What is the SSC Short Service Commission in the Indian Army?

SSC stands for Short Service Commission, in which an officer is appointed in the Defense Forces of India, i.e. Army, Air Force and Navy but for a short period of time. There are many positions available in the Indian Army for which administrations recruit SSC commissioned officers. So, if you want to join the army but cannot do it regularly, you can always have an option to serve as a Commissioned officer for a specific time.

What is the Short Service Commission? 

As mentioned earlier, Short Commission Service or SSC is one of the options to join the Indian Army. But for a temporary period. Candidates get no selection for Permanent Commissioned Officers and opt for SSC to serve as an army officer for at least 6 years. Further, the service period can extend up to 7 years more. In short, the overall job assurance you can get from SSC is 14 years. The time after the service period is really tough as one has to start their career from scratch and look for ways to enter the corporate ladder. 

Future career insecurities stop people from joining SSC, and therefore, the chances of passing the examination are more significant compared to other tests. 

What is the Selection Procedure for SSC? 

The selection process for SSC is the same as other army entrance examinations. The candidates are first shortlisted on the basis of their application form, followed by the SSB examination. Those candidates selected in the first stage go to the second stage of SSB. Further, candidates who pass stage II have to go under a medical test in the end.

Both men and women can apply for SSC to prove to the world that women also have a passion for the army and serving their country. The process of selection and training is also the same for both. 

The SSB examination comprises two stages given below:

• Stage 1: Intelligence Test, Discussion Test and Picture Perception. 
• Stage 2: Psychological Test, Group Test and then Interview. 

Candidates appearing for SSC have to go through many tests that require good analytical skills, interpersonal skills, leadership qualities and communication. They have to master every field along with showing a great level of physical fitness during the tests. After selecting an SSC, the officers must go through a training course at Officers Training Academy in Chennai. The duration of the training is 49 weeks. And the objective of this training is to provide opportunities to enhance the officer’s perspective and thinking. 

The Short Service Commissioned Officers, during their duty period, can convert into Permanent Commissioned (PC) officers by many departmental and internal examinations and interviews as well. So if you dream of joining the Indian Army but couldn’t join for any reason, you can always apply for SSC.