CAREER IN ARMY

The Indian Army consists of armed personnel (troops), their equipment, weapons and military bases. The Army also comes to civilian aid during various types of emergencies like floods, earth quakes, during civil riots and insurgencies, etc. Faced with hostile neighbors, a long border and a none too stable internal situation in some parts, the Indian Army confronts challenges for the integrity of the Nation. That it has given a good account of itself both in peace and war is a credit to the Indian Army's gallant soldiers and the officers who have led them.

The Army is made up of Regiments and Corps, each of which has a specific military function. New recruits join a regiment of a corps which allows them to develop their interests and skills within the Army. Combat arms are actively involved in fighting while other arms such as transport, supply, medical services provide a range of essential support services.

Continuous training and exercises keep the troops combat–ready. They are trained for high mobility and tremendous fire power.

The Prospects

The army has two main divisions - Combat and Non-combat, which are further classified as per their functions.
Combat: This is where the action is where you are on the front fighting the battles or preparing for any such eventuality as well as ensuring peace within the country.

The various classifications in Combat are:

• Infantry: As an infantry officer you'll lead soldiers and be responsible for defending the borders as well as launching counter attacks on the enemy. You can expect a lot of walking here. There haven't been much advances in warfare technology and can involve hand-to-hand combat with the enemy. In addition, you can volunteer to be a commando in the Special Forces.
• Artillery: You'll be responsible for guns with a range up to 30 kilometers. 'Softening up' enemy positions before an attack by the infantry will be handled by you. You'll also handle surface-to-surface missiles in the artillery. Under artillery, you could also join the Army Aviation Corps, as a helicopter pilot, they search enemy positions and report them to the artillery.
• Air defence artillery is another offshoot of the artillery. Here you will be involved with air defence guns and missiles and shoot down enemy aircraft.
• Armour: Simply speaking this means tank. You will hit the enemy fast and hit him hard. Mobility and firepower are the key factors in this field and you will devise new methods to implement them.
• Now for the divisions in the Non-Combat group:
• Engineers: Your work will vary from building bridges to clearing minefields as well as regular engineering work on a day to day basis.
• Signals: Here you'll be in charge of communications, develop methods to ensure secrecy and break enemy communication codes. You will also be responsible for the upkeep of the equipment.
• Intelligence Corps: You'll be involved in the collection, analysis and interpretation of information like movement of troops, preparations etc. about the enemy.
• Education Corps: Training is important. Huh? You will teach subjects from English language to new techniques of warfare and devise courses on subjects such as computers, communication,etc.
• Judge Advocate General or Law Cadre: In the army discipline comes first. As a lawyer or a judge in the JAG, you will be responsible for strictly enforcing the laws. You will also handle civilian cases brought against the army.
• Veterinary Corps: Yes, animals too contribute to the defence of this country. Your job will include training ensuring the wellbeing of the animals.
• Army Supply Corps and Ordinance Corps: Here, you will be responsible for ensuring the supply of food and much more. You will deliver weapons, ammunition, clothing and medical supplies… in fact everything from a pin to a plane.
• Army Medical Corps: You will be a doctor like no other. During a war - your operation theatre will be a small tent otherwise you will be posted at one the many army stations taking care of the vast army and their families.
• Army Nursing Corps: You will be working as nurse in army hospitals and in the war field. Only women are eligible.
• Army Dental Corps: You will be working as dentists in army dental hospitals.

The Job

The Indian Army constitutes of the Infantry, Armoured Tanks, Artillery, Engineers, Communication troops and other support troops who look after clothing, food, transportation, repair of equipments and give medical help.
Infantry
Has a number of regiments and forms almost 25% of the Army. It plays a major role during war and in the Army's peace keeping tasks.

• Fights the enemy on foot by using rifles, sten guns, grenades, machine-guns, mortars, anti tank guns, small rockets, etc.
• Holds the ground by physically occupying it during invasions or defends the ground and borders during peace.
• Uses armored personnel carriers and other vehicles for rapid movement.
• Officers specialize in handling of various types of arms and rockets, etc.

Armoured Corps

The most prestigious arm of the army.

• Constituted by armored regiments they destroy enemy tanks or are used in attacking the enemy.
• Used for enemy reconnaissance for gathering tactical information and for countering any airborne enemy landing.
• Move swiftly and advance deep into enemy territory along with infantry in armored personnel carriers.

Artillery

There are two sub-divisions :

•  Air defence guns and missiles:

1. Used for defending vulnerable targets like airfields, vital defence installations installations of economic and catastrophic importance such as dams, nuclear power houses etc. from enemy air attack.

• Field guns, rockets and tactical missiles:

1. Used for ground fire support to infantry or armored regiment.
2. Air observation personnel fly helicopters, guide their artillery fire and fire rockets on enemy positions.
3. Drop troops behind enemy lines, supply arm and ammunitions to troops.

Engineers

• Help in rapid movement of the three arms by building roads, bridges, airfields and destroying enemy bridges, putting obstacles for enemy movement, laying mine fields for their defence and destroying enemy minefields.
• Construct camps and accommodating for troops
• Prepare helipads, roads, electric power stations for camps.
• Carry out survey work, make maps and destroy unexploded bombs.
• Signals Personnel
• Provide, operate, maintain communication link between all troops in the battle field, all army establishments, between other arms and civil requirements as per army's need.
• Specialize in control of electronic warfare. Modern, rapid and accurate communication are an essential part of army weapon system.
• Army Service Corps (ASC)
• Involved in the mobility of troops, vehicles, food, petrol and other fuels, arms and ammunitions, movement of men and material by train and port operations.
• Responsible for providing rations for troops, clothing, fuel and ammunition and for storing them.
• They are incharge of field postal services in forward areas, and also have courier service for carrying classified documents.
• Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME)
• The working staff includes Mechanical Engineers, Electrical/Electronic Engineers, Aeronautical Engineers, Electronics and Communication Engineers. For this branch army recruits engineers for their officer cadres and trains them further according to its needs.
• Service, maintain, repair and fabricate technical equipments. From rifles to vehicles, missiles, tanks, other weapons, communication equipment, helicopters, electric equipments, in fact all what army requires and can be used after repairs, is the concern of EME

