Minerva Academy: 60 Years Of Excellence And Counting

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February 25, 2016

Recommended For The Indian Army NCC Special Entry

Hi, future officers I am Charan Chinnappa, I had to report to the SSB centre 17 SSB Bangalore by 2 PM on the 27th of Nov, I reached there by 3 and the documentation process started, we were made to sit in a room and were asked to fill the PIQ.

*Make sure you fill in the PIQ properly and with legible handwriting as the IO will form his questions looking at it.* After filling in the PIQ, I got 191 as my chest no and I was happy with my number 😉

DAY 1 ( Screening )

Two sets of OIR tests were done, followed by the PP&DT.

I Wrote a Positive story.
Now came the description part, I gave out my story confidently and had finished narrating it within the time that was given to me.

*No Matter how bad your story is, just make sure you narrate it confidently, the major thing the accessors look for is your confidence and the way you convey your thoughts to others.*

The discussion started,because of the chaos the assessors split the group , 7 and 8 people in each group. Mine was the first group, I gave out one point and there goes the fish market, I did not utter even a single word after that. The 2nd group was done and we were asked to leave.

*Do what you want to do in the discussion but do not be a part of the fish market, as it will put in a negative impression about you to the assessor.*

We were asked to assemble by 2PM for results, the TO started calling out the chest numbers in descending order, I was damn nervous at that point of time and then I heard my chest number ‘191’
Bang on…. I made it for the second stage and my new chest number was ‘ 5’ !!!!!
There were 34 candidates who had made it, amongst which there were only 8 repeaters.
In these 8 repeaters, 5 of us were from the same group.

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DAY 2 ( Psychology )

We had to report at 7AM for the psych test, I had made some introspections when I had got conference out from 11SSB Allahabad, one amongst them was handwriting, I had a very bad handwriting, but I improved it by writing when ever I was free, at work and even at home.

*Dear aspirants please make sure that you have a legible handwriting.*

The psychologist’s clock started ticking and our tests stated

TAT: I wrote all 11 stories within the given time and my 12th story was about the ride to a place called Sakleshpur along with my friends, we rode about 800KM on our Bullets.
*Try making a story with your real life incidents, bring out the qualities in you in the story.*

WAT: I wrote only 58. I had practiced using an application called SSB PSYCH, a few videos on youtube and few articles on SSBCRACK.
*It is always better to practice for WAT before SSB as you will have just 15 sec to think and write a sentence.*
There were words such as Friends, Movie, love and Watch. For all these words i wrote just one sentence ‘ I love watching movies with friends ‘
*Make sure you maintain the consistency, try writing the same sentence for a few words.*

SRT: I wrote only 36 SRTs, write what ever strikes to your mind, and never scratch a single word.
*Always remember that quantity does not matter, its the quality that matters.*

SD: I wrote what i was, be honest when you write you SDs.
*Never fake anything.*

DAY 2 ( Interview )

I had to report at 3PM post lunch for the interview.

I walked in confidently, and with a smile on my face, I greeted the IO and he extended his hand and greeted me back. He then asked me to be seated.

He asked me how i was doing and he asked me what my friends call me, he asked if he can call me the same.
He asked me how my psychology test was, told him about it.
He asked me why I did not get recommended last time, I told him that I did not perform well.
He asked me how have I prepared for this SSB, I said I have introspected.
He asked me what I was doing now, I told him that I am a network engineer at IBM.
He asked me about my parents, Told him about my parents and since my father was in the Army, he asked me each and every facet about him, his core, achievements. I told him each and everything.
He asked me where all I had travelled with him during his service, gave him the answer.
He asked me where I belonged in Coorg.

Rapid Fire Questions:
I Have quoted how exactly I tackled these questions below.

