In Conversation With BloodConnect: Real Soldiers Working behind the Curtains

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December 15, 2013

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Air Force Academy passing out parade happened on 14th Dec 2014. Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne reviewed the passing out parade of 202 flight cadets at the Air Force Academy (AFA), Dindigul. The cadets participated in the Combined Graduation Parade of the flight cadets of No. 192 Pilot Course, No. 133 Ground Duty Course and No. 117 Navigation Course.

Indian Air Force Academy Passing Out Parade 14 Dec 2013

Sword of Honour for standing first in overall order of merit in Pilot’s Course was awarded to Flying Officer Praveen Kumar
Flying Officer Firdous Ahmed Dar and Flying Officer Vipin Kumar were awarded the President’s Plaque for standing first in overall order of merit in Ground Duties Branches and Navigation Branch, respectively.

Air Show

Manoeuvres by the newly inducted Pilatus PC 7 Mk II and ‘Sarang’ Aerobatics Team
Traditional fly past by Kiran, Hawk aircraft and Chetak helicopters.
Akash Ganga Para Jump Team and Air Warrior Drill Team.

Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne Said

“From this day onwards you will become the custodians of a rich legacy of valour, sacrifice and dedication. We are indebted to our predecessors who endured immense hardships and built this great service on a rock solid foundation. It is now your sacred duty to carry forward this noble mandate and preserve the glorious traditions and strong value system that have become a hallmark of the IAF,” he said.
Air Chief Marshal Browne said the AFA would witness an increased intake of trainees from the present 480 to 750 trainees in the coming years.
“You will command immediate compliance and eternal respect from the people under your charge when they see in you – a professionally sound and morally upright leader who has the ability to build and lead the team; even in the face of daunting odds and danger.
“As you prepare to join your squadrons and units, the key guiding principles that you should imbibe from IAF’s mission statement of ‘People First – Mission Always’ is that while excellence in mission accomplishment is an absolute requirement; it is our people who will prove to be the key enablers for the success of your mission.
“Therefore, I urge each one of you to devote your time and energy in nurturing and grooming the people under your watch while keeping their training and well-being as the foremost concern. The ‘force multiplier’ effect of a well trained and well equipped team will greatly enhance the effectiveness of any operational plan and will bring with it exponential benefits; even in adverse situations,” he said.

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The Editorial Team of SSBCrack consists of a group of Professional writers and aspirants. Their main aim is to provide up to date information regarding SSB Interviews and sharing quality information about Indian Defence to help aspirants. Mail us to join our editorial team now.

CDS 1 2014 Rejected Applications

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CDS 2 2013 Written Test Result by UPSC

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December 15, 2013

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In view of the provisions contained in the Commission’s Notice for the above examination published in the Employment News dated 02.11.2013 and uploaded on the Commission’s website, CDS 1 2014 applications of all these candidates for the said examination have been rejected.

Appeal against rejection, if any, may be made within 10 (ten) days from the date of this mail along with the documentary evidence by speed post OR by hand only to Shri S.R. Meena, Under Secretary (CDS), Union Public Service Commission, Room No.321,Ayog Sachivalaya Building. Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi- 110069 failing which no correspondence will be entertained by this office.

If you have paid / deposited the fee through cash mode in the State Bank of India / designated banks, please submit the bank pay-in-slip ( In original) OR
If you have paid the fee through debit / credit cards or through internet banking of authorised banks, please submit a copy of your Debit/Credit Card Statement or Bank Account Statement as the case may be.

Download Full List

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The Editorial Team of SSBCrack consists of a group of Professional writers and aspirants. Their main aim is to provide up to date information regarding SSB Interviews and sharing quality information about Indian Defence to help aspirants. Mail us to join our editorial team now.

TGC 118 Merit List

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December 15, 2013

Download Full Merit list of TGC 118
TGC 118 Joining Instruction

Indian army has published the merit list of TGC 118 for the course commencing at Indian Military Academy, Dehradun in Jan 2014. There are total 79 candidates who have cleared the SSB interviews of TGC 118, these candidates are from various branches of engineering.

