Women in defence

There is a Women's Special Entry Scheme (officers) for women between 19-27 years of age. Women’s entry is only after graduate, post graduate or an engineering graduate level. A woman officer gets to serve up to seven years extendable to fourteen years after being trained at respective academies for basic training. Entry is based on selection by the Army/Navy/Air force Selection Board. The following are the criteria’s for women to join armed forces.

Personality traits
Effective intelligence, courage, sense of responsibility, ability to reason, determination, ability to organize group activity, take the initiative, self-confidence, alacrity in making balanced decisions, social adaptability; and excellent powers of expression are useful traits for an aspiring defence officer

Eligibility
General Eligibility conditions demand that a candidate must be - a citizen of India (subjects of Bhutan, Nepal, Tibetan refugees or migrants from the rest of the Indian subcontinent with the intention of settling permanently in India can also apply). In addition, candidates must be physically fit in accordance with the prescribed physical standards. They should be unmarried males or female.

Entry exams
Different defence sector that is army navy and air force have devised different methods to incorporate women into their sectors.

Selection boards
Candidates, who qualify are called for Selection board. Most of the tests require an average intelligence. The testing is spread over a period of 3-4 days at least and is a thorough as well as an elaborate process. A three-pronged approach is followed by the Selection board.

1. Personal interview
2. Outdoor test or group task officer tests
3. Psychological testing apparatus

In this stage the purely spontaneous and natural responses of the candidate are sought to be accessed by the Selection board. The tests are administered on an individual basis and also in groups. During the course of this subtle testing pattern, candidates are under observation throughout.
Selection board’s primary aim is to select individuals with the potential to be groomed into, and trained as, officers for the defence services finally. Motivation for joining the defence forces is an important question to be prepared for the interview. Everything is assessed while the interview is on – verbal answers as well as non-verbal attitude, gestures, stance, power of expression, self confidence, self assurance etc.

The Selection board pattern includes a number of physical tests to evaluate the candidate’ s stamina, physical fitness, aptitude for physical activity, flexibility of the body, agility as well as courage for making daring attempts.
The psychological testing apparatus comprises verbal and non – verbal exercise, word association exercise, thematic apperception, situation reaction, self appraisal, aptitude for logical reasoning and objectivity.