IO: How do your parents keep themselves busy?
Who are you close with, Mother or Father?
Who is your best friend, why and what do you hate in him?
How do you manage and spend your salary?
What do you do on your weekends?
Me: My father goes to work and my mother will be busy with the household works, watching TV serials and meeting her friends. I am close with my father.
IO: why not mother?
Me: Sir she is a little emotional and I cant tell her everything straight, i will have to tell things differently.
IO: Ok
Me: Told him about my friend and i said There is nothing that i do not like in him sir.
IO: There should be something, tell me.
Me: There is nothing sir.
IO: Are you going to tell me or not. ( with a serious face)
Me: Sir he asks me to quit the job that i am doing rite now and prepare only for the Army as i am crazy about it. But this job is my bread and butter sir I can’t quit.
IO: It is actually a good thing, why do you hate it?
Me: I told you there is nothing that i do not like in him sir.
The IO laughed
Me: About my sal I had saved some money and from that money I got a bullet bike and got a 42″ Sony TV for my house and every month I save 10k and rest I spend for myself.
IO: Which model you got?
Me: Electra 350CC, red color sir.
IO: When did you buy it?
Me: October 1st sir.
IO: Go on.
Me: I wake up and go to gym on Saturday,meet my friends, and if I would have got my salary that week I take my parents out for dinner. I get only 2 days to rest and i wake up late on Sunday and go out meet my friends and I don’t go to the gym sir.
IO: Ok, but why don’t you go to the gym on Sunday?
Me: Gym will be closed on Sunday sir.

IO: Tell me the different cores in the Army,weapons used in infantry and artillery, about the missiles, deference between Ballistic and Cruise missiles.
Gave him the answers.

He asked if the ballistic missiles can be guided,I said I don’t know, he asked me to find out.

He asked me about my scores and he even asked me the reason for scoring such low marks, I told him that I hadn’t put in that much of effort that I had to.

IO: Why dint you try NDA?
Me: My marks were bad and i thought it was not a wise choice, I thought If i would do engineering I can apply through UES, TGC, CDSE and NCC SPL entry.

IO: Then how did you get an engineering seat with such low marks?
Me: CET sir, I got it through the NCC quota, that was the time i realized ‘ If you want to get something great you should lose something’ here i lost my marks but i got the seat in the collage that i needed.

IO: But even in engineering you have got less marks.
Me: I liked problematic subjects and i used to score well in it, I hated theory and i used to score the least, but i worked hard and I managed getting a distinction in the final semester.

IO: You could have prepared for NDA after joining engineering, why dint you gave it?
Me: Told him the same thing and added that I wanted to do engineering and I wanted to concentrate only on engineering.

IO: Ok, do you know what is super heterodyne receiver?
I said I don’t know, he asked me to find out.

He asked me about the tanks in India, I told him.
He asked me about the indigenously made tank, I said I don’t know, he asked me to find out.

IO: When was the last time your parents scolded you?
Me: When i went for a ride to shakleshpur with my friends and that day was our festival and I could not stay at home because I had promised my friends that i will join them.

The IO asked me every single thing about the ride, how much you rode, which route did you take, were all you stopped, how many of you were there, you all went in which bikes, what places you visited, how many days was the ride and stuff like that.
He knew each and everything about that place and he even asked me if we had visited few places there.

IO: You are a network engineer rite, tell me what is CSR ratio.
I did not know, he asked me to find out.

IO: You are getting paid very well and it is a nice job, why do you want to join the Army?
Me: It is not at all about the money sir, I joined NCC to get to know the Army life, and I want to join the Army because I want to serve my nation.
IO: Even in IBM you are serving your nation, why Army?
Me: I want to serve my nation directly sir, I want to protect and guard my nation.
IO: Ok Chinna ( With a smile )

IO: Tell me what kind of a person you are and what you want to improve in yourself.
Me: I am a person who is positive and I remain open to all kinds of challenges sir. I have noting to improve but I want to learn swimming.

IO: That is all from my side Chinna, all the best for your SSB you may leave now.
Me: Thank you sir, Good day.

*Never ever lie in the interview and even if you do make sure you do not get caught.
Make sure that you have a valid reason for what ever you say.
Do not contradict yourself.
Be confident always and remember one thing, every answer you give leads you to an other question, Answer wisely.*

I had a nice time with the IO for more than an hour.

