Once you clear the SSB interview, you need to go for medical examination in which you are checked in varying medical aspects of your body. You might get a medical rejection if you do not meet the required medical standards.
Once you get a Temporary rejection from a medical board, you can appeal to a base in Appeal Medical Board within 42 days. Now, there are some criteria which you can improve within these 42 days and get fit in the AMB. But there are some other criteria which require more time to improve and get fit.
Some of the common grounds for getting medically rejected after SSB are:
- Wax (Ears)
- Deviated Nasal Septum
- Hydrocele/Phimosis
- Overweight/Underweight
- Under Sized Chest
- Piles
- Gynaecomastia
- Tonsillitis
- Varicocele
- Substandard colour perceptions – CP4 (Permanent Unfit), CP3 (unfit for Flying and CDS entry) and CP2 (unfit for flying)
- Excessive/less eyesight
- Flat foot
- Knock knees
- Kidney stones
- Chest deformity
- Excessive Carrying angle of hands
- Pegion chest
The most common among these are Excessive carrying angle, flat feet and knock knees which we get to listen more often. So, why exactly are these a problem while joining the defence forces?
Excessive Carrying Angle
When your arms are held out at the sides and your palms are facing forward, your forearm and hands should normally be about 5 to 15 degrees away from the body. This is the normal “carrying angle” of the elbow. This angle allows your forearms to clear the hips when swinging your arms, such as during walking. It is also important when carrying objects.
Why is it not allowed?
In the forces, firing and load carrying is an important part of the training and daily life. With excessive carrying angle, aiming while firing and carrying load can hinder the efficiency of a soldier and can become a matter of life and death during the action. Hence, candidates with excessive carrying angle are rejected in the first place itself.
Knock Knees
Knock knees is the deformity of the knee bone in leg. While standing straight, the two knees should not touch each other. If this touches each other mean, then the candidate is declared as having “Knock Knees”.
Why is it not allowed?
Running is an integral part of life in the defence forces. When a person runs with knock knees, there are more chances of him to hit the knees together and fall down than to actually complete the run. Hence, this is an undesirable trait in a soldier.
Flat Foot
Flat feet is a postural deformity in which the arches of the foot collapse, with the entire sole of the foot coming into complete or near-complete contact with the ground.
Why is it not allowed?
The foot has a basic function of shock absorption. When your foot lands on the ground, the arch ensures that the load is first spread to the sole and the heel and then the arch descends to absorb the shock. If there is no arch, the shock is absorbed by the back, which is a problem as it results in back pain during old age. It will lead to chronic heel and arch pain.
Conclusion
There are many criteria which is okay for a soldier to have but the laid down standards prevent them from making it through. These criteria are common which do not have any major impact during training like Wax (Ears), Deviated Nasal Septum, Excessive/less eye sight (corrected) but the laid ENT criteria requires them to be perfect.
SSB Interview Preparation Material [ 100% Recommended]
