under various segments. Personal information, Communication details, Education details and details of previous SSB. ‘Save & Continue’ each time before you go to the next segment. After filling details on the last segment, you will move to a page ‘Summary of your information’ wherein you can check and edit the entries already made. Then click on ‘Submit now’ only after carefully ascertaining that the correct details have been filled in. After submitting, click on “PDF” and take two copies of the application form having Roll No and other details generated by the system.
Short listing of Applications. Integrated HQ of MoD(Army) reserves the right to shortlist applications and to fix cutoff percentage of marks for each engineering discipline without assigning any reason.
Only shortlisted eligible candidates depending on the cutoff percentage will be interviewed at Selection Centres, Allahabad (UP), Bhopal (MP), Bangalore (Karnataka) and Kapurthala (Punjab) by Psychologist, Group Testing Officer and Interviewing Officer. Call Up letter for SSB interview will be issued only through candidate’s registered e-mail id and through SMS. Candidates will not be interviewed locally. Allotment of Selection Centre is at the discretion of Dte Gen of Rtg, IHQ MoD (Army) and NO request for changes are entertained in this regard.
Shortlisted candidates will have to log in on the website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in using their username and password and select the SSB dates as available on the website.
Interviews will be held from March/April 2019 onwards.
Candidates will put thrtwo-stagestage selection procedure. Those who clear Stage I will go to Stage II. Those who fail in Stage I will be returned on the same day. Duration of SSB interviews is five days excluding day of arrival and details of the same are available at official website of Rtg Dte www.joinindianarmy.nic.in
SSC 53 Tech SSCW 24 MERIT LIST: IT IS TO BE NOTED THAT MERE QUALIFYING AT THE SSB INTERVIEW DOES NOT CONFIRM FINAL SELECTION. A MERIT LIST WILL BE PREPARED ENGINEERING STREAM WISE ON THE BASIS OF THE MARKS OBTAINED BY THE CANDIDATE AT SSB INTERVIEW AND AS SUCH HIGHER EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS, PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES; NCC BACKGROUND, ETC, HAVE NO ROLE TO PLAY. THOSE HIGH IN THE MERIT LIST AND WHO COME WITHIN THE STIPULATED VACANCIES, AND ARE MEDICALLY FIT ARE ISSUED JOINING LETTER FOR PRE-COMMISSIONING TRAINING.
ONLINE APPLICATION WILL OPEN ON 23 JAN 2019 AT 1000 HRS AND WILL BE CLOSED ON 21 FEB 2019 AT 1000 HRS
On 15 Dec 2018 Indian Air Force got it’s 7th female fighter pilot flying officer Priya Sharma, she joined the IAF flying branch as a fighter pilot. flying officer Priya Sharma is the 7th woman to become an Indian airforce fighter pilot. There were 139 cadets who passed out from Indian Air force academy, Dundigul on the morning of 15 Dec 2018. Out of the 35 fighter pilots who graduated from the Air Force Academy this year, only one is a woman. Flying Officer Priya Sharma is the seventh woman fighter pilot in the history of Air Force, and third from Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. A native of Pilani from the State, she was in awe of ‘Hawk’ and ‘Jaguar’ planes which she used to see regularly as her father-an Air Traffic Control officer- was posted in Indian Air Force Station, Bidar, and now she looks forward to flying them. Flying Officer Priya is the only fighter pilot who graduated from the AFA on Saturday. She did her schooling at IIIT, Kota. She completed her first and second stages of training in the Air Force at Dundigal and Hakimpet since July 2017. Her third stage training will begin in January at Bidar Air Force Station.
Priya’s father was her inspiration. He was posted as ATC Officer in Air Force Station in Bidar. “I used to see dad perform. I got motivation from that.” She feels Air Force is the best place to explore and serve the nation. “As a fighter pilot, I would say, you should give it a try, it is definitely worth it,” she suggests fellow young women. “The case of us three (Mohana, Pratibha and Priya) should be an inspiration for other girls from Rajasthan to join the Defence Forces,” Priya says commenting on the gender inequality in her state.
She said the incidents of crashes during training should not deter one from going ahead with the training. “In fact, it is a part and parcel of the job. Such incidents should motivate us,” she says. Though initially nervous of flying an aircraft, a super excited Priya said: “I’m now comfortable in the cockpit, it is like my second home.” Flying Officer Priya Sharma always dreamt of flying a plane since her childhood. “As my father is an air traffic control (ATC) officer with IAF, I got introduced to fighter planes and flying officers early in life. This inspired me to become an IAF fighter pilot,’’ Priya said, after the Combined Graduation Parade in which 139 flying cadets got ‘stripes’ (IAF rank) at Air Force Academy, Dundigal. Of the 139 flying officers, 24 were women.
