Defence Service Corps (DSC) Recruitment

The role of the Defence Service Corps (DSC) is to provide security cover to Defence installations of the three services and Civil Establishments of the Ministry of Defence where DSC cover is sanctioned under the specific orders of Government of India against sabotage and pilferage. To fulfil this role, Defence Service Corps (DSC) provides armed security staff, static guards. Searchers escorts and mobile patrols by night and day. It is the sixth largest Corps of the Army.

Contribution of Ex Servicemen into Defence Service Corps (DSC) The contribution of the three services towards Defence Service Corps (DSC) recruitment is :

• Ex Army – 75%
• Ex Navy / Air Force – 01%
• Ex Territorial Army – 24%

Posting of Defence Service Corps (DSC) Personnel Posting of Defence Service Corps (DSC) personnel are rotated in all the commands. Posting to the home command will be considered on completion of one tenure outside the own command. Defence Service Corps (DSC) personnel can apply for compassionate ground posting on completion of three years of service in Defence Service Corps (DSC). Last posting of a Defence Service Corps (DSC) personnel is as far as possible the home posting irrespective of his earlier service profile.

Eligibility Criteria for Re-enrolment into Defence Service Corps (DSC) for Other Rank.

• Character assessed at the time of discharge from former service as well as re-assessed in terms of Para 170 (d) of Regulations for the Army-1987 should be Very Good or Exemplary.
• Discipline Personnel with not more than one red ink entry during the last five year of former service and not more than two red ink entries during the entire former service are eligible for re-enrolment into Defence Service Corps (DSC). However, personnel who have been awarded one red ink entry under Army Act Section 48 for intoxication during the last five years of former service are NOT eligible for re-enrolment into Defence Service Corps (DSC).
• Service Personnel from Army / Navy / Air Force should have rendered minimum five years colour service. Service counted for pension / gratuity is treated as qualifying service. Ex-Territorial Army personnel should have rendered three years embodied service with minimum attendance in seven Annual Training Camps (ATC).
• Medical Category Medical Category of a personnel seeking re-enrolment into Defence Service Corps (DSC) should be SHAPE-1 at the time of re-enrolment i.e. declared SHAPE-1 either at the time of discharge medical board or at the time of Re-Category Medical Board. However, personnel placed in Low Medical Category(LMC) (both temporary/permanent) during the last five years of former service preceding the date of discharge (even upgraded to SHAPE-1 before discharge) due to “Alcohol Dependence Syndrome” are not eligible for re-enrolment into Defence Service Corps (DSC).
• Five Years Gap from the date of discharge from former service till the individual reports to the recruiting agencies for physical and medical test based on the call letter issued by them, should be within five years. Hence the date on which the Ex-servicemen reports to recruiting agencies  based on the said call letter, is the day he is considered to have reported for re-enrolment. This date will further be referred as the date of screening for Defence Service Corps (DSC)  Enrolment.
• Age Criteria
  • Soldier (General Duty) Defence Service Corps (DSC) Upto 48 years on the date of screening.
  • Soldier Clerk Defence Service Corps (DSC) Upto 50 years on the date of screening.
• Education Qualification The minimum education qualification required for non-matric personnel for re-enrolment into Defence Service Corps (DSC) is Army 3rd Class Certificate of Education (ACE-III).
• Re-Enrolment of Clerk (Staff Duty) Ex-combatant Clerks (Staff Duty) having minimum technical standard of Class – III Clerk (Staff Duty) are eligible for re-enrolment against Clerk vacancies into Defence Service Corps (DSC). Store Keeper Technical of (Army), Clerk (Store Control) of Army and Clerk (Pay Accounts) of Air Force are not eligible for re-enrolment against clerk vacancies into Defence Service Corps (DSC) since they lack the requisite standards prescribed for Clerk (Staff Duty) vide qualification Regulations of Soldiers-1958.
• Re-Enrolment of Territorial Army Personnel Ex-Territorial Army personnel drawing pension for their Territorial Army service, can now be enroled into Defence Service Corps (DSC) through HQ Recruiting Zones / Army Recruiting Offices (AROs). Re-enrolment into Defence Service Corps (DSC) for ex-Territorial Army personnel who are not drawing any type of pension will be carried out by the respective Regimental Centres. Details of embodied service in respect of personnel from Territorial Army duly calculated and signed by the Record Officer and the certificate showing attendance of seven Annual Training Camps (ATCs) duly signed by Commanding Officer of the Territorial Army Batallion are to be furnished and forwarded along with verification report to the Defence Service Corps (DSC) Records.

