How to join Indian Army as an Officer

“How to join Indian Army as an Officer” is the question that arises in the minds of many army freaks who want to serve the Indian Army. Let’s try to find out the answer to this frequently asked question.

Information on Indian Army

Information on Indian Army starts with the fact that it is one of the largest land-based forces in the world. It has fought four major wars and engaged in various counter-terrorism operations in and outside India since the country’s independence. Most of the operations led by the Indian army are successful due to its battle-hardened nature. 

The tasks of Indian army are not only confined to protecting borders or eliminating terrorists in operations but also to actively participate in several emergency humanitarian relief operations such as rescue in various disasters such as floods, cyclones, earthquakes and many more to provide aid to its fellow citizens.

 

Apart from performing these duties, the Indian army is also the largest contributor to the UN Peacekeeping Missions. So far our army has taken part in more than 43 UN missions in different countries across the globe such as Sudan, Angola, Lebanon, Congo, Sri Lanka and many more countries.

The Indian army is the largest volunteer army in the world as the eagerness among youth to join this elite force is enormous and the desire for that olive green uniform is tremendous which is increasing at a rapid pace. If you haven’t decided to join this elite force then these important pieces of information on  Indian army will surely force you to. 

Recruitment in Indian Army

For many of us, recruitment in Indian army or simpler terms joining Indian army is not just a profession but a sheer passion. Also, it is a matter of pride and honour to serve your country at the highest level that isn’t available at any other place.

To join Indian army and become a commissioned officer, you have to understand the commissioning system that is followed to recruit new officers in this prestigious force. This system is categorized based on the tenure of your service in the army. It is divided into two categories:

Permanent Commission (PC)

Permanent Commission in the Indian army is granted through Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun & Officer Training Academy (OTA-G) in Gaya. While opting for this commission you are looking for a permanent career in the army i.e. till the retirement as the tenure in PC is generally more than 20 years of active service. 

You should know the importance of this commission as all senior ranked officers in the Indian Army are through this very commission. You have to be from PC to attain a higher rank in the Indian army.

Earlier PC was granted only to the males but now after the recent Supreme Court order, our female officers are also eligible for it. In this decision, our supreme court has directed the army to grant Permanent Commission to female soldiers in non-combat roles. This is one of most awaited reforms in Indian army since its inception.

Short Service Commission (SSC)

Short Service Commission is the other commission of the two granted in Indian Army. It is granted through Officer training Academy (OTA-C) in Chennai. In SSC you are looking to serve the army for a brief period of 10 years which can be extended to four more years on request. An officer is free to leave after 10 years of active service in the army. 

You can see an officer commissioned through SSC will find it difficult to go beyond the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at max. So those who are eying the higher ranks should choose it carefully. Though, it is the best option for those aspirants who want to serve the army for a short duration to pursue their other life goals.

As told in the above paragraph, earlier Short Service Commission was the only option for female candidates but now they too have their share of choices under PC.

These two commissions are granted through two different entries:

1) Written Entry (With written exam)

2) Direct Entry (Without written exam)

Written Entry

In a written entry, a candidate has to go through a three-stage selection process. The first of the three stages is a written exam which is usually conducted by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) or by Indian Army itself. 

If you clear this written exam, then you have to go for the second stage called SSB (Service Selection Board) where your personality will be assessed in and out for 5 days.

After the recommendation from SSB, you have to go for the final stage i.e. medicals where you will have your whole body assessed according to prescribed military standards. Based on these three stages a final merit list is prepared in accordance with the published vacancies for that particular course. 

In this entry, the final merit list is prepared according to your marks in the written exam and SSB process while medicals are of qualifying nature. Both PC and SSC commissions are available under this written entry process.

Direct Entry

In Direct entry, the written exam is not present, unlike written entry where you have to clear the written exam, here in this entry you have to just clear the other two stages to get your name in the final merit list. 

In this entry you will get your call for SSB based on your marks obtained in either 12th class and marks in graduation or Post-graduation Course depending upon your choice of exam and this entry is fully conducted by the Indian army. Here, the final merit list is prepared according to your marks in SSB while medicals are here too is of qualifying nature. Both PC and SSC commissions are available under this direct entry process.

Written Entries under Permanent Commission

1) NDA Exam

Many aspirants have this question “How to join Indian Army after class 12th? “. NDA (National Defence Academy) Exam is the best possible answer to them as this exam is conducted by UPSC twice a year for those aspirants who are of age 16 years to 19.5 years of age. 

Though it is a tri-service entry, where service (Army/Air Force/Navy) is given as per your choice and marks obtained in this exam. This is a written based exam which is usually conducted twice a year in April and September. This exam is most important for those aspirants who are eyeing higher ranks in Indian Armed forces in respective services of their choice. This written exam consists of two sets of papers which are conducted in two different shifts on the same day of examinations. 