TGC 118 Notified Vacancies

Civil (Vac-15)
Mechanical (Vac-15)
Electrical/Electrical & Electronics (Vac-10)
Automobile/Workshop Technology (Vac-02)
Aeronautical/Aviation/Aerospace/Ballistics/Avionics (Vac-02)
Computer Sc & Engg/Computer Technology/Info Tech/M.Sc Computer (Vac-06)
Electronics & Telecom/Telecomm/Electronics & Comn/Satellite Communication (Vac-10)
Electronics/Opto Electronics/Fibre Optics/Micro Electronics & Microwave (Vac-08)
Electronics & Instrumentation/Instrumentation (Vac-03)
Architecture/Building Construction Technology (Vac-02)
Food Tech/Bio Tech/Bio Medical Engg (Vac-02)
Chemical Engg (Vac-02)
Metallurgy & Explosives/Metallurgical Engg (Vac-01)
Industrial/Manufacturing Engg/Industrial Engg & Mgt/Production (Vac-02)
Army Education Corps (Vac-20)

Merit List – Technical Graduate Course-118 (Jan 2014)

Course commencing on 14 Jan 2014. Date of reporting at IMA, Dehradun is 07 Jan 2014.
Joining Instructions (JIs) will be issued on the basis of merit position subject to medical status and meeting educational qualification.

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IMA Passing Out Parade 14 Dec 2013

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December 15, 2013

On Saturday 14th December 2013, Indian military academy passing out parade took place. The POP passing our parade was mesmerizing, 617 Indian army cadets and 71 foreign cadets passed out of the Indian Military Academy (IMA).

Foreign Cadets IMA Passing Out Parade 2013

Total 71
51 are from Afghanistan
5 from Kazakhstan
5 from Tajikistan
5 from Mauritius
3 from Bhutan
2 from Nepal.

Defense minister A K Antony reviewed the two-hour passing out parade that began at 9 am along with Chief of the Army Staff General Bikram Singh and former chief J J Singh.
Defense minister A K Antony Said: “We are undoubtedly a peace-loving nation and believe in solving all border-related issues between two nations through dialogue but that does not mean we are weak and will not tolerate any one encroaching into our boundaries,”

IMA Passing Out Parade 14 Dec 2013 Indian Army Cadets

Highest were from Uttar Pradesh with 105
Lowest were from Pondicherry with one and Gujarat with 2.
70 were from Haryana
46 from Uttarakhand
44 from Maharashtra
43 from Punjab
37 from Madhya Pradesh
35 from Rajasthan
33 from Delhi
30 from Himachal Pradesh
27 from Bihar.

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About SSBCrack Editorial Team

The Editorial Team of SSBCrack consists of a group of Professional writers and aspirants. Their main aim is to provide up to date information regarding SSB Interviews and sharing quality information about Indian Defence to help aspirants. Mail us to join our editorial team now.

Word Association Test

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December 12, 2013

Word Association Test is a test that is conducted under the Psychological testing series. This test is conducted for the candidates who have successfully passed the screening test. This test is very important as it reflects the way you think and brings out your personality.

In this test, the candidates are shown 60 words, one after the other and are expected to make sentences using those words. Your sentence can make use of any form of the word. For example, if the word is run, then your sentence can use any form of the word run as run, ran, running, etc. For every word, a time of around 15 seconds are given after which, the next word is shown. You have to see the word and write a sentence within those thirty seconds. As you are bound by time, so you cannot mask your original responses. Hence, practice is highly required for that test. The difficulty of the words is not very high. Remember, the test is to test your personality and your behavior, not your vocabulary. However, you need to have a good vocabulary, as it helps in the other parts of the interview.