Day 3 ( GTO )

GTO is the best part of SSB, we were asked to report at the usual time at around 7AM.
The GTO came in and with a smile he greeted us and explained us about the process.

GD: The topics were given to us and our GD went on very well and my teammates were all gentlemen, when one was speaking rest were listening. Each and everyone gave out at least 3 points. It was a healthy discussion. I was way too happy with the way our team did the GD.

GPE: We wrote the solution, I wrote it in an organized manner. Aim, resources,time, how our team would be split and so on.
Like I said my group had all gentlemen, and we had a healthy discussion.

PGT: We were all repeaters and knew how to tackle the obstacles, but there was a point were we dint know what to do and we got struck. I had an idea, I asked the team if I could give it, I gave an idea which worked and we were done with the PGT.

Snake Race: We took it all easy, we were made to run for warming up, we saw the freshers running like there were dogs chasing them, few tripped and fell. Then the race started, we helped each other, I was motivating the team. We were made to repeat the last obstacle thrice only because we reached first and we were all repeaters, we enjoyed it.

Lecturate: I chose the topic social media, I had chosen the same topic in my previous attempt. But this time I wanted it to be well organized. I started “ Im sure everyone here uses Facebook and yes the topic that i have chosen is social media, I will tell you what is social media, then the advantages , then disadvantages and finally I will conclude” I went on.

Individual obstacle: I did not care about the points, I followed a pattern, in a circular manner. I did all the 10 and repeated 2, which became 12 in total.

Day 4 ( GTO)

We were all chilled out as we had just 2 tests left in GTO, we all reported at around 7.30AM.

Command task: Two of them had called me as their subordinate, and finally i was called. I was called last, I had an informal conversation with the GTO and the task given to me was quit simple but tricky, I had set my mind that no matter what I will not lose my cool, I will remain calm and composed.
My task started I called my subordinates chest no 1 Dheeraj and chest no 6 Akhil.
I crossed the first obstacle and i had to bring out the last man out and I was stuck there as there were two ways to get through it.
GTO: Gentleman do you want to go back and come the other way?
Me: No sir I will move from here only, I will get chest no 1 here, I just need some time.
GTO: But you hardly have an other 5min, how will you?
Me: No problem sir, I will get him.
I was sure that the GTO was trying to put me in pressure as I still had more than 10min left, I had set my mind that no matter what i should not show the tension on my face.
GTO: You just have 2 min gentlemen, Do you want to ask your subordinates for the idea?
Me: No problem sir, I will handle it.
I looked at the finish line and there was a resource that i could use, I got him.
We sailed to the finish line with no flaws.
GTO: Good, you may go now.
Me: Thank you sir.

*First thing that you need to keep in mind is never loose your cool, stay calm and even though if you are tensed do not show it on ur face. Look confident.
Motivate and appreciate your teammates.
Be a good listener during the discussions and make sure you stand by what you say. Try supporting an other person’s view.
Follow a circular pattern in the individual obstacle task.*

Our GTO addressed us and each and every thing that he spoke was motivating, he was an amazing officer, one thing that I still remember what he said “ Do not worry if you don’t make it this time, there is always an other chance. Just make sure that you learn from your mistakes, introspect and get to know who you are. You have done everything that you could, now leave everything to God”

GTO was done and the whole SSB was done. I and my friends went out and we enjoyed having some good food.

Day 5 ( Conference )

I woke up early and took out my best clothes, knotted my tie, I was all set and I wore my chest no. We were asked to keep our bags outside and report by8AM. We were all seated and a Colonel ranked officer came for the closing address, I got goosebumps looking at him in the olive green with those brass shining. He literally motivated us and inspired us.

The conference started, they started calling from chest no 18. Chest no 34 went in and he came out, they immediately called out chest no 1. I could literally feel my heart beat.
Chest no 4 waited for 15 min and he was called, his conference took little long and he left.
I was starring at the wall and all of a sudden the buzzer rang, I jolted it was my turn now.