The two papers are Mathematics which contains 300 marks and General Ability which contains 600 marks as this combination makes this written stage consisting of 900 marks in total. We all know it is a written based exam, which is conducted in three stages as discussed in the earlier section. You have to clear written exams, SSB and medicals to get your name in the final merit list and join National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla,Pune.

2) CDS Exam 

This written entry of Combined Defence Examination popularly known as CDS is for all graduated aspirants who have this dream to join Indian armed forces. This exam is the same as the NDA exam is a tri-service entry exam where the force of your choice is allotted as per your personal choice and marks obtained in this exam.

For those aspirants, this is a golden opportunity that somehow is not able to crack NDA exam in their younger age. This exam is conducted by UPSC twice a year in February and September. This is a unique exam as it provides you with the opportunity of PC and SSC at the same time. While we are talking about PC at this point, you can join IMA (Indian Military Academy), AFA (Air Force Academy) and INA (Indian Naval Academy).

This examination is conducted in three stages as in the written stage there are 3 sets of papers conducted in 3 different shifts on the same day of examination that you have to clear to qualify for SSB. These papers are Mathematics, English Language and General Knowledge. Here all papers contain the same 100 marks each with making a total of 300 marks for the exam. After clearing the other two processes (SSB and Medicals) you can get your name in the final merit list prepared by UPSC.

3) ACC Entry

ACC stands for Army cadet College, this entry is a written based PC entry where serving personnel from the Other Ranks or Non-Commissioned Officers of Tri-services are given a chance to be a commissioned officer in Indian army. This entry is not available for civilian aspirants as only serving personnel of armed forces can apply for this entry.

The eligibility criteria for all candidates have to be at least 12th class pass with minimum service of 2 years as other ranks. This exam is fully conducted & coordinated by the Military training Directorate. All personnel with the age of 20 years to 27 years can apply for this entry.

After successfully clearing all three stages like the other two entries, all candidates will go for the training of 3 years in IMA (Indian Military Academy) under ACC wing. Here they will be given full military training with a graduation degree at the end of their term. After that, there is one more year’s pre-commission training at IMA Dehradun.

Direct Entries under Permanent Commission

1) 10+2 Tech Entry

This is a direct entry where there is no written exam and candidates are called for SSBs according to their marks in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM). This entry scheme is dedicated for all 12th class passed science stream students who want to join technical wings of Indian Army.

The age of a candidate should be in the range of 16 years to 19 years. According to marks in PCM subjects a merit list based on PCM percentage cut off is prepared by Indian Army as they are the sole custodians of this examination. According to the cut off decided in this merit list, candidates are called for SSBs in different SSB centres in India. After this stage, they have gone through the third and the final stage i.e. medicals to clear this entry.

2) UES Entry

University Entry Scheme is a special entry scheme for engineering graduates and final year engineering students who want to join Indian army as a technical officer under PC without any written exam. In this entry, a candidate should have an age in the range of 18 years to 24 years.

In UES entry a candidate has to undergo a preliminary interview test conducted by Command Headquarter of Indian Army. The shortlisted candidates from this interview are sent for SSB and further for medicals.

3) TGC Entry

Technical Graduate Entry is a direct entry scheme for tech graduates whose age lies in between 21 years and 27 years. In this entry, a streamwise merit list is prepared according to your marks in the engineering degree course. For this, you have to complete your degree in a prescribed time frame.

After the declaration of this merit list, a candidate will be called for SSB and medicals. This exam is conducted by the Indian Army and the training of this entry is held in IMA Dehradun.

Written Entries under Short Service Commission (SSC)

CDS Exam

Yes, you can also get an SSC commission via CDS Exam as there is a choice while filling up the form for this examination. In this exam you can opt for Officer Training Academy (OTA-C) as for this you will be granted SSC instead of PC.

This is a written based exam where you have to clear all three stages to get into the final merit list. If you opt for OTA in CDs exam, then your written exam process will be little different from PC as here you have only two papers to clear against the three for PC in the same examination.

In this, you have to clear the same English Language and General Knowledge paper as you are exempted from appearing in Mathematics paper. So a candidate has to clear these two papers to get into the merit list for SSBs and after that medical will be held and the final merit list is prepared.

Direct entries under Short Service Commission (SSC)

1) NCC Special Entry

NCC stands for National Cadet Corps which is a youth wing of Armed Forces in India. As the name suggests it is a special entry for those candidates who are NCC-C certificate holders with A or B grade in their respective universities. 

The other requirement in this entry for NCC certificate holders is the minimum 50 per cent marks in their graduation degree course but the best thing for candidates under this entry is that there isn’t any merit list prepared for SSB process as all candidates applying for this entry are called for SSB. 