Combined graduation parade ceremony of Indian Air Force (IAF) was held in Hyderabad. It was organised in the Air Force Academy. The event was organised to mark the successful completion of pre-commissioning training of Flight Cadets belonging to various branches of Indian Air Force. The Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat was the chief guest and reviewing officer of the passing out parade. Having undergone rigorous training in the last one year, 139 flight cadets, including 24 women, of Air Force Academy, Dundigal, passed out on Saturday during a Combined Graduation Parade (CGP), which was reviewed by Chief of Army Staff Bipin Rawat. The Army chief said that it is the matter of great pride to review the combined graduation parade of Indian Air Force.
“He advised the graduating trainees to be alive to various situations, rapidly changing geopolitical scenario and constantly strive to keep themselves fighting fit at all times to take on any tasks,” a press release issued by Air Force Academy said. Feasts were displayed by the skydiving team of Air Force by displaying Sarang, a helicopter, and two aircrafts-Suryakiran and PC7. The participants were wowed by the aerobatic show. Among the 24 women, only one woman Priya Sharma of Rajasthan got selected as a fighter pilot. From Hyderabad two cades- A Saraswat and Kirti Singh- figured among the 139 flying officers. This Rajasthani woman is the 7th woman fighter pilot in the Indian Air force.
“SUCCESS IS NOT FINAL. FAILURE IS NOT FATAL. IT IS THE COURAGE TO CONTINUE THAT COUNTS.” Hello aspirants, MANDEEP KULHAR HERE. I recently got recommended from 33 SSB BHOPAL for NDA – navy in my 6th attempt and believe me I didn’t take any coaching. All I did is believed in myself and overcome my shortcomings and keep going. Simply, its hard to continue but I did, overcome all negative thoughts myths and just did what I felt right. So today I am sharing my SSB experience. Its bit long to be with me till the end and you will surely learn a few things. So on the eve of 28th Aug, I reported at Bhopal station. An army bus to pick all of us. The bus was an hour late but that’s fine as I used that time to get familiar with others which helped me further in tests. Actual testing started the next day. DAY 1: We all 52 reported for our first test i.e. OIR test. I had already prepared for the same. So I finished all 45 questions in 15 minutes. Same with 2nd OIR test. So OIR is key for screening believe me. Prepare for dice questions with YouTube and SSBCRACK books and give your best. 2ND test is PPDT in which we were shown a hazy picture of a girl looking outside. I made a story on “solar energy” theme and after that discussed well in group discussion and everyone agreed to my story which was made final story. So I was screened in total 24/56. After that, we fill our PIQ forms. I already carried well-prepared PIQ form and filled same in all 3 forms. Your PIQ is your first impression so make it valid and write all true things. Don’t brag in it any false things otherwise you will be in trouble.
DAY 2: On this day there was psych test for which I started practiced 2 months earlier of my SSB , because of that I really performed well and completed all 12 stories with 120-150 words in each story which is important. In WAT I completed all of them 60/60 and all of them observational responses. In SRT I did 57/60 action oriented responses and completed my SD in time which I had already prepared earlier. So it really went really well just because of my daily practice. At the end of the day I was satisfied with my performance.
DAY 3: GTO -1
So I was all charged up with my preparation. As I studied well about all general awareness topics and I am in habit of reading newspaper. So I nailed in Group discussion(GD). Our topics were 1.”What is the reason of declining moral values in youth” options were social media, nuclear families and economic freedom? I stuck to social media and put points to prove it. So stick to one option and prove it, key in GD. I spoke first in both of them and it matters. I spoke 4-5 times or may be more in each GD. Another Important thing is to speak when everybody is exhausted of points.
In Group planning exercise I completed solution in time and speak first in GD and spoke 4-5 times to conclude for a solution. In progressive group task I was at the front and implementing ideas. And kept this rhythm In all following tasks. Don’t be at front without any ideas. Nor only give ideas. Do both things give ideas and also implement them. It’s key in PGT, HGT, FGT and command task.
