Till 1992, Indian women didn’t have the scope to be a part of the Indian Defense Forces. However, the rule came to an end in 1992 and the defense sectors opened the doors for Indian females to be a part of the Indian Army, Airforce, or Navy and take part in actions.
Are you among those brave girls who aspire to serve the nation one day?
Do you want to invest your time serving your nation but are unaware of the routes?
Don’t worry, we are here to help you with the same.
Joining the Indian Defense Sector involves a set of processes and definite eligibility criteria. The article highlights how women can join the Indian Airforce or Army after the 12th, the basic eligibility criteria, and more.
Indian Army
Joining the Indian Army requires a minimum qualification of being a graduate. As per the Short Service Commission scheme, females willing to be a part of the Indian Army can serve for fourteen years. They are free to enter different branches like Medical, Engineering, Law, and others. The routes to join the Indian Army are three namely:
- Graduate UPSC (Non-Technical)
- Graduate UPSC (Technical)
- Graduate Non-UPSC
There’s a process to apply for these posts through the official website of the Indian Army. After application, shortlisted candidates need to move through a set of processes to be finally able to join the prestigious Indian Army. Let us discuss the three routes in detail with the respective eligibility criteria for each.
Graduate UPSC (Non-Technical)
Every year, the UPSC conducts a recruitment examination to select eligible candidates in the non-technical post. The process generally takes place twice a year, in February and September. Candidates performing well in the written exam are eligible for the further interview round conducted by Service Selection Board (SSB). The posts coming under UPSC Non-Technical branch are:
- Indian Foreign Service
- The Indian Administrative Service
- Indian Audit and Accounts Service Group A
- Indian Postal Service Group A
- Indian Revenue Service (IT) Group A
- Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Central Excise) Group A
- Indian Civil Accounts Service Group A
- Indian Railway Account Service Group A
- Indian Railway Personnel Service Group A
- The Indian Defence Estates Service Group A
- Indian Corporate Law Service Group A
- Indian Information Service, Junior Grade Group A
- Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service Group B.
Candidates aspiring to take on the UPSC Non-Technical route, need not fulfill the physical standards for the UPSC Civil Services exam. However, there is a set of eligibility criteria that the aspirant must pass.
Eligibility Criteria
The female aspirants must be graduates from a recognized university and fall between the age group of 19 and 25 years. Also, they need to be unmarried.
Graduate UPSC (Technical)
The conducting authority selects female candidates in the UPSC Technical branch entirely based on merit and so far there isn’t any record for written examination. The shortlisting is done based on the cut-off percentage that is applied to the candidate’s marks that they receive till the sixth semester in college. The UPSC Technical posts include:
- The Indian Railway Traffic Service Group A
- Indian Police Service (IPS) Group A
- Railway Protection Force (RPF) Group A
- Pondicherry Police Service Group B
- Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service Group B
The female aspirants need to fulfill certain basic eligibility requirements to be able to place their applications for the UPSC Technical post. They need to be between 20 and 27 years of age and should be unmarried.
Graduate Non-UPSC
There are two categories under the Graduate Non-UPSC category: National Cadet Corps, Judge Advocate General. Let us discuss these sub-branches in detail now.
1: National Cadet Corps (NCC)
Commonly known as the NCC, it is an organization dedicated to youth development and trains young individuals in small arms and parades. It is an excellent opportunity for female candidates to join the Indian Army through this medium. Females with active participation in the NCC training days are eligible to join the Army. Though there is a set of criteria that they need to fulfill.
Eligibility Criteria
Unmarried women in the age group of 19 and 25 are eligible to apply through this route. The candidates must be graduates from a recognized university with a total 50% aggregate. Two years of service in the NCC senior division with a minimum ‘B’ grade in the ‘C’ certificate examination is compulsory.
Short Service Commission (Judge Advocate General)
A branch in the Indian Army, the Joint Advocate General is responsible for providing legal help to the military. Candidates applying for this position need to have a law degree. Candidates cracking the interview round, need to undergo a medical test by the military hospital. Once they are declared fit, they have to go through an official training process.
Eligibility Criteria
Females applying for this position must be unmarried within the age group 21 and 27. They need to have the LLB degree from a college recognized by the Bar Council with at least 55% aggregate.
Indian Air Force
Entering the Indian Air Force will need the candidates to take the AFCAT exam. The shortlisted candidates are summoned for the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) interview round. On successful completion of the interview round, the candidates need to undergo medical tests. After they pass the test, they are free to join the prestigious Indian Air Force.
AFCAT opens the doors to three branches: Flying Branch, Technical and Non-Technical. Let us take a look!
Flying Branch
Entering the flying branch will involve flying fighter planes, helicopters, cargo aircraft, etc. Applying for this position will need the candidate to have a B.Tech/B.E. degree with a minimum of 60% marks from a recognized university. Maths and Physics in the 12th grade are compulsory too. Female candidates who hold an Air Wing Senior Division ‘C’ certificate, can directly apply to the post.
Ground Duty (Technical Branch)
Female engineering students in the age group 20 and 26 can apply for this position. There are two subcategories to the technical branch:
Aeronautical Engineer (Mechanical)
The candidate should satisfy any one of the following criteria.
- At least 4 years degree course with a minimum aggregate of 60%.
- Must have cleared Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers’ section A and B exam or Aeronautical Society of India in the regular courses.
Aeronautical Engineer (Electrical)
The candidate must fulfill any one of the below criteria.
- At least 4 years degree course with a minimum aggregate of 60%.
- Must have cleared any one of these examinations: Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers’ section A and B exam or Aeronautical Society of India or Institutes of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers.
Ground Duty (Non-Technical)
Five categories are coming under the Ground Duty Non-Technical branch. Candidates are free to apply as per their choices. Female graduates and postgraduates within the age range of 20 and 26 years are eligible to apply for these posts. Let us have a look at the subcategories.
A: Administration
There can be two duties for this post. As an Air traffic Controller, the candidate will be responsible for maintaining the law and order of the airspace management. Or, as a Fighter Controller the candidate is mainly responsible for airspace supervision. Graduates from a recognized university with a minimum 60% aggregate can apply for the administration category. Candidates clearing the Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers’ section A and B exam can apply too.
B: Accounts
Candidates with a 3-year B.Com degree or equivalent with a minimum of 60% score from a recognized university are eligible to apply for this position.
C: Logistics
The key activity of the Logistics Department is to look after the material management of the Air Force resources. Graduates in any discipline with at least 60% marks from a recognized university are eligible to apply for the posts in the Logistics department. Candidates passing the Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers’ section A and B exam can apply too.
D: Education
Joining the Education branch in the Non-technical category requires a set of eligibility criteria.
- The candidates must be graduates from recognized universities with 60% aggregate or equivalent SGPA.
- The candidate must have a MA/M.SC degree with 50% aggregate in any one of the following subjects: -English/Physics/Chemistry/Mathematics/Statistics/International Relation/Psychology/Defense Studies/Computer Science/MBA/MCA/Public Relations/Mass Communications.
E: Meteorology
The candidates must satisfy certain criteria to enter this branch as well. That is:
- Maths and Physics as compulsory subjects at the graduate level with 55% marks in both.
- Geophysics/Environment/Environmental Biology in graduation.
- A postgraduate degree with a minimum 50% marks in Mathematics/Statistics/Computer Applications/Geography/Environmental Science/Applied Physics/Ecology/Oceanography/Agricultural Meteorology.
Wrapping Up
This was all about the process to join the Indian Army or the Indian Air Force as a female candidate. We wish you all the luck in your endeavor.
