Join Indian Army

The Indian youth is inclined to join the Indian Army, however, many of them are unaware of the opportunities the Indian Army provides. Indian Army is considered one of the most prestigious jobs. Once the candidates join as officers at the Lieutenant position, they will earn stripes over the years. After that, they will be promoted as Major, Captain, Lt Colonel, Brigadier, Lt General, Major General, etc. Check NDA exam 2022 here. Here in this video you will get to know about How to Join Indian Army?, Best ways to Join Indian Army and many more related details.

The Indian Army offers two types of positions:

• Officer (With exam and without exam)
• Personnel below Officer Rank (With exam)

Solve NDA Previous Years’ Practice Papers.

A. Joining Indian Army as an Officer

The aspirants, who will join as an Officer in Indian Army, will hold the position of authority. They will be the future leaders, who will lead the fellows on the battlefield.

Though the Indian Army recruits the officers at the young age of 16-19 years, nevertheless, there are opportunities for graduates, postgraduates, and working people.

The Indian Army provides two types of commission:

• Permanent Commission
• Short Service Commission

Permanent Commission: Permanent Commission of the Indian Army is the career in the Indian Army until one retires. The entries under the permanent commission are NDA, TES, CDS (IMA), etc.

Short Service Commission: This particular commission refers to a service of 10 years. Once the 10 years service will be completed, the officers will get three options:

• Either he can choose the permanent commission, Or,
• He can extend his service up to 4 years, Or,
• He can opt-out.

Some of the entries under short service commission are SSC Tech, CDS (OTA), JAG entry, NCC entry, etc.

Moreover, the above entries can be categorized into the following:

• Direct Entry
• Written Entry

Steps to Join Indian Army with Exam

Written entries are those in which the candidates have to qualify for the written test to get into the Indian Army. Here in the following section, the list of written entries is discussed:

1. National Defence Academy (NDA): The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) commences the NDA exam biannually, for the age group of 16.5 years to 19.5 years. The exam is usually held in the months of August and March. The candidates, who are appearing either in class 12 or who have passed, are eligible to apply for the NDA exam. The final selection will be done once the candidates will successfully go through the three rounds of the exam: written test, SSB Interview, and medical test. Also, check the NDA Exam Pattern here.

The NDA notification comes out usually in December-January and May-June for the April and September months exams respectively. Check NDA Exam Dates 2022 here.

2. Combined Defence Service (CDS): Similar to the NDA, the CDS exam will be commenced twice a year by the UPSC. The aspirants should be graduates and they should be belonging from the age group of 19-24 years if they are willing to apply for the IMA (Indian Military Academy). The aspirants from the age group of 18-25 years can also apply for the OTA (Officers Training Academy). Also, check the CDS eligibility criteria 2022. The notification will come out in October and June for February and November exams respectively. Check CDS Exam Date 2022 here.
3. Territorial Army (TA): The Territorial Army (TA) exam is a good option for those aspirants, who are already employed. To apply for the exam, the candidates have to belong from the age group of 18-42 years. Check Territorial Army Eligibility Criteria here. Kindly note down that it is not a regular job and the aspirants will be called for as per the requirement.

The aspirants have to go through the written test, Preliminary Interview Board (PIB), SSB interview, and medical test. Check the Territorial Army exam pattern here.

Steps to Join Indian Army without Exam

Direct entries are those in which the candidates do not need to go through the SSB Interview round, but also the shortlisting will be done based on the percentage obtained in class 12 or graduation. Here the list of direct entries has been highlighted:

1. Technical Entry Scheme (TES): If the aspirants obtained 70% marks in class 12th Science stream, then they will be eligible for the TES direct entry. The age criteria of the candidates are 16.5 years to 19.5 years.

To apply for the exam, the interested candidates should enroll their names through the official website, joinindianarmy.nic.in. Based on the cutoff percentage, the candidates will be called for the SSB interview. The notification will come out in May/June and October/November.

2. Short Service Commission Technical (SSC Tech): If the aspirants have completed engineering, then they are eligible to apply for the SSC Tech exam. The shortlisted employees will serve the army under Short Service Commission. The notification of this exam will be released in July and December/January.
3. Judge Advocate General Entry (JAG): If the candidates complete LLB and secure a minimum of 50% marks, then they will be eligible for the Bar Council of India. Once the candidates will be shortlisted after their registration, they will be called for the SSB interview. The age criteria of the candidates are 21 to 27 years. The notification of this exam will come in July and January.

4 National Cadet Corps Special Entry (NCC): The NCC entry test is ideal for young graduates, who have completed 2 years of service experience in the senior division army. To apply for the post, the aspirants should successfully attain a B grade in NCC “C” certificate. The candidates are also required to secure 50% marks in graduation and should belong from the age group of 19-25 years to apply for the exam. The notification of this exam will come in July/ August and January.

Kindly note down that the Indian Army has closed the Technical Graduate Course (TGC) and University Entry Scheme (UES) to boost the strength of the SSC Tech-Entry.

The CDS (OTA), SSC Tech, NCC Special Entry, JAG Entry, TA is open for Women and Men.

B. Joining Indian Army as a Personnel below Officer Rank (PBOR)

The Personnel below the officer rank comprises combat, service, technical and administrative troops.

They are further categorized into the following ranks:

• Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO)
• Other Ranks (OR)

The below-highlighted chart depicts several entries by which the candidates can join the army as an OR/JCO:

The recruitment entails a physical fitness test (qualifying test) and a written test.

The Physical fitness test for OR/JCO recruitment will be 100 marks and it consists of:

• 1.6 km run
• Pull-ups
• Balancing Beam
• 9 Feet ditch.

The marks will be awarded as per the following basis:

The 1.6 Km run is a total of 60 marks.

The Pull-ups is a total of 40 marks:

Balancing beam and 9 feet ditch category are only of the qualifying level and no marks will be awarded. The aspirants will have to appear for the written examinations after these tests.

Indian army completes the final recruitment process based on the Physical Efficiency Test and SSB Interview. After the final selection process, the candidates will be gone through 49 weeks of training at OT Chennai and they will receive the prescribed salary.