Defence Service Corps (DSC)Pay Scale Pay and allowances

Gratuity and Pension Under the revised terms of gratuity and pension, Defence Service Corps (DSC) personnel will continue to draw the following:

• Military pension and retain Death-cum-Retirement Gratuity(DCRG), in which case their former Military Service shall not count as the qualifying service.
• They will be entitled to second service pension and DCRG if service in Defence Service Corps (DSC) is 15 yrs or more.
• Minimum qualifying service to earn service gratuity is 5 years.
• If individual desires to include his previous military service, he will cease to draw pension and also refund the service gratuity including DCRG if any.

Defence Service Corps (DSC) Period of Engagement

• Sepoys Initial term of engagement 10 years extendable by 5 years up to 57 years of age, whichever is earlier.
• JCOs Initial term of engagement 5 years extendable by 5 years up to 57 years of age, whichever is earlier.
• Lateral Entry Subedar Majors Initial term of engagement is 4 years or up to 57 years of age, whichever is earlier.

Concessions and Benefits In addition to pay, the personnel of Defence Service Corps (DSC) will continue to get Dearness Allowances and other allowances as applicable to Army, Navy and Air Force personnel. They are also entitled for the following:

• 45 days of Annual Leave and 15 days of Casual Leave.
• Leave Travel Concession
• Per Month Health Allowance(PMHA)
• Childrens Education Allowance (CEA) / Reimbursement of Tuition Fee.
• Free Medical treatment.
• Free Rations.
• Benefits under Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) Relief Fund
• Benefits under ESSA.
• Amenities as for Regular Army Personnel.

Recruitment Procedure An ex-servicemen undergoes following stages with Recruiting Organization / Regimental Centres prior to re-enrolment:

• Registration Registers are being maintained at all Army Recruiting Offices (AROs) where Ex-Servicemen can register themselves for Defence Service Corps (DSC) enrolment. The act of registering the name indicates his willingness / availability for enrolment into Defence Service Corps (DSC) as and when vacancies are available. Seniority of registration will be taken into account while issuing call up letter for enrolment.
• Depending on the vacancies allotted to HQ Recruiting Zones / Army Recruiting Offices (ARO) / Regimental Centres, the candidates are intimated as per the seniority maintained in the register during stage 1 and are asked to report to the respective Army Recruiting Office (ARO) for physical and medical screening. The day the ex-servicemen reports to the Recruiting Organization based on the call letter is the day he is considered to have reported for re-enrolment.
• Physical Criteria Physical criteria for Ex-servicemen for Defence Service Corps (DSC) is not being checked as the ex-servicemen would have met all physical criteria during his initial enrolment.
• Physical Test  Physical Proficiency Tests  (PPT)  will be conducted during screening.
• Medical Test Medical will be carried out by only one doctor. The following additional tests will be carried out from the nearest Military Hospital (MH):
  • Haemogram.
  • Biochemistry – Urea, Creatinine, Blood Sugar (FF & PP), Cholesterol and Lipid Profile Test.
  • Chest X-Ray.
  • ECG.
• Screening During Recruitment Rallies Screening for Defence Service Corps (DSC) enrolment and medical screening may be carried out during a recruitment rally also.
• Exercising Option to Join 6 Months Prior to Retirement A serving personnel can fill the form for recruitment in Defence Service  Corps (DSC) six months prior to his retirement. This option can be exercised while the individual is still in service.

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