After clearing all the stages in this entry a candidate is called for training in Officer Training Academy (OTA-C) where they are trained with the same CDS-OTA SSC candidates as these NCC special entry candidates are exempted from CDS-OTA exam. They are not allowed to appear for both entries at the same time. Though they can appear for CDS but only for permanent commission process.

2) SSC-Tech Entry

This is a direct entry for both men and women engineering students who want to join Indian Army under SSC commission. All engineering graduates & final year students can apply for this entry. For this entry, a candidate’s age should be in the range of 19 years to 27 years.

This entry is held differently for men and women as for males it is called SSC TECH MEN and for females, it is called SSC TECH WOMEN. In this entry, a separate stream-based merit list is prepared according to marks in the engineering degree course. According to this merit list, candidates are called for SSB and Medicals. The training of successful candidates is conducted in OTA-C.

3) JAG Entry

Judge Advocate General Entry a special entry scheme through which law officers of the Indian army are recruited. This is a dedicated entry to enrol Law graduates or LLB degree holders with minimum 55 per cent marks in the final result of their degree course. Both male and female candidates can apply for this entry scheme.

Candidates applying for this entry should be eligible for registration as an advocate with the Bar Council of India or any state in India. The selection process involves the shortlisting of candidates based on final marks in the degree course and shortlisted candidates are called for SSBs and medicals thereafter.

The process is monitored by Integrated HeadQuarters (ARMY) under the Ministry of Defence. After the completion of the whole process, final merit is prepared and successful candidates are sent for their training in OTA-C.

Medical Services Entries

1) AFMC Entry

AFMC stands for Armed Forces Medical College. If you want to make a career in the medical profession as a doctor and have this desire to join Indian armed forces then this entry is for you. In this special entry, both Permanent and Short Service commissions are granted by AFMC in all three services.

For permanent commission, you have to appear for NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) which is a common entrance exam to be an MBBS doctor in the country. The marks of this exam are also applicable for AFMC entry as admission in AFMC is given based on these marks. The Age for this entry is in the range of 17 years to 22 years.

You can also join AFMC and be a doctor in armed forces after your MBBS for SSC entry in the tri-services as only doctors from AFMC are given the permanent commission. For this entry, the age of the candidate should not exceed 45 years. Also, doctors with postgraduate degrees can apply for this entry.

Selected candidates by the marks in NEET exam will be called for an interview and after this process, the successful candidates will be sent for medicals. Then a final merit list is prepared and successful candidates will join Armed Forces Medical College, Pune for their training.

2) ADC Entry

ADC stands for Army Dental Service. Only BDS degree holders who have practised for at least one year can apply for this entry. Age criteria are the same as the AFMC entry for SSC. 

You can apply for PC while serving the Army Dental Corps as at first you are entitled to Short Service Corps only. Postgraduates in BDS can also apply for this entry. Rest of the eligibility rules are the same as the AFMC entry.

Territorial Army (TA)

Territorial Army Entry is a special entry scheme by the army to accommodate those working professionals who want to serve in the army but don't want to quit their job in which they are already working. TA wants these interested candidates to be self-employed in a profession outside the army as they will serve in the TA for a brief time a year i.e. 3 months to 9 months a year.

TA is regarded as the second line of defence as it is not a part of the regular army. Its main role is to support the regular army in times of emergency or dire need. TA has achieved some remarkable feats in various emergency operations such as natural calamities, wartime rescue work, assisting regular forces in maintenance and many more.

Joining the Territorial Army is a great opportunity for those defence enthusiasts who somehow couldn’t join the regular army. You can perform your civil as well as defence-related duties while serving in TA. This can fulfil their desire to don the olive green. Age to join the Ta force is from 18 years to 42 years while the eligibility criteria are graduation with employment source or should have a source of income.

The selection in TA is done based on a written exam which is followed by a preliminary selection board interview and then further a candidate is sent to the final SSB procedure based on performance in the above stages. Then with the successful SSB process, a final merit list is prepared.

Many celebrities are part of Territorial Army such as Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Abhinav Bindra, Kapil Dev, Mohan Lal, Anurag Thakur, Sachin Pilot, Deepak Rao and many such personalities.

Conclusion

We can conclude from the facts mentioned above that the Indian Army is focusing on candidates from Tech background to join the army as there are several entries for them to join whether PC or SSC. But this doesn’t mean that those from Non-Tech backgrounds are in any way neglected. 

Joining one of the best armies in the world is not an easy task which you can feel after analyzing our article. We live in a country with a huge population and to get into the army as an officer is not a cakewalk. You have to be at your best to get into one of those academies which is a dream for many. So if you want to join Indian Army as an officer, start working hard from now academically, physically and mentally.

If you want to know the full SSB procedure then wait for our next article which will be a fully dedicated article on the process of Service Selection Board.

Written By:  Nitesh Bisht

Edited By:  Mukul Budakoti .