Things to avoid during Word Association Test:

Don’t ever make negative sentences. Always make a sentence that is positive in the meaning, even when there is a word which conveys a negative sense. For example: the word disturb conveys a negative meaning in itself. One should not make sentences like ‘ Ram disturbed his sister ‘ or any such negative sentence. You should make positive sentence like ‘Nothing disturbs the brave’ and other such sentences which are positive. Some examples for you to practice are: cannot, confuse, bad, cry, defeat, fearful, exploitation, bluff, lonely, Untouchability etc.
Do not use ‘I’. Use of such words should be avoided. For example: for the word friend, don’t make sentence like I am very Friendly or I have many friends. Instead, you should make sentences like, one must choose friends carefully, or friends are trustworthy, etc. Excess use of ‘I’ canreflect that the person is self-centered which leaves a negative impact.
Don’t use famous Idioms or phrases. For example: for the word spoil, try not to write famous lines like ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’. But make simple sentences like freedom without restriction spoils a child. Use of such famous lines shows your lack of imagination and thinking capacity.
Also one should avoid sentences that are preaching or very bookish. Also negative sentences should be highly avoided.
Positive sentences should be written. The sentences should always be written in legitimate handwriting. As time is short, so you have to write fast. Practicing only would help in that scenario.
Do not write sentences for words whose meaning is not clear to you. Remember, you do not have to necessarily attempt all the words. Try to attempt near fifty to fifty-five words. You must attempt more than forty-five words.
Write sentences which are based on facts and recent happenings. For example: for the word bomb, you can write that ‘City of Mumbai has faced several bomb blasts in the past’.
The famous saying goes as ‘Honesty is the best policy’. Well, in this case you have to be honest and write sentences which come to your mind first. Although, in fifteen seconds you cannot mask your natural responses. So, practice as much as you can. Start by collecting words for the Word Association Test from the internet. Next make sentences based on them in the given fifteen seconds of time limit. After you have done it for sixty words, check your response thoroughly and try to see any mistake that you might have made. While practicing again, make sure you do not repeat those mistakes again.

Some examples to practice are:

Consider
Rose
Create
Brain
Ability
Academy
Faith
Fellow
Leader
Attach
Axe
Kill
Infantry
Defence
High
Cheer
Faith
Donor.

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Personal Information Questionnaire PIQ Form

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December 12, 2013

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Personal Information Questionnaire PIQ Form

Personal Information Questionnaire or the PIQ form is the form that a candidate has to fill on his arrival. This questionnaire becomes the basis of the Personal Interview that the candidate has to face later. Hence, this form should be filled smartly and honestly as if you write untrue information in this form, then it may land you in trouble during the Personal Interview. For example, if you write in your PIQ form that you play football and in the PI, if the Interviewing Officer comes to know that you know nothing about football, then it will give a negative impact. Write carefully as questions will be asked to you from the interest that you write in your PIQ form.

For example, if you write that you like to read, then you must know names of books and of authors that you have read.

In the beginning of the form, you have to fill in details like your name and your father’s name and your place of maximum residence. After that you have to write your present address with the approximate population of the city or town. Thus, it is important that you must know about your city, its population and also the special facts of your city ( it will help in the Personal Interview).
After that you have to fill in details like, State and District, Religion, Whether SC/ST/OBC, Mother Tongue, DOB, If parents are alive, If not, then you have to mention your age during their death.
You have to mention your parents and guardians educational qualifications, their present occupation and their monthly income. You are supposed to correctly know all these information about your parents and guardians. Hence, before going for your SSB interview, make a note of these parts.
You have to write about your marks that you achieved in your 10th class board, 12th class board and the medium through which you studied. Also you have to mention whether you were a day scholar or a hostler. You have to mention your no. of brothers and sisters and your position among your siblings.
You have to mention your age at that time (in the form of year + months) , your height (in meter) and your weight ( in kg). Note that you have to write your height in meter not in feet.
You also have to mention your present occupation and personal monthly income, if you have any. Also, if you have any NCC training, you have to mention the details
Next, you have to mention about your participation in games and sports, your hobbies and interest, your participation in Extra-Curricular Activities. You also have to mention your position of responsibility or the office you held in NCC/Sports/Extra Curricular Group and other fields.
At last, you have to write about your last interview, your number of chances availed of the three services, and your details of last Interview like place of entry, date, your batch and chest number and whether you are recommended or not.

Download PIQ form

It is advisable to fill in all the details honestly as it would be difficult to lie in your Personal Interview. Also, maintain a good and legible handwriting without any cuts or overwriting.

