Defence Services -- specializations, skills & career paths
The Defence Services commission officers into the Army, Navy and Air Force. Entry is by examination and selection rather than by application: NDA after class 12, through which cadets also earn a degree, or CDS after graduating. Selection includes the five-day SSB interview, which tests judgement and temperament as much as knowledge, and the medical standard is absolute. What follows is unlike most careers in this catalog -- pay, rank and progression are all published in advance, the training is continuous, and postings are decided by the service rather than chosen. It is also the only route here where physical fitness is a standing condition of employment rather than a personal matter.
Officers in the Defence Services lead and train troops, command units and equipment in the field, take operational decisions under pressure and time constraints, and move through the commissioned ranks into staff and command appointments.
Other careers in Defence