In group, obstacle race doesn’t break any rule that’s it. Nothing else matters much. Help your teammates. If the rule is broken repeat the obstacle. I have broke a rules 3 times in GOR but every time I repeated it. Everybody does mistake, those get success who learns from their mistake and improve them. That’s all GOR is about. In individual obstacle, I did all 10/10 individual obstacles. The same thing applies in all GTO tasks. DON’T BREAK ANY RULES IF YOU BREAK REPEAT IT.
So after my GTO I was having my interview. I run to bathroom dressed, in formals and went for the interview, one already knew most of the questions so prepare them in advance and keep improving your replies daily. IO also asked me a lot of physics questions like about Bernoulli theorem, Archimedes principle and its application in ships, current national and international affairs, about navy, commands, rank, how plane fly, about INS Vikramaditya and about length conversions and all. So give answers confidently and just be honest that’s all they want. If you lie you’re going to die. It went for smooth 1:15 hours and I was happy at the end of the interview.
It started with the command task. I was called 2 times as subordinate. During my turn, My task turned out to be very difficult but I managed to do it. GTO kept changing colors. After completion, he asked me to sent back my subordinates and do it alone. So again he asked me to apply different methods and I did as he said with help of hints he kept giving me. So listen to GTO every time that’s very important. My command task went for ½ hour which surprised everyone and everybody including me thought I did really well.
After that, the last task of GTO is FGT, I did task along with help of team. I kept to remain in front and cooperating with others and did it in time. Don’t dominate but cooperate also perform on your level don’t be a dummy.
DAY 5
“Day is a day not good or bad but this one is really the day of happiness”. We were ready for results. I somewhere knew this time I will make which comes out to be true. When psychologist announced chest no 18. Explaining that feel of getting rejected for 5 times, giving 3 NDA exams, cooperating with my BTECH and being the topper of college for two sems , losing 12 kg of weight , going through that 2 years of pain of rejection but at end hearing your chest no is the best feeling in the world.:). I kept going I knew I would make it one day. I knew the value of that moment, that life-changing moment. I just never accepted failure so you must do. keep going It will come to you when you will be ready. 5/24 got selected most in any NDA- navy batch in 33 SSB Bhopal.
It is clear from last few years that more and more women are interested towards Indian Air Force than Army and Navy, as per the recent data it is published that the IAF has more number of women officers than Indian army and navy. The Indian Air Force reportedly has the highest share of women officers in India at 13.09% among all the three major forces in the country. While women representation in the Indian Navy stood at 6%, the Indian Army records the lowest women representation at just 4%. The trend has been similar over the past few years, and as of 2017, there were 13% women officers in Indian Air Force, 5% in the Indian Navy and nearly 3.65% in the army. It appears that the Indian Air Force has soared ahead of the country’s other defence forces — at least when it comes to employing more women officers. The Air Force has the highest share of women officers in India at 13.09%; the Indian Navy, in comparison, accounts for 6% women officers; and the Indian Army has only 3.8% representation of women, reported Press Trust of India citing Subhash Bhamre, the Indian minister of state for defence.
It also appears the trend has improved only slightly compared to previous years: there were 13% women officers in the Indian Air Force as of July 2017, while the share of female officers in the Indian Navy was 4.49% as of June 2017. The Indian Army had the lowest number of women officers at only 3.64% women as of January 2017, according to data released by India’s Ministry of Defence. Interestingly, commercial airlines in India also have the highest percentage of female commercial pilots compared to other countries, according to data by the International Society of Women Airline Pilots.
Currently, Indian airlines have 1,092 female pilots as against 8,797 male pilots, reported the Times of India. In India, women representing the army, navy and the air force are appointed only for the officer’s rank. The country’s defence ministry is reportedly planning to induct more women as sailors in the Indian Navy, to boost women participation in the non-office cadres, reported India Today.
The 18thmeeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) was held here today. The meeting was co-chaired by Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation General Sergei Shoigu. In the framework of the bilateral Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, the IRIGC-MTC meeting discussed a wide range of issues relating to defence equipment, industry and technological engagement between India and Russia as well as after sales support/upgradation of military equipment of Russian origin. The Ministers expressed satisfaction at the dynamism and progress in bilateral defence cooperation. Intensive discussions were held on joint manufacturing projects, including the Kamov-226Thelicopters, naval frigates and projects related to land systems. The two sides also agreed to take forward inter-governmental arrangements for facilitating joint manufacturing of spares for Russian origin equipment in India, under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
With a view to enhancing military-to-military engagement and rationalising the functioning of the Commission, a revised Inter-Governmental Agreement on restructuring the existing IRIGC-MTC to the IRIGC on Military and Military Technical Cooperation was also signed by the two Ministers. An additional institutional Working Group headed by Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman COSE (CISC) and Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of General Staff of Armed Forces of Russian Federation would be set up under the expanded Commission.