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All About Officer Intelligence Rating OIR Test

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December 12, 2013

Officer Intelligence Rating OIR Test is conducted on the first day of the SSB selection procedure along with PPDT. This test features verbal and non-verbal questions which are not very tough but require the presence of mind and speed. There are about forty to sixty questions and the given time varies with the number and the difficulty of the questions.

The test is divided into two parts: Verbal reasoning and Non-Verbal reasoning.

Verbal reasoning

Spelling
Grammar
Sentence Completion
Analogies
Word Groups
Instruction
Critical Reasoning
Verbal Deductions

As this test involves the above topics, they require an understanding of the precise meaning of words, idioms, and the structure of the language. Thorough practice is required on the above-mentioned topics. One may practice from any book specifically for SSB or may use the practice papers available over the internet.

Non-Verbal reasoning

This part gives a series of patterns and figures. You are expected to find the relation in the given series and choose the correct alternative from the choices. This part requires logic and accuracy. The questions are very short.

The questions are based on:

Analogy and Classification of Figures.
Complete and Incomplete Pattern of Figures
Cubes and Dice
Venn Diagram

Follow the instructions of the supervising examiner very strictly. You have to be really quick and concentrate all the time. As the paper is not purely objective, so you have to write your answers sometimes which are usually one word or one letter. Read the instructions carefully and do what is exactly asked in the question.

Attempt all questions as there is no negative marking scheme. Be attentive and confident.

After this process and your PPDT, you will get the results after a few hours. Those who pass the screening test are asked to remain back at the Centre for the further selection procedure.

Role of Good Communication Skills in SSB by Comdt(Retd) A K Madhukar

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December 12, 2013

Role of Good Communication Skills in SSB by Comdt(Retd) A K Madhukar

Having been associated with the selection of Officers in Coast Guard for over five years as an IO, I can say with confidence that good communication skills does play a role in selection of a candidate. Some may say that this is so obvious however , repeated attempts (sometimes 21 times) by candidates who lack basic communication skills, seem to suggest that importance of good communication skills is not clearly understood.

Power of Expression (POE) being just one of the 15 OLQs, low POE should normally not affect a candidates overall performance, However, problem arises because of low POE affecting other OLQs. No doubt, the assessors are past masters in separating chaff from the grain and ascertain the level of various OLQs to a great degree of accuracy however, the negative bias created by a candidates low POE certainly affects his other qualities to some extent. Theoretically it should not but practically it does.

Now let’s talk about candidates with fluent English not getting recommended in SSB time and again. The reasons for their non- selection can be attributed to lack of substance/content in his conversation and of course, his non-acceptability on the basis of other 14 OLQs.Here again the qualified assessors are able to penetrate the glossy surface and gauge the real depth with regard to various qualities, but generally the bias here is positive unlike the negative bias created in case of candidates with low POE.

In conclusion I would reemphasize on the need for all Defence aspirants to improve their communication skills so as to create that positive bias which would certainly enhance their chances of selection, and even if they are not recommended, their better communication skills will certainly stand them in good stead wherever they go.

Comdt(Retd) Alok Kumar Madhukar hails from a remote village in Bihar. His hard work coupled with his father’s passion for education facilitated his admission in Sainik School Tilaiya(SST) ,one of the premiere schools in Bihar( Now Jharkhand). It was in SST that a rustic village boy blossomed into a confident individual ready to take on the world. Commandant Madhukar joined Coast Guard in 1987 and left Service in2013 after a distinguished service of over 26 years. While in Service, he held several important appointments including the Command of ship and head of a state. In the last five years of his service he has been involved with Officers’ Selection in Coast Guard as a qualified Interviewing Officer. He also had a brief stint at SSB Bhopal as an Interviewer. He has been awarded with Tatrakshak Medal by the President of India for his meritorious Service.

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About Author: Comdt (Retd) Alok Kumar Madhukar

Commandant Madhukar joined Coast Guard in 1987 and left Service in2013 after a distinguished service of over 26 years. While in Service, he held several important appointments including the Command of ship and head of a state. In the last five years of his service he has been involved with Officers’ Selection in Coast Guard as a qualified Interviewing Officer.

Screening Test Day 1 of SSB Interview

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