I walked in confidently though I was nervous, I gave a smile and wished the Deputy president of the board, he asked me sit down. All i could see was olive green everywhere, My IO was the Deputy president, he started talking to me.

Dy president: How are you doing Chinna?
Me: I am doing good sir.

Dy president: How is your bike?
Me: I don’t know sir, but I am missing him.

Dy president: So when have you planned to ride it?
Me: Only after 5 days sir.

Dy president: So you will enjoy riding in the rain, How was your stay?
Me: Good sir.

Dy president: How was the food?
Me: It was amazing sir.

Dy president: What about the bed bugs?
Me: They were there sir,but only on the first day.

Dy president: How did you manage with the bed bugs then?
Me: I made friends with them sir.

Everyone in the conference hall started laughing 😀

Dy president: Thats all from my side Chinna, do you have any suggestions for us?
Me: No sir.

Dy president: You may leave now and all the best for your results.
Me: Thank you sir, Good day.

Done……My conference was done. I never expected that it would get over so soon, I was inside only for about 3min.

We were asked to report at 2PM post lunch for the results.

Results:

We were waiting for the results and Sabki Phatti Padi thi.
The Technical officer who was a Lieutenant Colonel came with the results and he said “ we have three people who have made it” I was expecting more.
He asked who is confident that they have made it, everyone raised their hand and so did I.
He said “ let me break the ice now, I will call out the numbers in random, the first one to get recommended is chest no 10” one down, two more to go. It was Akarsh, he became my best buddy after this.
“ the next one is chest no 6” I was happy for him, he deserved it and he was already recommended for Air force Pilot and my best buddy. There was just one more left, for a second I lost all hopes. The TO asked “ who thinks that he is the last one” Most of them lifted their hand, I did not even look at him.
TO: “ the last one to get recommended is chest no 5”

Did I hear it rite, it was me, I became numb, I was speechless, I could not control my emotions and tears of joy started rolling down. I can never forget that moment in my entire life. December 2nd 2015 changed my life.
I had always dreamt of this moment.

It took me two years and two attempts to get what I wanted, I just got the merit list on 19th Feb and will be joining the OTA in the month of April.

I HAD MADE IT….!

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My dear friends I know how passionate you all are about your dreams. Do not worry if you have failed, there is always an other chance, just make sure that you work hard and introspect, and never loose the zeal. Never give up on your dreams.You will live your dream for sure. All the very best my future officers.
I would like to thank SSBCRACK for coming up with amazing articles which has motivated many and it has become an eye opener to many, keep doing the good job that you guys are doing.

Thanks and regards,

CHARAN CHINNAPPA K

Got Recommended For UES Navy Pilot Bangalore

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February 25, 2016

Got Recommended For UES Navy Pilot Bangalore

Hello aspirants, I am S ABHISHEK, pursuing my final year engineering at Amrita School of Engineering Bangalore. Initially in my college days, I had no knowledge of the Armed Forces of India rather I was just another students who was dreaming about placements projects etc. etc. … But it all came when I was second year when I was exposed to the Defence arena. This in turn went on to be my passion when I got to know more about the adventure, the life style, the class act, the attire of the Defence personals. So I applied for the UES NAVY PILOT (Flying), cleared my initial rounds and got the call letter on 7^th December 2015. So after a brief preparation for my first ever SSB, I reported at 12 SSB Board Bangalore on 11^th January 2016. I saw 219 people like me gathered up there for the same entry. I felt good as I got the feel that there I am here to get some good competition. After about a 5 long hours of verification process I was allotted 212 as my chest number.

Next day i.e 12^th Jan the screening process took off. We were shown a woman looking out of her Balcony at the street in front of her. I made a story as the girl had come after studying at foreign university and had some plans to make the area and the traffic smarter by Internet of things etc. Many variety of stories were written by my colleagues and the GD took place. I had a GD more of a chaos but I could manage putting in some valuable points.