The Ministers expressed satisfaction progress in structured engagement between their armed forces, including joint exercises, resumption of training exchanges and other interactions in the framework of the Bilateral Road Map on Defence Cooperation signed in June 2017. The inaugural meeting of the IRIGC-MTC is proposed to be held in Russia in 2019 on mutually convenient dates.
The Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun is one of the premier Institutions of the Country training Gentlemen Cadets for commission into the Indian Army. The Academy is known for its glorious history. Its dynamic efficiency and valiant traditions are not only an integral part of the Nation’s proud heritage but also form an indispensable sheet anchor of independent India’s national security. Through the portals of the IMA with the Credo ‘Veerta Aur Vivek’ pass out the future Army Officers of the Indian Army. The path of the leadership of troops is paved with a challenging, exciting and an exacting service. The Military Academy is no soft option to glamour and heraldry. It is an austere Institution imparting rigorous training in leadership, self-discipline and the art of war. The hallowed portals of this great institution boast of having bred the majority of the officer cadre of the Indian Army.
Here are some pictures of young Indian army officers passing out from the Indian Military Academy after a year-long tough training. Hope these pictures will motivate the young defence aspirants to join the Indian army and server the motherland. The training at IMA is aimed at the optimum development of intellectual, moral and physical qualities essential for leadership in the profession of arms. Training at the IMA thus inculcates those qualities of mind and heart, patriotism, character, dynamism, initiative, and understanding that are the very basis of leadership in war as well as in peace.
Indian Navy’s first flyaway Deep Sea Submarine Rescue System was formally inducted by Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff, at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, former CNS/Cs-in-C as well as the senior management of the Original Equipment Manufacturer, M/s James Fisher and Sons Pvt. Ltd, UK were present during the induction ceremony. Aquisition of this capability is a significant and pioneering jump in the Indian Navy’s capability in deep submarine rescue. The Indian Navy currently operates submarines of the Sindhughosh, Shishumar, Kalvari Classes as well as nuclear powered submarines. The operating medium and the nature of operations undertaken by submarines expose them to high degree of inherent risk. In such an eventuality, traditional methods of search and rescue at sea are ineffective for a disabled submarine. To overcome this capability gap the Navy has acquired a third generation, advanced Submarine Rescue System considering of a Non-tethered Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) and its associated equipment.
The Indian Navy now joins a select league of Nations worldwide with the sovereign capability, in fly away configuration, to search, locate and rescue crew from a disabled Submarine. The Deep Sea rescue system would have a global footprint and can be mobilised from the Naval base at Mumbai to the nearest mobilisation port by air/land or sea to provide rapid rescue to the Submarines in distress.
The newly acquired capability would be operated and deployed by the crew of Indian Navy’s newly formed Submarine Rescue Unit (West) from its base in Mumbai. The Indian Navy’s Deep Sea Submarine Rescue System considered to be the most advanced system currently in operation globally, is capable of undertaking rescue from a disabled Submarine upto 650 m depth. The DSRV, which is operated by a crew of three, can rescue 14 personnel from a disabled Submarine at one time and can operate in extreme sea conditions (upto Sea State 6).
Hey guys…My name is Daivansh Bhandari. After a lot of support from my family and friends, I have finally decided to share my experiences from my time spent during the SSBs. Firstly about my background, I myself have lived my whole life in the Civil….but my family coherently belongs to a defence background, from my grandfather to my uncles and almost everyone. This was to such an extent that whenever my family was transferred due to my Father’s transferable job, there always used to be a relative posted in the new city wherever we went! So since childhood, I have been witnessing the Defence from a Civilian perspective…and know the privilege and honour to serve in the Defence Forces from a very young age. So it was quite apparent that since childhood I was motivated towards joining the Defence Forces….that and the Research Field due to the fact that I have always been more study oriented in school. So after clearing my 12th Board examinations, in which I got 89%, I applied for the NDA and TES entries. I hadn’t applied for any engineering college and had decided to drop, even though I cleared the JEE examinations due to the fact I wasn’t getting my preferred branch of Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering anywhere…and knew deep down that joining a college might further on hinder and distract me in my aim of clearing the SSB.
