Women in Defence services

The defence services are no longer a privilege mail domain. Today more and more women making zealous inroads in to traditionally male preserve. Women can find a lot of opportunities in the medical and nursing services in the armed forces. Medicine/nursing: after finishing education at +2 level, The aspirant can join either for MBBS programme at the armed force medical college, Pune or for B.sc nursing programme at the armed forces nursing school the successful completion of either of these programme would ensure the commission in the defence service. The B.SC nursing curse is exclusively reserved for girls, While the MBBS course at AFMC has 25 seats reserved for girls.
Other choices:
Children of armed service personnel and ex-army pensioners can seek admission for
a. BE at army institute of technology at Pune
b. Bachelor of hotel management (BHM)at the army institute of hotel management and catering technology, Banglore
c. BDS at the army college of dental science (ACDS),secundearabad
1. For entry in to AFMC Pune
Qualification
Education:10+2 equivalent with english,physics,chemistry and biology,with 60 % and above in aggregate in the science subject and 50% and above in English

Age:between 17 to 22 years on 1st July of the year of admission
Marital status :unmarried.
Selection procedure: candidate are selected on the basis of performance in the written test and interview. The written test conducted in may tests the candidates knowledge in physics, chemistry biology, intelligence, logic and reasoning of english language and comprehension. Those candidates who qualify the written test are invited for the interview in June /July. The selected candidate are required to complete their graduation at the AFMC and then proceed as permanent commission officers. Selected candidates are provided free accommodation, rations, second class travel allowance (from college to home and back during vacation) book allowance ,uniform allowance ,washing and cleaning allowance etc.
Qualification
Age:17-25 years.
Education:
pass in 10+2 equivalent in physics, chemistry and biology with minimum 50% marks.
Selection process:
Involves the written test and interview. the written test is of objective type of 1.5 hours of duration and covers such subjects as general english biology and general intelligence. Application are invited in September and October and the
exams are conducted in January. Candidate selected in the written test are called for an interview in March. Final selection is subject to the result of the medical fitness test.
selected candidates are given free training at the AFMC and on completion of training are absorbed in the rank of lieutenant in the military nursing service (MNS)
During the period of training, candidates are given a monthly stipend , free ration and accommodation and uniform allowance.
General terms in physical ability:
Height:142 cms
Weight:36 kg
Eyesight:
distant vision correcetd 6/6 better eye,6/18 wrose eye,myopia of not more than -5.5d including astigmatism.in some specific cases this may be 6/24, 6/36 corrected to 6/6 in each eye with glasses.
Physical Eligibility norms for women pilots in the IAF:Height:162.5 cms leg length:99 to 120 cms. should not be colour blind/wearing glasses. Physical Eligibility norms for women in the Indian navy:
height:148 cms
vision for linguistic&education cadres:6/36,6/60 correctable to 6/6 each eye with corrected glasses.ATC6/9 correctable to 6/6 in each eye with glasses.
*Indian army women sopecial entry scheme(WSES/officers)
Eligibility
Age:19-25 yrs for graduate degree holders;21-27 yrs for
masters degree holders.
Physical norms: same as mention earlier
Marital status: unmarried women. issueless widows/divorcees.
selection process:
there are two stages on selection process based on psychological aptitude test. Those who qualify the first proceed to the second. the tests are conducted by the service selection board (SSB) at Allahabad (up)Bhopal(m.P) and Banglore (karnataka)
Training:
selected candidate have to undergo a 6month training programme at the OTA (officers training academy) at Chennai. On completion of training candidate are granted commission in the grant of lieutenant .initial tenure for engagement is for the period of 5 years this may be extended for the further period of 5 years on the basis of individual performance.
Benefits:
Apart from the monthly salary the officer will be given finished accommodation at confessional rates, free ration ,free medical facilities, LTC, canteen facilities, 60 days annual leave and 20 days casual leave. army group insurance coverage of Rs. 2 lakh during training and Rs. 8 lakh on commissioning. The WSES provides for entry in to either: non technical ,technical and specialized serviced depending on the educational background and decision of army HQ
Type of entry and requisite qualification:
For non technical entry: BA, BCOM, BCA, BSC(pcm), BSC or any other equivalent/ higher qualification with the minimum agree gate of 60% and above marks. for candidate with NCC 'c'certificate with 'b' or higher grade an aggregate of 50% in graduation exam is the eligibility norms.

