Marg Career Library - Indian Army Officer

Overview:

Indian Army is the 2nd largest army in the World. Indian Army is the land based branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The Primary mission of the Indian Army is to ensure national security and national unity. It holds a GPF rank of 4 and is thus, one of the largest armed forces and comprises more than 80% of the country’s active defence personnel. An individual who is passionate about serving the nation and bringing safety and peace in the country can opt for this profession. The main objective of the Indian army is to maintain national peace and security by defending the country from external threats and attacks. The army is also called in to help civilians during natural calamities and maintain law and order.

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Career Path:

Stream of study at 12th:

Any recognized stream(with mathematics and physics) (or) Science stream
Be a part of your NCC Society in school for NCC entry

How to join Indian Army?

There are a number of ways through which you can become a part of the Indian Army.

Permanent Commission

A permanent commission is granted through National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakwasla, the Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun, etc.Permanent commission mandates officers to serve for at least 20 years.

The following table summarizes the various entries that are part of the permanent regular commission:

Type of Entry	Minimum Educational Requirement	Age	Selection Process	Training time & job position
NDA entry	10+2	16½ to 19½ years	NDA Exam and SSB Interview	3 years training at NDA. Upon successful completion of IMA military training and medical fitness tests, as Gentlemen Cadets, they are granted Permanent Commission as Lieutenant
Combined Defence Services (CDS) entry	Final year Graduates or recent Graduate degree holders can appear for the Combined Defence Service (CDSE) Examination conducted by UPSC	19 to 24 years, unmarried status	CDS Examination (CDSE) and SSB Interview	Training for 1.5 years. Upon completion, and clearing medical fitness, they are granted Permanent Commission as Lieutenants
Army Cadet College (ACC) entry	10+2	20 to 27 years and with at least 2 years of service.	Written test followed by SSB Interview	Three years training at ACC Wing and one year at IMA
Technical Graduate Course and Post Graduate Entries (Army Education Corps & Military Farms)	Technical Graduate and Postgraduate(AEC & MF)	23 to 27 years of age limit and unmarried status are required.	SSB Interview and Psychological Aptitude Test	Selected candidates will be on SSC probation as a Lieutenant. Training is for 1 year. Candidates are liable for service as per Army Headquarters.
University Entry Scheme	Engineering Degree	18 to 24 years and candidates need to be unmarried	SSB Interview	Selected candidates are granted SSC on probation as Lieutenant until successful training completion at IMA, for 1 year. Upon successful completion, Permanent Commission is granted with 1 year jump on seniority.
Permanent Commission Special List or PC (SL)	10+2	Maximum age 42 years, 45 years for Engineers & 45 years for IOB Minimum service 10 years	SSB Interview	They train army men below 40 years (45 for Engineers and IOB with a minimum of 10 years of service) at AEC Center and College for 8 weeks, followed by 4 weeks at IMA.
Special Commissioned Officers	10+2	Servicemen between 28 to 35 years	SSB Interview	Eight weeks communication skill capsule at ACC Centre & College, Pachmarhi followed by one year at OTA, Gaya
10+2 Technical Entry Scheme (TES)	Minimum 70% aggregate in PCM in 10+2	Age between 16.5 years to 19.5 years	SSB Interview	Training is for a total of 5 years. Permanent Commission is granted in the rank of Lieutenant

Short Service Commission

Short service commission is granted through the Officers Training Academy (OTA) Chennai.The short services commission lets you serve as a commissioned officer for 10 years, extendable up to 14 years or in some cases, convertible to the permanent commission.

