10 Opportunities to be an Indian Military Officer Besides NDA and CDS

If you want to join the Indian Armed Forces, your career will promise one of the most admired and appreciated positions in India. The Indian Armed Forces – the military forces of India – comprises three professional uniformed services: Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.

Opportunities for Individuals to Join Armed Forces

The Indian Armed Forces epitomize the principles of service, patriotism along with the composite culture of India. Recruitment to the Armed Forces is open to every Indian citizen. The Union Public Service Commission conducts chiefly two all India Competitive Examinations to recruit the Commissioned Officers in the Armed Forces.

If you are seeking to join the army just before graduation, you are definitely interested in National Defence Academy (NDA) – the leading Indian Joint Services Academy. It is an extremely popular and famous institute and in this institute, the cadets of three services of the defense forces – Army, Navy and Air Force – get their training together for three years.

The candidates who want to join the Army as officers via NDA must be 16 ½ to 19 ½ years old when the course starts at NDA. You ought to be watchful regarding the limit on age.

#1 National Defence Academy and Naval Academy

The UPSC organizes entrance examination for the National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy (NA) twice in a year. The eligible candidates are those who have completed 10+2 examination or who are students of the 12th standard.

In order to join NDA, the applicant needs to appear for National Defence Academy (NDA) written examination and the Services Selection Board (SSB) Interview and clear them. About this examination, the notification is published on important newspapers and Armed Force’s official website.

The subjects include General Knowledge, English, Physics, Mathematics etc. After completion of the written exam and declaration of the results, the candidates who are successful will appear for the SSB Interview of SSB for 5 days.

Successful candidates, after being medically fit and also appearing in the merit list of NDA, join the National Defence Academy or Naval Academy according to their choice of service put into effect at the applying time. When the course is completed, they are directed to the relevant Service Academies for their training of pre-commissioning.

#2 Combined Defence Service Examination

Twice in a year, the UPSC conducts CDSE. The eligible candidates are those who are university graduates or those who are students of final year for graduation. The candidates who are successful in the examination join the Indian Military Academy/Air Force Academy/Naval Academy and Officers Training Academy (OTA) for Permanent Commission and Short Service Commission respectively.

Candidates who qualify in written exam must go through the Interview of SSB together with medical tests. SSCOs may serve for the duration of ten years, which can be extended to fourteen years. Nevertheless, they can choose permanent commission after completing ten years or look for release when they complete 5 years’ service.

#3 Territorial Army

Being a part of the Regular Army, the Territorial Army has the present role of relieving the Regular Army from the static duties and help civil administration manage natural calamities along with maintenance of vital services in circumstances where lives of communities are affected or the nation’s security is endangered and delivering units for the Regular Army when needed.

Selection procedure and recruitments of Territorial Army

Selection procedure for civilian candidates: Candidates who have submitted correct application forms are called for written exam as well as the interview for getting screened by a PIB (Preliminary Interview Board) at the respective Headquarters of TA Group. Successful candidates will then go through an SSB (Service Selection Board) and Medical Board to be finally selected.

How to become an Army Officer when the age is over for NDA?

#4 10+2 Technical Entry Scheme (TES):

After qualifying 10+2 CBSE/State Board Examination/CSE with minimum total marks of 70% in chemistry, physics, and mathematics, candidates are eligible for making an application to be commissioned under 10+2 TES.

When they succeed in SSB and are declared medically fit, they go through 1-year elementary military training and subsequently go through the 3-year course of engineering degree prior to receiving Permanent Commission. When they are commissioned, they will be additionally put through training of post-commissioning for 1 year.

#5 University Entry Scheme (UES):

Students of the pre-final year in notified engineering fields are eligible for making application for Permanent Commission in Technical Arms of the Indian Army as the Commissioned Officers through this scheme.

The Army Headquarters depute the Screening Teams to select eligible candidates by way of campus interviews. These candidates will be needed to turn up before SSB as well as Medical Board, and successful candidates go through the 1-year training of pre-commissioning at the IMA (Indian Military Academy) in Dehradun.

#6 Technical Graduates Course (TGC):

Engineering graduates of notified engineering discipline, postgraduates securing minimum aggregate marks of the second division in the notified discipline of Army Education Corp and also MSc in Dairy/Agriculture of Military Farm are eligible for making application for Permanent Commission by way of this entry.

After going through SSB and Medical Board, the chosen candidates are needed to go through 1-year of pre-commissioned training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun, prior to being commissioned.

#7  Short Service Commission (Technical) Entry:

The Scheme of Short Service Commission (Technical) offers an opportunity for recruitment of eligible graduates/postgraduates in technical fields into Technical Arms.

Subsequent to SSB and the Medical Board, the chosen candidates are needed to go through about 49 weeks of pre-commissioning training at Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. When the training is completed, they will be inducted into the Short Service Commissioned Officers.

#8 Judge Advocate General Entry:

Law graduates who have obtained at least 55% total marks in LLB, being 21-27 years old are eligible to make application for Judge Advocate General Entry. Eligible candidates will be called for interview of SSB and medical test. Afterward, it is an entry through Short Service Commission in which appropriate candidates can decide on Permanent Commission.

#9 Army Cadet College (ACC) Entry:

Eligible Other Ranks (OR) with 20-27 years of age group and at least service of two years, having the qualification of 10+2 can make application for Regular Commission.

When they qualify in written exam organized by the Directorate of Military Training, the applicants will be screened by SSB and Medical Board. The successful candidates will be trained at the Army Cadet College Wing in Dehradun for 3 years.

After completion of this, they receive the graduate degree, and subsequently, they go through 1-year pre-commission training at Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun.

Be a Soldier in the Army, Navy or Air Force

#10 Joining the Army as Personnel Below Officers Rank (PBOR)

In the Indian Army, 11 Zonal Recruiting Officers, 2 Gorkha Recruiting Depots, 1 Independent Recruiting Office as well as 59 Army Recruiting Offices on top of 47 Regimental centers conduct Army recruitment Rallies in their respective jurisdiction areas.

It is the system of the open rally through which all recruitment is performed, including recruitment of Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR). The PBOR Recruitment starts with the initial screening of hopeful candidates at the site of the rally and after that document checking, physical measurement, tests for physical fitness and medical examination are done.

The written examination is held for the candidates who are found to be eligible in every respect. Lastly, selected candidates will be sent to the respective training center for the training.

Thus, these are the 10 ways through which one can join Indian Armed Forces and be an Officer. If you want to be an Officer in Indian Defense, you must regularly check NDA Notification and Practice NDA General Ability Test Online.

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