For technical entry:
BE,B TECH, or equivalent/higher qualification with civil engineering ,electrical engineering,mechanical engineering,electronics engineering,computer science and
tele communication engineering etc.

For specialist entry:
Masters degree in organic chemistry/bio chemistry,microbiology, degree or 3 years diploma in hotel management/catering technology or equivalent from government of india institute of hotel management or post graduate diploma in mass communication/ journalism/public relation or post graduate degree in physics/ maths/english/history/etc.

Services
Non technical
Army service corps(ASC)
Army ordnance corps(AOC)
corps of engineers(ENGRS)
signals(SIGS)
corps of electrical and mechanical engineering
Technical
corps of engineer(ENGRS)signals(SIGS)
corps of electrical & mechaniacl engineering.
specialist entry
Army service corps(ASC)
Intelligence corps(INT)
Army education corps(AEC)

a. law cadre
Eligibility:
age=22-27 years
education: degree in law with minimum 55% marks
b. logistics cadre
Eligibility
age -19 and half to 25 years.
Education-B.A eco/B.com with second class or degree
in any subject with degree/diploma in material/financial management.
c. air traffic control(ATC)
Eligibility
AGE:19 and half to 25 years.
Education:
B.sc with II class and 50% marks in physics and maths.
d. education branch short service commission (SSC)
Eligibility
AGE:21-25 years
education
Masters degree with 55% marks in
I physics (with maths in B.sc) or
II maths (with physics in B.sc) or
III chemistry (with physics and maths in B.sc) or
IV computer application/computer science (with either physics maths in B.sc) computer management operation research system management or
V Humanities (eng/eco/his/polsc) or
VI An engg degree in mechanical /elec/computer science/ tech/avionics/ instrumentation and control/production candidates have to undergo the rigorous process of selection with the SSB. Selected candidate join the rank of sun lieutenant and undergo naval orientation at the naval academy, Goa, The duration of ssc is 7 years and it can be extended to a maximum of 10 years.

Placement of the IAF for women:
a. flying (transport and helicopters)
Eligibility
AGE:19-23 yrs(25 yrs of CPL holders)
Education:Bsc physics ans/or maths or BE.
Technical
Eligibility
18-28 yrs
Education
degree in engg. in electronics/mech/allied subjects.
c. Ground duty officers in :administrative fighters/Air controller duties:
First clas graduates between 20-23 years of age/first or second class post graduate between 20-25 yrs/LLB degree holders between 20-26 yrs.

Accounts branch: first class B.com degree holder between 10-23 years or first second class M.COM degree holder between 20-25 years or B.com/M.com with AICWA or CA between 20-27 years

Education branch:
MA/M.SC in first second class in english/defence studies/maths/ physics/ psychology/ computer science or first second class MBA with the combination of two of the following subjects-physics, maths,statistics,psychology,defence studies ,english at BA, BSc level & aged between 20 to 25 years or PGDBA (two yrs full time and 3 yrs part time) in 1st /second class from an institute recognized by AICTE in the age group of 20 to 25 yrs. For M.ED and PH.D holders age limit is between 20-27 yrs

Meteorological branch :
AGE:20-25 yrs education M.sc with first second class in physics, applied physics, meteorology, geophysics (with meteorology and oceanography) oceanography (with specialization in meteorology )Maths and applied maths or M tech in atmospheric science with 1st or second class with physics, and maths at B.sc level. The officer like qualities (OLQ)of the candidate will be tested in period of 4-6 days at the air force selection board located at Dehradun, Varanasi and Mysore.The commission will initially be for the period of 5 years. extension of SSC or a grant for a permanent commission will be considered for deserving candidates. Selected candidate undergo training for 52 weeks at the air force academy of Hydarabad Another interesting option available is the Defence research and development organisation (DRDO) which is engaged in the pursuit of critical technology relevant to national security. The DRDO has an expensive network of well equipped laboratories conducting research in such diverse fields as aerospace & avionics, arnaments and explosives,combat vehicles,computer engg.& system analysis,electronics and communication engg.life science,naval technology,reckets and missiles.
Eligibility:
age:28 years education:BE/BTECH/Bsc(engg)degree in electronics engg./computer engg./mechanical engg. with a first class.me/m tech degree in the relevent field is desirable.
Career prospects: for women in the defence service are bright. Various routes of entry exist and the choices available are amazingly diverse. Women who are on the look out for the challenging attractive career option would do well to map this terrain thoroughly and arrive at the appropriate choice.

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