Question

State the following criteria with regards to Short Service Commission (Non-Technical) Women:
(i) Educational Qualification
(ii) Age.

Hint:

All female candidates selected for the Short Service Commission (Non-Technical) undergo intensive, high-standard military training for a duration of 49 weeks at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Short Service Commission (SSC):
The SSC allows young women to serve as commissioned officers in the Indian Army for an initial period of $10\text{ years}$, extendable by another $4\text{ years}$ (total of $14\text{ years}$). The selection is made through the UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination (CDSE) or direct NCC Special Entry.

Step 2: Detailing (i) Educational Qualification:
To join the SSC (Non-Technical) Women entry:
• Candidates must hold a Bachelor's Degree (Graduation) in any discipline (B.A., B.Sc., B.Com., B.C.A., B.Tech, etc.) from a recognized university or equivalent institution.
• NCC Special Entry Requirement: If entering through the direct NCC entry route (without a written exam), they must have a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in their degree course, have served at least $2$--$3$ years in the Senior Wing (SW) of the NCC, and have obtained a minimum of a 'B' Grade in the NCC 'C' Certificate Exam.

Step 3: Detailing (ii) Age Limit:

• The candidate's age must be between 19 and 25 years at the time of commencement of the course at the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai.
• This means they must fit within the specific date-of-birth windows published in the official Army recruitment notifications twice a year.