Personality Traits

• Patriotic
• Enjoy interacting with people
• Outgoing & Pleasant Personality
• Enjoy Hard work
• Discipline
• Commitment & dedication
• Diplomatic
• Ability to keep situations under control in crisis
• Patient

Salaries
In the Army, there are two kinds of promotions, an Acting promotion and a substantive promotion. Acting promotion takes place when personnel are promoted before their stipulated time for various reasons. The main benefit of the acting promotion is that you get promoted faster than in the case of the substantive. However, the flipside is that, while in case of an acting promotion, one can get demoted, in case of a substantive promotion, it is otherwise.

For post-retirement, in case of a substantive promotion, one gets a pension pertaining to the position one holds while retiring. While in the acting promotion, one gets pension corresponding to the position one less than the rank at the time of retirement.
Substantive promotion: service limits for substantive promotions -

Lieutenant    Lieutenant
Captain    Captain
Major    Major
Lieutenant Colonel from Major    Lieutenant Colonel from Major
Lieutenant Colonel from Major    Lieutenant Colonel from Major
Colonel    Colonel
Brigadier    Brigadier
Major General    Major General
Lieutenant General    Lieutenant General
General    General
Acting Promotion: Minimum service limits for acting promotions -
Captain    Captain
Major    Major
Lt. Colonel    Lt. Colonel
Brigadier    Brigadier
Major General    Major General
Lt. General     Lt. General
Money Salary scale differs from rank to rank ranging from Rs. 8,500 to Rs. 30,000 besides the various facilities. In addition to the normal salaries, army officers also receive rank pay. They also receive numerous other benefits in the form of free rations. Army officers are also entitled to medical facilities, gratuity and retirement allowances. 

Study Routes

Class XII  with sciences (PCM) is required to be eligible for the entrance exam.
Physical standards required:

Height and weight : The minimum acceptable height and weight for women in 142 cm and 36 Kg respectively.
Vision : Visual acuity (min). Distant Vision (corrected). Better eye 6/6. Worse eye 6/18. Myopia of not more than minus 5.5 D including astigmatism. To be passed as fit, a candidate must be in good physical and mental health and free from any disability likely to interfere with the efficient performance of duty.

Most Advertisements & Recruitment take place in January & July and Advertisement for the same come out in April / May and November / December. Applications are made to Addl. Dte. Gen of Recruiting (SSC (Tech.) Entry) Army HQs West Block-3, R.K.Puram, New Delhi-66.

Area    Eligibility    Method    Other Information
Under- Graduate Entry
National Defence Academy (NDA)    161/2 to 19 yrs.
12th Std pass    NDA Exam    -
Technical Branch / Engineering    12th Std. PCM (min. 70%)    SSB Exam & Interview    Total Training 41/2 yrs.
6 mths IMA Dehradun & 21/2 yrs in Eng. College in Pune, New Delhi, Secunderabad or Mhow
Permanent Commission
Direct Entry – Civilians    19-24 years. Bachelor Degree    Combined Defence Services Exam (CDSE) & SSB Int.    32 seats reserved for

NCC Cadets

Engineering Graduates    20 – 27 years. Engineering in Civil/Mechanical/Architecture/
Electronic/Aeronautical     -    1 year training at IMA Dehradun
Military Farming    20-27 years. Degree in Dairying / agriculture    SSB Interview & Departmental Screening Board    -

Short-Term Commission

Officers Training Academy, Madras (OTA)    19-25 years. Graduate Degree    CDSE Exam & SSB Interview    44 weeks training program

Technical / Engineering     20-27 years. Engineering Degree    SSB Interview.     44 weeks training in OTA Chennai.
JAG    20-27 years. Law Degree holders (min 50%)    Written Exam conducted by JAG's Deptt. in March SSB Interview. Apply to JAG's Deptt. Army Hqs. Sena Bhawan, New Delhi 110 011    -

Women Special Entry Scheme (Officers) in Education / Law Administrative / Logistics branch    19-27 years. Post Graduates/ Graduates with diploma in specified subject / LLB (Professional) / Engg Degree    SSB Interview.     -
Commissions for Women in the Army (Short Service)

Army Service Corps (ASC) (Food scientists)    21 – 27 years    M.Sc in Organic Chemistry/Biochem/ Micro Biology/ Biochem     -

Army Ordinance Corps (AOC)

19 – 25 yrs. Graduates (min 60%) in any subject with Dip in Comp.Sc/ Material Management/ or with Commerce/ Economics Science graduates with any subject with Dip in Comp. Sc/Material Management/or with Physics/Chemistry    -    -

Army Technical Branch Entry

Army education Corps (AEC)    21-27 yrs. PG Degree    -    -
Signals    19 – 25 yrs. BE Telecommunication/ Electronics/Computer Science/Computer Engin.    -    -
EME    19 – 25 yrs. M.Sc.(Computer Science)/MCA/BE (Computer Sc & Engg) BE (Electronics) /BE (Electronics/Comp/Mech    -    -
Details of how to apply and of the examination pattern are available at the Indian Armed Forces website http://armedforces.nic.in and at The Union Public Service Commission website http://www.upsc.gov.in.

Source : Compass One

Date: 27th Nov., 2009

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