How to Become a Army Officer

About Army Officer

Army officer is a soldier in the Indian Armed Forces who is in charge of managing and performing particular tasks within the organisation. The authority of an Army officer extends to all ranks. In the Indian Army, a Lieutenant is the lowest ranking officer, followed by Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, and General officer. These books are all regarded as being among the best in the Army officer series. Even the lower-ranking Lieutenant officers are directly responsible for 40 other-ranked soldiers. The responsibilities of an Army officer require the highest moral calibre and integrity. Candidates start as Lieutenants in the Army and advance to Colonels or General officers depending on their professional experience.

The Indian Army is the oldest and largest branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The primary responsibility of the armed forces is to train people to fight on land. The Indian Army is divided into divisions. In the event of a war, the Indian Army defends the country's geographical borders and fights against enemy territory. Army training includes both defensive and offensive training. The Indian Army is also crucial in carrying out relief and rescue operations during natural disasters and in counterinsurgency operations. The opportunities in the Indian Army are vast. No other profession provides such incredible opportunities to advance your skills.

What are the Roles and Responsibilities of an Army Officer?

The following are some of the major roles and responsibilities of an army officer:

• An army officer is assigned to a specific department or system to manage. As the leader of the unit, they organise the work of the organisation, delegate tasks to the experts who report to them, and ensure that the work is completed to the highest standards. An army officer must adhere to three principles: duty, honour, and country
• An Army officer's major responsibilities include planning operations, assigning tasks, effectively communicating with subordinate staff, commanding, training, and leading others
• Another important responsibility is to monitor the well-being and development of new recruits
• Another duty of an Army officer is to operate and maintain warfare systems, tools, and vehicles, as well as to use specialised knowledge and abilities in areas such as engineering, air traffic control, instruction, and administration. Writing briefings, reports, and presentations is part of an Army officer's job, as is distributing equipment, resources, and manpower and participating in field operations
• One of the most important responsibilities is, of course, making wise decisions. An army officer must have excellent decision-making skills. Making decisions that not only involve significant funding of resources but also determine the risk to a soldier's life is one of the most important tasks an army officer performs
  

Eligibility to become Army Officer

The minimum qualification required to become an army officer is Class 12. The detailed process of becoming an army officer is elaborated below:

How to become a Lieutenant in the Indian Army?

You can become Lieutenant in Indian Army in a variety of ways. A few methods for becoming a lieutenant in the Indian Army are discussed below.

Step 1: Register for the UPSC Exam and become a member of the NDA

• Cracking the UPSC NDA exam and joining the NDA programme is one of the simplest ways to become lieutenant in Indian Army
• UPSC officials will issue the NDA notification in the months of June and November. Candidates who want to join the NDA must take an entrance exam administered by UPSC officials
• Candidates who pass both rounds of interviews are eligible to join the NDA. Candidates must not only pass the entrance exam, but also meet the other eligibility criteria, such as age limit, physical and medical requirements
• If you are chosen for the NDA, you will be enrolled in a three-year programme. For the first two and a half years, candidates go through integrated training. The final six months of your training are committed to the service you've chosen
• You will receive the important physical, mental, and endurance training needed for an army officer if you enlist in the Indian army
• After three years, you'll receive a BA or BSc degree and be told to enrol in IMA for an additional year of training. You receive a permanent commission and a lieutenant commission after completing the course

Step 2: Engineering Students' University Entry Scheme to Become Lieutenant in Indian Army

• If you want to enrol in the Indian army as a lieutenant as an engineering student, you can do so through a university entry scheme
• Candidates in their third year of engineering need to be between the ages of 18 and 24
• Candidates in their fourth year of engineering must be between the ages of 19 and 25
• Under the university entry scheme, there is no written examination. Every year, the UES recruitment notification is published in the month of May
• Candidates who completed the application form will be subjected to an initial screening. After application screening, candidates will be contacted for an SSB interview

Any candidates chosen for the SSB interview will be contacted to undergo a medical exam. The officials will publish the merit list in accordance with the results of the medical exam and interview. Candidates whose names appear on the merit list must complete a one-year training programme at IMA. The aspirants will be permanently commissioned into the Indian army with the rank of lieutenant after training is complete.

Step 3: To become Lieutenant in Indian Army, you must take the CDS exam

If you have recently graduated and want to join the Indian Army as a lieutenant, this is the best route for you. You can become a lieutenant by simply taking the CDS exam and attending IMA training.

