Who hasn’t heard about Rani Laxmi Bai, Rani Durgavati, and Jija Mata? Women have always played a key role in India’s Defense which was subdued gradually because of many factors. However, the 1990s saw women joining the armed forces in non-combat roles initially, which later opened up to include combat forces as well. Today, women make up about 3.8% of the world’s second-largest army, with over 9,000 women officers serving. The Air Force leads with 13.9% female officers, followed by 6% in the Navy and 3.8% in the Army (1)1. We have women officers as well as women Agniveers today.
On top of that, modern warfare and technological advancements in the Army mean more openings for govt jobs for women cadets. If you have ever wondered what it’s like to join the Army, Navy, or Air Force, then here we’ll explore certain benefits and challenges of joining defense services.
Why Choose a Career in Defense?
First, let’s talk about the benefits of joining the Defense forces:
Benefits of Joining Defense for Women
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Job Security | Don’t forget, you also get an attractive pension too. |
| Leadership Development | With high-pressure postings, you develop exceptional leadership skills. |
| National Service | The satisfaction of serving and protecting the nation is match-less. |
Defense jobs aren’t easy. Apart from the benefits, it’s the challenges that you must be aware of.
Challenges of a defense career for a woman
| Challenge | Description |
|---|---|
| Gender challenge | Combat roles aren’t fully ready for women yet. |
| Work-Life Balance | Balancing both military duties with family and personal life can be challenging. |
| Physical Demands | The physical requirements of military service are strenuous. |
| Transfer Stress | Frequent transfers and deployments can impact family dynamics. |
| Lack of role models | Currently, Role Models and Mentors in the Military field are missing. |
If you’re still reading then you probably want to understand what’s the process to join the military. In one word I can tell you it isn’t easy. Let’s see what are the different exams to join the military and when you can appear for them.
Defense Exams and Recruitment for Women
National Defence Academy (NDA)
NDA is one of the best ways to join Defense forces. You can join any of the three streams – Army, Navy, Air Force via this exam. It leads to a permanent commission as an officer after training. It was opened to women cadets in 2022.
- The NDA exam is conducted by UPSC twice a year
- Eligibility: you must be 12th pass, age limit between 16.5-19.5 years
- Written exam followed by SSB interview
Combined Defence Services (CDS)
CDS is another way to join the defense; it leads to the Short Service Commission or Permanent Commission as an officer. You can appear in this exam after graduation.
- For entry into Indian Military Academy, Air Force Academy, Naval Academy
- Conducted by UPSC twice a year
- Eligibility: Graduates, age 19-24 years
- Written exam and SSB interview
Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT)
This exam is for flying and ground duty officers and AFCAT selectees get to join as officers in various branches of the Air Force.
- It’s conducted twice a year
- Eligibility: Graduates, age: 20-24 years
- Online exam followed by SSB interview
Indian Navy Entrance Test (INET)
INET leads to officer roles in different naval branches – just like AFCAT this exam allows you to join various naval officer entries.
- The online exam is conducted once a year
- Eligibility varies by entry, typically graduates aged 19-24
- The exam is followed by SSB and medical examination
Short Service Commission (SSC) for Women
SSC offers a tenure of 10-14 years as an officer, extendable to 14 years. Thereafter you become eligible to appear in any govt job exam or PSU exam as EXM.
- Direct entry for graduates in various arms/services
- Selection through SSB interview
- The age limit is 19-25 years
Technical Entry Schemes
This is for engineering graduates and post-graduates. Although all ranks and perks remain similar to other entries, however, this is for a technical role.
- Selection through SSB interview
- The age limit is usually up to 27 years
Judge Advocate General (JAG) Entry
This entry is for law graduates and you get to become a legal officer in the military.
- Selection through the JAG entry exam and interview
- The age limit is 21-27 years
Selection Process and Physical fitness standards for joining Defense services
First, let’s talk about the height. We all know we can’t do much about height once we are past a certain age. So here’s an overview of the height needed for each force:
| Defense Force | Minimum Height Requirement* |
|---|---|
| Army | 152 cm (5 feet) |
| Navy | 152 cm (5 feet) |
| Air Force | 152 cm (5 feet) |
| Coast Guard | 152 cm (5 feet) – 157 cm (5.2 feet) |
| Special Forces | 158 cm (5 feet 2 inches) |
| Border Security Force (BSF) | 157 cm (5 feet 1.5 inches) |
| Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) | 157 cm (5 feet 1.5 inches) |
| National Security Guard (NSG) | 157 cm (5 feet 1.5 inches) |
| Indian Coast Guard | 152 cm (5 feet) |
| Territorial Army | 152 cm (5 feet) |
Now let’s talk about fitness you should maintain if you want to join defense. See if you’re up to the mark. Of course, each force has different standards but here’s an overview:
| Physical Fitness Standard | Requirement for Women |
|---|---|
| Running | 1.6 km in 8.5 minutes |
| Push-Ups | Minimum: 10-15 push-ups |
| Sit-Ups | Minimum: 30-35 sit-ups in 1 minute |
| Long Jump | Minimum: 3.8 meters |
| High Jump | Minimum: 1.2 meters |
| Sprint | 100 meters in 18-20 seconds |
| Chin-Ups | Minimum: 3-5 chin-ups |
| Shuttle Run | 4 x 10 meters shuttle run in 10-12 seconds |
Conclusion
The increasing participation of women in defense roles across the Army, Navy, and Air Force and the urgent need for technological warfare means more job vacancies for women in Defense services. Of course, a career in defense offers you massive personal and professional growth but this isn’t without challenges. The biggest challenge is to balance work and family responsibilities. Having said it, Govt of India is working on making it attractive to women and we can expect more steps by govt in this regard as they boost national security.
- PressRelease by Govt of India – WOMEN IN DEFENCE SERVICES ↩︎
