Hello Warriors, this is my 1st article for ssbcrack, the best online portal for clearing your SSB (Services Selection Board). This site also helped me in my SSB but unfortunately I got Conference Out. Anyways, today I’m writing upon the UES (University Entry Scheme), specially focusing upon NAVY UES Entry as I got a chance to interact with the screening board of UES-Navy as they came to my college. So here I start my conversation with the head of the screening board.
Q: What is University Entry Scheme UES?
A: UES is an acronym which stands for University Entry Scheme. This is a scheme which Navy has started way back in 1950’s, it was only for the Engineering and Electrical Branch initially for the Electrical branch and later for engineering branches too. We have 5 main branches out of which Navy HQ conducts recruitment for only for 4 Branches i.e.
- Executive Branch
- Education Branch
- Engineering Branch
- Electrical Branch
So this UES continued till about 1986 which we discontinued it and then later restarted in 2003 where we also brought in other branches under the ambit of UES. Primarily it gives an opportunity for those who are pursuing their studies to also opt for career in the NAVY as officers.
Q. How to do you select the candidates for UES SSB after they get scrutinized form the campus?
A. The selection procedure is as such, The screening board comes to the University and grades the candidates on a 4-Point scale, in which the candidates are graded
- A for Most Suitable
- B for Suitable
- C for an average
- D who are unsuitable and also the lowest grade in the system
out of which candidates falling in A, B and C grades will get a chance to appear for the SSB, depending on the numbers of candidates in those grades. Then comes getting recommended in the SSB. If a candidates clear his SSB he is sent for his Medical Tests and on clearing that too, then a final merit list is prepared and depending on the vacancies they are called to join the respective training academies.
Q. Any criteria for a candidate to appear for UES?
A. As you know, this is a NON-UPSC entry so no written exam takes place, but we have another parameter for this which is the CGPA parameter. Then comes the stream, he should be pursuing particularly that stream which is required by the Navy, apart from that a minimum percentage of marks is required. In most B.E. and B.Tech. courses, the minimum percentage is 60% or a CGPA of 6 taking the multiplier as 10 and in the entry of Naval Architecture, a minimum CGPA of 6.75 is required.
Q. What do you look in a candidate to scrutinize him for the SSB or what are the OLQ’s you check in them?
A. It’s a very difficult question to answer, there are certain characteristics which are definable and certain characteristics which are indefinable. Generally what we look on a whole is whether a candidate has the desired qualities which we look for in an officer in the Armed Forces. If he has then he has a very high probability to clear the SSB and we grade him accordingly during the campus screening so that the success rate of recommendation at the SSB is greater. OLQ’s are basically personality traits of an individual, as the screening board is for the limited time in the campus so we do not go into extensive physiological tests which are being conducted at the SSB but it is a preliminary stage or you can say a Raw Filtration which is done.
Q. Where do the recommended candidate undergo training and for what duration?
A. Training for each entry is different, however all the candidates who are selected through UES, their initial training is conducted at Indian Naval Academy which is in Ezhimala (KERELA). It is termed as Naval Orientation Course which maybe for a duration of 22 Weeks, and alternatively for the courses for longer Orientation Course the duration extends to 42 Weeks. So there are two separate Naval Orientation Course depending upon the type of entry. And on completion of this, they will go for the specific professional training in other schools.
Q. Which branches of engineering is given more preference for UES-Navy?
A. Generally, if you see it is Entry specific so for each job the requirement of the particular of discipline of engineering is different. However the branches which have more flexibility to wide ranges of entry, I would say it is Mechanical, IT, Electrical, CS.
Q. Any tips you would like to give to our defence aspirants?
A. Tips.! Yes, I would like to say that if you want to succeed and join the career of the Armed Forces then you have to succeed the SSB for which you have to do well in whatever education you are pursuing at that moment, secondly you have to keep yourself physically fit and healthy, thirdly you should have a good command over the language and also you have to polish your speaking and communication skills and lastly you must lead a very highly moral life ethical life because that will affect your physiological make-up. So you should be mentally healthy as well.
Q. Sir, Do you think SSB Coaching plays a vital role in clearing the SSB?
A. No, I don’t think it plays a vital role, because it depends on how you take it. Let’s suppose you are taking the coaching to identify your weaknesses and thereafter to overcome them by treating them at a core level, then it is helpful otherwise if you are taking SSB coaching just to mask your actual nature then it won’t be helpful to you.
Q. It is said that there is a severe shortage of Officers in the Armed Forces, What is your view for it?
A. Yes, There is but it is being mitigated to a large extent and that however is the criteria to induct officers, because officers are inducted as per a certain pattern and qualities. So it doesn’t mean that we should start inducted anyone just to meet the shortage.
Q. Last but not least and the most important question that the wards of the defence personnel’s gets easily recommended in the SSB, Is it so?
A. If you are asking as to whether any incentive is given to the wards of defence personnel, No.! There is no incentive given in the Officer’s Entry as such but for the Sailor’s entry, Yes! there are incentives given to the wards of defence personnel’s who have been Killed In Action. To summarize there is no such special incentives given certainly for the officers entry.
Thats all.
I then thanked the Captain and saluted him.
Rest I will be posting more on OLQ’s which the Captain explained me about in my next post. Till them bye, take care, JAI HIND
Also Read
- What is TGC Entry for Indian Army
- Types of Entry To Join Indian Army As An Officer
- Difference Between AFCAT and CDSE
About Author: Girish SharmaA serious defence aspirant and wants to join 1/11Gurkha Rifles.