PPDT TIP: Never argue with others keep yourself calm and sneak in your thoughts when the voice levels slightly go down in the GD. And also practice the Narration of the story number of times before your group is been called for ppdt.

After about 3 longs hours of waiting, the results were being announced. One by one random chest numbers were called and the number went on up to 50 people and I just put my head down that I had a thought that I have to try next time again. But just as this thought came in , 212 my chest number was called and I was the second last to be called in the whole lot and I had a great sigh of relief and felt that yes I am one step closer now. I was given the Chest number 56 and thus a total of 57 people got screened in. We were given new accommodation. I had a great set of roommates with me and we all left no stone unturned trolling each other and had an enjoyable day.

Next day morning i.e 13^th Jan, I had my Psych test. I felt the test easy and I put down all my efficient thoughts into words. I could successfully writes all 60 WATs, 56 SRTs and wrote a sound SD in the given frame of time.

PHYSC Tip: I would suggest all the aspirants that SD is one thing which you can prepare beforehand. I practiced the SD about 70+ times before actually putting myself into the SSB process. Practice WATs and SRTs from internet and be natural and try to be positive when responding to the WATS and SRTs.

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In the afternoon itself I was called for my interview. After a brief wait of about 40 mins I was called upon for the Interview. In all these 40 mins I was just keeping myself calm whereas some of my colleagues were discussing a lot of stuffs regarding GK and Current affairs etc. But I would suggest all of you is that the way interview goes depends only on yourself and none other. So your confidence and keeping yourself calm matters more rather than discussing all those current affairs at the end moment. So with this mind set I went into the interviewer. He first asked me about myself, all details about my family and friends. I just answered everything with truth and with a peace of mind, looking right into his eyes. I was asked some Technical questions and being an ECE student I was asked all about GSM and CDMA. I successfully answered all of these and to my luck I wasn’t asked any of the GK or Current affairs question because I dint give him a chance to go towards that domain so its all on you how you want your interview to be done. After about 50 mins my interview as done and I had a big satisfaction on myself and felt really great about it. After this I went back to room took some rest and in the evening played some volleyball and a fun filled night and the next whole day I was left free as my Interview had been done already.

INTERVIEW TIP: Keep calm, be confident and be truthful in the interview. If you don’t know some answer tell him that I’ll find out as soon as the interviews gets over and always show and have a positive attitude.

Next day i.e 15^th Jan, I had my GTO. From chest number 51 -57 all were in the same group. We had a good GD, average GPE and in PGT, HGT & FGT, I was cooperative, suggested good ideas and helped and lead all my group mates to complete the obstacles. When compared to other groups my groups was doing the best as we had a great coordination with each other. Next we had our Snake Race. We went on to decide a war cry rather a very funny war cry i.e “BHAHUBALI” .The GTO started laughing when he heard out war cry. We finished second in the race and had an awesome race with all the other groups. Next the lecturette was also done with an ease.

In the Individual Obstacle Race, I successfully completed 9 obstacles and just I was about to do the left over obstacle the GTO blew the whistle. I would suggest that when the GTO explains about the Obstacles listen to him with utter attention and plan and adapt yourself during the race. Also it doesn’t matter the number of obstacles you do rather how you see the obstacles, the confidence and tries who make in countering the obstacles matters more.

In the command task I was called 5 times out of 7 people in the group and I helped all of them to my fullest. When I was called by GTO for command task, all of a sudden he asked to name 3 ships which Indian Navy possess. I named 2 destroyers and one aircraft carrier. Though was question was easy but it was unexpected at that moment so one should always be alert all the times at the SSB. I was given a tricky CT but I somehow managed to complete it. Also when GTO called me for the CT, I was scolded by him as I didn’t shave my beard on that day. So irrespective of the days in SSB make sure that you are groomed well. So in this way the outdoors came to an end.