Type of Entry	Minimum Educational Requirement	Age	Selection Process	Job role/position
Technical	Engineering Degree/Equivalent/M.Sc (Computer Science) as applicable to different corps	You need to be between 20 and 27 years and unmarried.	SSB Interview	Selected candidates are granted SSC on probation and receive a Lieutenant rank and stipend. Training is for 1 year. Also, a Permanent Commission with 1 year seniority will be eligible for promotions and pay increments.
Non-technical	Graduates from recognized universities appear for the CDSE conducted by UPSC	19 to 25 years, unmarried status	SSB Interview	Training for 49 weeks. A Short Service Commission is granted upon successful completion. Eligibility for substantive promotion Captain upon completing of 2 years successful commissioned service Major on completion of 6 years successful commissioned service Lieutenant Colonel on completion of 13 years successful commissioned service.
SSC (Women) Tech	You should have either passed engineering degree or are in final year of engineering degree.	You need to be between 20 and 27 years and unmarried.	SSB Interview	Training duration will be of 49 weeks. In short service commission, you join Indian Army as a commissioned officer for an initial period of 10 years and extendable by 4 years. At the end of 10 years, officers get the option to continue to serve in Army. If they are eligible and suitable in all respects then, they are considered for grant of permanent commission. However if they are not selected for permanent commission but are otherwise fit and suitable, then they can continue in SSC for total period of 14 years.
SSC (Women) NonTech	Graduates from recognized universities appear for the CDSE conducted by UPSC	19 to 25 years, unmarried status.	SSB Interview	Training for 49 weeks. A Short Service Commission is granted upon successful completion. Eligibility for substantive promotion Captain upon completing of 2 years successful commissioned service Major on completion of 6 years successful commissioned service Lieutenant Colonel on completion of 13 years successful commissioned service.

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Top Colleges:

National Defence College, Khadakwasla
Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Uttrakhand
Office training Academy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Army college of medical science, New Delhi

Job Opportunities:

Combat Unit
Engineering and IT Unit
Army Service Corps
Education
Companies
Defence research
Detective services

Job Responsibilities:

Support in maintaining internal security of the country
Manage security interventions and secure the border
Plan operations, assign duties and communicate effectively with other staff
Monitor the welfare and progress of new recruits.
Operate and maintain warfare systems, equipments and vehicles
Take on specialist duties and skills such as engineering, air traffic control, training and administration
Distribute equipment, resources and manpower as per instructions from superiors
Maintenance and management of technical military equipment, including communications gear, weapons, ammunition, submarines, ships, jets, helicopters, tanks and other land vehicles.

Work Life:

Indian Army personnel always work under pressure and put their life at risk to make a contribution towards nation building.
Planning and assigning duties for the day.
Command, train and lead the subordinate personnel.
They frequently get transferred from one place to another.They might have to stay apart from their family or their whole family might have to move along with them.
They may be required to work in dangerous combat situations.
They may be required to test weapons, communication devices and information systems in hostile weather conditions and unfavourable environments.

Key Skills:

Communication and soft skills
Problem solving skills
Teamwork and leadership skills
Integrity
Problem solver
Sense of responsibility
Good stamina and physical fitness
Resilient
Courageous
Strong Determination
Self-Confident
Organised
Ability to withstand physical and mental pressure
A fighting spirit and love to accept challenges
Desire to serve the nation
Ability to accept and follow orders
Readiness to move at short notice

Designation:

Entry level

Lieutenant, Captain, Major

Mid level

Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier

High level

Lieutenant General, Major general, Genera

Other Ranks in Indian Army

Entry level

Sepoy, Naik

Mid level

Havildar, Naik Subedar

High level

Subedar, Subedar Major

Merits & Demerits:

Merits

1. Getting posted to different cities helps them to be familiar with people from different regions and language.
2. Highly respected and disciplined career
3. Perks are excellent not only in terms of pay but other benefits like subsidized accommodation, medical benefits and education for children
4. Job is adventurous and there is hardly any scope for monotony

Demerits

1. Have to follow a strict routine and there is no end of work day.
2. Efficiently work under pressure.
3. Constant threat to life
4. You may have to stay away from your family for long period of time.
5. Though a secured job but a high risk one especially when you are out there fighting battles for your country or facing the terrorists
6. You have to keep on traveling from one place to another.

Watch this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t5M10gBVCc

Overview
Career Path
Top Colleges
Job Opportunities
Job Responsibilities
Work Life
Key Skills
Designation
Merits & Demerits

Indian Army Officer

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