• The CDS exam is an offline exam administered by UPSC officials. Only objective questions will be asked on the CDS exam. The CDS exam will include questions on English and elementary mathematics
• Those who pass the CDS exam will be invited to an SSB interview
• If you are chosen in the SSB interview, you will be subjected to a medical examination. If you pass this step, you will be required to attend IMA training

After completing the IMA training, you will be eligible to join the Indian army as a lieutenant. You will earn 18 months of training in various aspects of war, weapons, and leadership if you pass the CDS IMA exam. After passing IMA training, you are given a permanent commission as a lieutenant. You will go through 49 weeks of training in a variety of war, weapon, and leadership disciplines if you pass the CDS OTA exam. After passing the OTA training, you will be given a short service commission as a lieutenant.

Step 4: By Joining a Technical Graduate Course, You Can Become Lieutenant in Indian Army

This option is available to engineering aspirants who want to enlist as lieutenants in the Indian Army. The Technical Graduate Course notification is typically released by the officials in May or November. Below is a description of the requirements to join the Indian army as a lieutenant.

• A single male candidate is required
• The age range for candidates should be 20 to 27 years old
• Candidates for the technical graduate programme may also apply if they are in their final year of study or have already earned their degree

In accordance with the outcomes of the application screening, candidates will be invited to the SSB interview. Candidates who pass the medical examination and are selected for the SSB interview must adhere to all medical requirements. Candidates who are chosen for the TGC recruitment process must go through a year of IMA training before they can enlist in the Indian Army as lieutenants.

Step 5: Technical Entry Scheme to Become Lieutenant in Indian Army

Candidates who have successfully completed the Class 10+2 or equivalency exam are eligible to apply for the Technical Entry Scheme and become lieutenant in Indian Army.

The Indian Army publishes notices for the TES course twice a year, in May or June and October or November. Men between the ages of 16.5 and 19.5 who passed their 10+2 exams with a science score of at least 70% are eligible to apply for TES. For TES admission, there is no written test, and candidates are only chosen based on their merit.

If they pass the initial screening, students can go through a five-day SSB interview and medical examination. Candidates who successfully complete all of the steps and are selected will be told to enrol in a year of basic military training at the Officers' Training Academy in Gaya.

The candidates will then be chosen by the College of Military Engineering, College of Military Telecommunication Engineering, or College of Military Electronics and Mechanical Engineering. Candidates who pass the course earn a degree in engineering and a lifetime commission as a lieutenant.
 

Types of Job Roles Army Officer

Indian Army is divided into various divisions. Candidates with necessary qualifications, skills and performance in recruitment tests will get employment in the following divisions.

Employment Opportunities for Army Officers

Indian Armed Forces are the only recruiter of Army Officers in India. There is no employment in the private sector, and the employment is permanent in the government sector. However, the candidates will have to clear the written, physical and medical tests to get employment in Indian Army. After clearing the written and other tests, the candidates will be sent to military training. After the successful completion of training, the candidates will be posted to different divisions of Indian Army.

Top Recruiting Agencies for Army Officers

The Government of India is the only recruiting authority of the Indian Army.

Skills Required to be an Indian Army Officer

Skills required for becoming an Indian Army Officer are:

• Communication abilities/skills
• Ability to make decisions
• Analytical abilities
• Research abilities
• Perseverance abilities
• People abilities
• Creativity
   

Pay Scale/Salary of Army Officer

Indian government pays lucrative salaries to Army officers. 

Apart from the salary, the army officers enjoy numerous benefits and subsidies.

Note: The above figures are an estimate and may vary from individual to individual.

Books & Study Material to Become Army Officer

Students can refer to the following books to fare well in NDA exam:

• National Defence Academy Examination Upkar Prakashan
• Pathfinder 2018 For NDA Entrance Examination
• Mathematics for NDA and NA By R S Aggarwal
• Pathfinder for NDA & NA Entrance Examination National Defence Academy/Naval Academy Conducted by UPSC by Arihant Experts
• Compendium General Knowledge 2018 with Latest Facts & Data  By Kumar Sundaram
• General Knowledge for useful for SSC NDA, IAS by Rajat Wasan
   

Pros of becoming a Army Officer

• Permanent jobs
• Lucrative salaries
   

Cons of becoming a Army Officer

• Hazardous working conditions
• Staying away from family