Harsha Kakar
Shortage of officers in every branch of the armed forces continues, despite captivating advertisements, variety of service options and interactions with the younger generation in almost all educational institutes, spread across the country. If the existing shortfall and the fact that only the military advertises, conveys a message that youth are unwilling to join, or the army is no longer a career of choice, then the message is misunderstood. There is no denial that the armed forces are no longer on the top of the list of careers amongst the younger generation, most of whom seek a less strenuous life, but neither is it the last nor has it lost its sheen.
The armed forces do not seek rocket scientists with theoretical knowledge, but a rocket scientist with leadership, personality and guts. Knowledgeable scientists are easy to find and initiate into the services, generally available in our top of the lot colleges, but those with leadership, personality and guts alongside knowledge,are difficult to trace. The number of candidates who appear for the initial written examinations conducted by the UPSC are immense, as also are those who are earmarked to proceed to the next level in the selection process for joining the military. Yet the shortfall continues.
Inputs are that over three lakhs appear for the UPSC exam for NDA alone, for which there are only three hundred and fifty-five vacancies alongside another fifty-five for the Naval Academy. There are equally large numbers appearing for other service options that the armed forces offer including technical graduates, direct entry graduates or even the short service commission. There have been occasions when even with such immense number of applicants, these vacancies have not been filled.
The reasons are not shortfalls in numbers which apply, as is the perception with the public, but because the armed forcesrequirethose with specific qualities, solely because the job profile demands are such.They are willing to accept temporary shortfalls, but cannot compromise on specific qualities, as in this profession, human lives are at risk.
Another misconception is that those applying, do so as a final choice. This too is wrong, as the individual which the military needs,must possess intelligence in addition to specific qualities not mandatory for any other central service or the industrial sector.Thus, not many fit the bill. Whilst some inherent individual qualities can be developed with training, others are ingrained in an individual from his childhood, hence cannot be easily altered.
The armed forces do not seek any preferential background or knowledge of language or specific schooling or college education. If he possesses basic intellect, civil and military knowledge would be imbibed with years of education and training. It seeks qualities which would make the individual stand out in a crowd, be proud of his uniform, the nation and be a leader. Hence it desires rocket scientists with specific qualities and personality.
Even those joining as technical graduates are not grilled on their technical knowledge in their selection process, which the armed forces would ensure once he joins his organization, but on his ability to lead the best fighting men in difficult terrain under most trying conditions. Thus, those who serve are the most motivated and dedicated youth capable of making the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield, such examples being galore, even in recent times.
Therefore, the selection procedure, is far more complicated than other central services, which rely on theoretical knowledge. Those who are at the top of the list of the written exam for the armed forces, irrespective of any cut off, are put through a rigorous second round. For other central services, post clearing written rounds based on theoretical knowledge,the culmination isan oral interview and merit list.
In the case of the armed forces, the aspirants undergo a Services Selection Board (SSB), where a qualified and trained team of interviewers, psychologists and ground tasking officers, minutely observe each candidate for his suitability to be a leader of men. Over a period of five days, their personality, mental robustness, confidence and other qualities are scientifically observed and documented. Only those who meet the desired standards are shortlisted. Post clearing this level, they are medically examined in detail to determine physical fitness. This is the reason why joining the military is difficult and majority who attempt, are rejected at different levels.
Those who are finally selected are truly the crème de la crème of the Lakhs who commenced the journey with the written exam and would remain so through life. It is this inherent confidence, gait, ability to stand out in a crowd which makes them markedly different in society and gives them the respect, which others do not receive.
Majority of the youth who successfully clear the tough SSB are then inducted into a variety of training institutes, where over time these qualities are honed alongside discipline,to make them leaders of men. The military has chosen this complicated selection process as it needs the best from the majority. Compromise in qualities is unacceptable, shortfallsin strength are. The armed forces are the only organization which ‘creates leaders and leads leaders’.
Numerous studies have been conducted on its selection processes and these are regularly updated and changed with time, to suit modern trends. The processes may change, but the qualities the military seeks would remain the same. After all, the armed forces are the only organization which can never fail because it has no choice, the nation depends on it.
Therefore, it is neither a career which is no longer marketable nor one which has lost its sheen. The armed forces advertise seeking a larger base because the larger the base, the better the choices. For those who were once a part of it, those presently donning the uniform and those yet to don the same, be proud of the fact that you are the crème de la crème of those who attempted to join and would always be a cut above the rest.
(The author is a retired Major General of the Indian Army)
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