After that, it was the wait for the allotment of the SSB centres and dates. During that time I decided to visit my Hometown Dehradun and decided to utilise my time there by going to Baalnoi Dehradun. This was to make me familiarise with the SSB pattern so that I don’t panic during the actual thing. During my time at the coaching there, I heard of the infamous reputation of the Rejection Centre Allahabad…and started dreading it.
Well as luck would have it I was alloted Allahabad centre for my NDA SSB! At that time I thought it was just plain bad luck…and maybe I would have some better chances in the TES centre. God played another trick on me and landed me Allahabad centre again for TES, and this time the gap between my SSBs was less than a month…I sure had a good laugh that day.
I decided to make the best out of this situation and give it my all. I decided to make my NDA SSB a practice run for my TES SSB and improve from my mistakes from there…because I had heard that it was really hard for a Fresher to get recommended in his first go.
So I reported at Allahabad station on 12th August…feeling nervous and comprehending the sheer number of people that had showed up..(I would later be even more amazed when that number seemed small when I went for my TES SSB)
The first thing I did was to strike a conversation with the guy sitting in front of me, talking with his friend at MCO, and what do you know that guy ended up in my same group in GTO…and we were the only guys recommended from my group. That’s the true essence of SSB…you are surrounded by individuals with the same goal and passion as you…if you strike a conversation with them… whatever the outcome of the SSB you will end up earning life long friends in the process. Hence, one should always be outgoing with others…SSB is not a competition, it’s a system which helps us bring out the best out of each other.
We were 72 in reporting and we were allotted the 18 SSB at our candidate lines. I would be provided with 14 SSB some weeks later for my TES SSB. After that for the rest of the day we chatted with each other and made acquaintances. The next day in screening, 44 of us were screened in. In the PPDT we were divided into groups of 8 for our discussion. The essence of most discussion oriented tasks is that there are no correct answers…only a different perspective of opinions each of us has. So your job is to convince the others about your opinion, not enforce it on them. You should always take initiative, though also give others opportunities to put forward their points cause it’s a discussion. Always aim to be polite and courteous and always try to mediate the discussion so that arguments can be avoided at most costs…because that will effect the whole group negatively. This always applies to every discussion related tasks and should always be remembered deep down.
The new number alloted to me after the Screening was 4…so I was aware that I would be having my interview the next day for sure. So I started revising general knowledge and Current Affairs with my friends for the next day.
The Day 2 was Psychology Tests…and Interview for some lucky ones. The Psychology consists of TAT, WAT, SRT and SD. I was aware of their mechanisms and how they work due to the fact my additional subject in Board Examinations was Psychology. So usually the advice we get is that the more SRTs and WATs we do is better for us. Well that’s true to some extent but I focused on quality instead of quantity and focused on answering the questions more carefully and aligned to my true personality. I attempted 37 SRTs, and all the WATs and TATs. It is advised to prepare your SD in advance…you should prepare anything you can beforehand which you know will be there. And the main thing in Psychology Tests…always be positive and true to yourself. Don’t try to deviate from your personality. There always is a positive solution in all the tests and tasks…always try to find them.
After this I moved on to my Interview. My Interview was taken by the Additional IO. He was very serious the whole time… didn’t even smile once. He asked me about my family, my education, the reason why I wanted to join the Army and so on. I gave him the answers accordingly. He then moved on towards why I didn’t join a college. I told him about the streams reason. On that he started questioning me on Aeronautical Mechanisms, followed by concepts of Physics and Maths. It was full of technical questions. I wasn’t able to answer some of the questions and replied him honestly. The Golden Rule is to accept the truth. If you don’t know the answer just accept it…no guesswork works in SSB. If you try to fool with the IO, you will be made the fool. Other thing to remember is to be aware of your hobbies which you write in you PIQ. You are expected to know everything about them, so the IO is gonna be asking advanced questions on that. Mine were reading Japanese Literature, and debates and Quizzes…which gave him a wide variety to ask from. In my TES Interview, ironically I was asked less Technical questions and more questions on Family and psychological questions. One important question the IO usually asks is what will you do if you don’t join the Defence, and it was asked to me both the times. My answer was straight. If I won’t be able to join the Defence Forces due to any particular reason I will just revert back to Research and join DRDO or ISRO to create technology for the Defence Forces. This impressed both the IOs. Both times my interview finished with mixed feelings cause an interview can’t be completely bad or good cause you don’t know what the IO is judging in you so you should never be demotivated and look forward to the next task.
