Smart Skills
Armed for life of challenges
Usha Albuquerque

WHO doesn’t have a lump in their throat whenever we see movies or news reports of the deeds of valour of the Indian Armed Forces. There is hardly a dry eye in the audience. The Indian Army has long enjoyed the reputation of being one of the finest forces in the world. A career in the armed forces, therefore, holds the promise of bringing honour, glory, high social standing, and a privileged lifestyle.

The Indian Army defends the territorial integrity of the country against all external and internal threats. Army officers fight for the nation during wartime. During peace time also, the Army performs many important functions. It provides aid to the civil authorities during natural calamities, and helps in the maintenance of law and order when required.

The nature of work in the armed forces is diverse and brings together a wide range of disciplines, including, medicine, electronics, law, economics, education, physics and mathematics in each of its branches. People with different aptitudes from pilots, accountants, computer professionals and legal experts to veterinarians work in the Army. The work can be either in the field of combat, the fighting forces, or in non-combat or support services.

The Army is divided into several corps, that are structured according to the duties assigned to each.

The infantry mainly consists of soldiers trained, armed, and equipped to fight on foot, to capture territory and hold it. Moreover, mechanised infantry units are equipped with armoured personnel carriers that can keep pace with tanks during war.

The artillery plays a vital role in bringing down heavy fire on enemy positions with guns having a range of as much as 30 kilometer.

The armoured corps consists of tank units that spearhead battle formations, move rapidly and can fire main guns to destroy enemy tanks and fortifications.

The non-combatant areas include many different branches.

The Army service corps handle the supply of all materials required by the Army; the ordinance corps handle the provisioning of equipment, spares, vehicles, ammunition, clothing, etc.; the Army education corps conducts education courses for all troops and teaching staff.

Engineers carry out all technical activities, including setting up bridges, building roads, providing water, as well as laying minefields and clearing mines. The signals corps provides communication during war and peace; electrical mechanical engineers are responsible for the maintenance and serviceability of all vehicles and equipment, including guns, radars, helicopters, etc.

The intelligence corps provides battlefield intelligence from both domestic and external sources.

The Army medical corps provides medical facilities to its personnel through various hospitals and field ambulances; the remount veterinary corps is responsible for the breeding of horses, mules, dogs, etc. for the Army as also for handling the veterinary needs of animals.

The Judge Advocate General’s Branch consists of advocates and legal experts who are responsible for handling all matters related to law, court-martials, etc.

Eligibility

If you wish to join this elite group of professionals, you can join directly after school, plus two, or after graduation. For the NDA entrance exam, you need to be 16½ to 19 years' old and should have cleared plus two. Selection is through a two-hour written examination in mathematics and general ability, followed by a five-day SSB interview---group tests, psychological tests and a personal interview. You must be physically fit, free from disease/ disability, 157.5 cm height (5 cm lower for certain hill people) and be able to read 6/6 in distant vision for each eye with or without glasses for men. The training period at the NDA is of three years and the entire cost is borne by the service. Apart from academics, the course curricula for Army cadets include an equal mix of physical and combat training. There are 31 extra-curricular activities to choose from — aero-modeling, golf, gliding, sailing, wind surfing, astronomy, photography and many more. At the end of the three years, NDA cadets are awarded Bachelor's degrees in arts, science or computer science from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. If you join the technical stream, you will acquire graduate and postgraduate degrees in engineering.

The Combined Defence Services Examination is held twice a year in May and October for those who wish to join the Army after graduation. There are two main entry schemes — the Graduate Direct Entry Scheme and the Technical Graduates Entry Scheme. You must be a graduate and 18 to 23 years (for Permanent Commission) or 18 to 24 years' old (for Short Service Commission).

For women, freedom from disease/disability, 142 cm height, 36 kg weight, eyesight: distance vision (corrected) — better eye 6/6, worse eye 6/18. Selection is through a written examination. Those who pass this have to take intelligence and personality tests conducted by Services Selection Board (SSB). Graduates with NCC 'C' certificate are exempted from the CDS Exam and can directly appear for the SSB tests.

Those who pass the Combined Defence Services exam join the Indian Military Academy. Army Cadets after completion of training at the NDA, also go on to the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun. The duration of training is one year in the case of Technical Graduates Entry Scheme and NDA Gentleman cadets. For the Direct Entry Scheme, it's one-and-a-half years.

Training talk

The IMA trains you in all aspects of combat and tactics using computers and other modern training tools. The IMA also has excellent facilities for all-round development. You can go for adventure sports like river rafting, para jumping, rock climbing, trekking and mountaineering. From the IMA, you're commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army.

You also have the option of joining the Army and serving as a Commissioned officer for 5 years. Selection to the Short Service Commission is through a written exam followed by the SSB interview and the medicals. Technical (Engineering) graduates are short-listed without a written exam, followed by the SSB interview. SSB qualified candidates undergo a medical examination. Once selected for Short Service Commission, you go to the Officers Training Academy at Chennai where the duration of training is approximately 9 months. At the end of this period you have two options — to elect for a Permanent Commission or opt out.

The Indian Army offers a challenging career for women too. If you are a graduate or postgraduate you can enter through the CDSE, after which there is the SSB test and interview. For some appointments, there is no written exam, just the SSB and medicals. Women officers receive training at OTA, Chennai.

There are many career growth possibilities in the Army — from administration to strategy, from armament technology to management,. If you are selected for the prestigious Defence Services Staff College course you will qualify with an M.Sc. in Defence and Strategic Studies. You can also get study leave for two years to further upgrade your professional skills. You could even get into Research and Development, if you have the aptitude.

Skill set

A love for one's country, the ability to work as a team, good physical and mental health, and a willingness to work hard and spend long periods away from home, family and friends are other requirements for a career in the Army. A sense of responsibility, personal integrity, adaptability, and a willingness to work in a fairly rigid hierarchy will ensure that you rise quickly up the ranks. Promotion policies are well defined and dependent on seniority and meritorious service. Officers start as Second Lieutenants and then become, in turn, Captain, Major, Lt. Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier, Major General, Lt. General and General. The promotions, initially, are according to service limits and time scale and then through selection and constituted promotion boards.

With the many revisions in the salary scales, officers in the defence services earn reasonably good remunerations. Besides this, they are entitled to various benefits, including DA, LTS, free accommodation and free medical facilities, schooling for children, canteen, Group Housing Schemes, gratuity, retirement allowances, and so on. The Army also offers a stylish lifestyle at an early age. The Army has some of the finest clubs, hospitals, golf courses and schools in the country. If you're into adventure and sports, there are opportunities for polo, mountaineering, river rafting, gliding, trekking, sky-diving, parasailing, shooting, skiing, and much more.

Life in the Army is tough and there always exists the danger to one's life when called to fight at the front. It is physically demanding and calls for loyalty and separation from one's family and friends for prolonged periods of time. However, the pay and perks are generous and the job challenging with immense satisfaction and pride. Remember Raghavendra Rathore is an Army officer, and Priyanka Chopra and Gul Panang are Army children.

— The writer is a noted career expert