The 3rd and 4th Days were the GTO tasks. We were divided among groups and proceeded to our tasks. The main focus of tasks such as PGT, HGT, and FGT are teamwork and ideas. Always try to give new ideas so that your group can move forward speedily. Also, remember to allow the other members to put their ideas forward and make use of the best one out of them. Always try to use the materials you have to the fullest. And remember the Golden Rule is not to break any rules and follow the GTO’s instructions. Always emphasize not to break any rules and prompt the other members to do so too. In GPE and GD try to find the positives of each other opinions and make others realize the positives in your opinion. Also try to summarize the Discussions at the end so that the discussion can go smoothly. In both my NDA and TES GPE I was the one who gave the final solution. The key is being polite and being mutually helpful to each other. In GOR we all had a positive approach. Always remember to be enthusiastic and yell your war cry with passion. And never leave a man behind ..that’s a fundamental followed in the Defence too. In Individual Obstacles, I was able to complete 13 tasks with repetition and used that in TES by doing 14 then, the most in my group both times. You have to maintain the perfect balance between agility and strength. Be confident at every obstacle, each one of them is conquerable, so don’t fear them. In my Command Task, in NDA I was a given a simple Finish Line Task where the GTO asked me to cross it as fast as possible. Always remember to accept any hints the GTO drops. In NDA I was only called once as a helper in Command Tasks. But during TES the scene was a little different. I again got a Finish Line Task in TES but this time it was quite clear that the level was quite high. The GTO constantly made changes in the structures and colours of the obstacles to make it more difficult for me. I was able to do it smoothly and used my previous NDA experiences to make use of the ideas to the fullest. My TES Command Task was near to perfect until the end where I messed up when the plank touched the ground while I was making a lever near the finish line, and like I said the GTO doesn’t accept the breakage of rules. He told me to use physics properly and place my feet properly on the plank. I then completed it flawlessly. I was called multiple times as a helper in TES Command task. Your good performance makes others trust you to help them out. Always do your best and be helpful in the group. The other individual part of GTO apart from Command Task is Lecturette. The topic in my NDA Lecturette was Brain Drain, and the TES one was Space Tourism. The best way to tackle Lecturette is to have a wide base of knowledge so that you can talk on any provided topic. The only way for that is to have a solid base of knowledge and develop a constant reading habit about different topics.
The 5th and last day was the Conference. Either it was the NDA or TES SSB…I was always nervous on this day… everyone is. In the NDA conference, I was pretty unsure. Before my conference….I had to wait for 8-10 minutes outside the conference room, my nervousness increasing every second. And when I was finally called in..it went on for 12-15 minutes more. The Deputy President of 18th Board asked me different questions regarding my school life and gave situations related to it. He then reverted to asking me about Aeronautical Engineering again. This time I was ready to answer every question. Always remember to learn the answers of all the questions you weren’t able to answer in the Interview. He kept asking me technical questions, and also questions about Jaipur the city where I live in. After answering all the questions to the best of my abilities I was asked to leave…and I sure left with a smile. It was kind of opposite in my TES conference…I was asked what I like about Allahabad and how to improve the SSB, and then was just simply asked to leave in seconds.
Then there was the declaration of the results…in my NDA SSB I was so nervous. I wasn’t aware whether I had performed well or not. The President came in and asked how would you like to hear the names…. alphabetically or randomly? We all unanimously said Random. The President started taking names…40, 13, 36 and so on…up to 9 guys…then the President asked whether he should announce anymore names and we all yelled Yes..and then it came. I don’t know how but the number 4 came…and I was overwhelmed…I couldn’t move for a moment. I was so glad…my endless reading of literature over the ages, endless mock interviews with my father…doing morning runs..had finally paid off. I was on another level. In out batch of NDA…11 cadets were recommended, the only other two digit recommendation from Allahabad this year.
In my TES recommendation, I was, unfortunately, the only one who was recommended from the 19 screened in candidates…and I was really sad about it at that time. But that’s how reality goes, we are all in a cycle towards achieving the goal which is serving the country, and a mere rejection is sure not going to stop any of us… always move forward and keep on looking forward. The experiences and mistakes I made in my NDA SSB helped me improve and function at my full potential in my TES one…and allowed me to get AIR – 3.
After spending almost a month of SSBs and Medicals…making new friends and experiences has made Allahabad..now Prayagraj a special place for me…after all I was in the last batch which got recommended from Allahabad….the new generation will be witnessing SSB Prayagraj.So don’t worry guys and never lose hope, cause there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Hopes this help you guys in some way…and hope to see you in the Defence Forces later. See ya..!