GTO TIP: Nobody is going to check how strong you are physically. All is about your inner qualities and the OLQs. Adapt with the group, know each other and plan and discuss with your group before day itself so that you can execute the GTO in a smooth way. Never argue in GDs and always cooperate with your group. Also as I said before it doesn’t matter how many PGTs, HGTs or IO you do. What matters is how you perceive with all these obstacles and always keep trying and never give up.

Next day i.e 16^th Jan, we all had our conference. All of them were dressed up in the best of their attire. We all knew that our fates have been sealed and I was confident about myself but yet I was on my toes always. In the conference I was asked about my stay and also they asked to rate my performance on all 3 aspects I.e. Physc, interview and GTO and the reason of rating too. At last I was asked by the president of the board on any suggestion I want to put forward. I said I don’t have any suggestions but the president forced me to put forward at least one suggestion. And I put a weird suggestion of changing the mess routine by changing curry made of panner to something else as it was repeated again and again. Suddenly all the officers started laughing and even I broke out my smile and my conference was done in a good note. It was an immense experience to see all of them in the White adorable uniforms.

After about an hour, the results were about to be announced .But before this happened suddenly the officer asked “Who was the person who asked for change in menu of the mess”. I stood up and he strongly asked me suggest me a new menu now and all of a sudden I said may be Malai Kofta can be included instead of panner on certain days of the week and the officer gave a big nod.

Now the results were being announced and my chest number was called 4^th from last along with my buddies’ chest no 57, 51 and 40. 11 of us got recommended and we went on to make the 12SSB board record.

And to my surprise the next day at the lunch, we found that instead of paneer , kofta was made available to us.

In the next days, I went to AFSB Mysore to give my CPSS and PABT. I cleared both of them and also my medicals were done at Institute of Aerospace Medicine Bangalore.

At last, I would say one thing to all the aspirants. Be yourself…be confident…be positive…and adapt with different situations and never give up. This will ensure that you will become a part of the elite forces of our country.

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S ABHISHEK Ph no. +91 7795119118

JAI HIND

7 Psychological Tips To Improve Your Creative Thinking

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February 25, 2016

7 Psychological Tips To Improve Your Creative Thinking

Being creative in today’s competitive world is an added advantage and most of the organizations today seek and prefer individuals who are capable of being creative. A creative individual is someone who can come up with new ideas and make those imaginative ideas turn to reality. A creative individual sees the world with a different perspective.

Being creative means generating new ideas that would help in problem-solving. Problem-solving is a skill that not all of us possess and in order to emerge as a better problem solver one needs to be a creative thinker.
From the SSB point of view, the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), the Picture Perception and Discussion Test (PPDT), the Situation Reaction Test (SRT) and the Word Association Test (WAT) all require some degree of creative thinking.

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Everyone will be shown the same photo/words in the above-mentioned tests, yet it’s only handfuls that excel in them. The whole difference lies in the content of your story. As we all are aware, life in the Armed Forces is very challenging. With challenging lifestyle come unpredictable and uncertain situations and in such situations creativity is needed to solve problems. A solution that might have worked well in one situation may not necessarily work well in the other situation.

Considering the importance of creative thinking, following are some of the psychological tips that you can use to improve your creative thinking and to become a better problem solver:

Reconceptualise the problem. Mostly what happens is that we take the problem as it is and start working towards a solution without taking into account all of the aspects of the problem. Right when a problem arises or a situation comes where the commonly known solution won’t work, sit back and try to see and analyse the problem from all sides rather than how it seems to you.
Day dream first and then work. A lot of studies have shown that daydreaming and napping is helpful for generating creative thoughts but a recent study shows that the less you have worked on a problem the less daydreaming will help you. In the simplest of words, daydreaming is most beneficial when you’ve already invested a lot of brains and time into the problem at hand.
Create when you’re high on extreme emotions. In the past it was thought that creativity comes best when an individual is happy but recent studies have shown that creativity is high when both positive and negative emotions run high. Whenever you’re in a strong emotional state, you are more likely to come up with better and creative ideas.
Create psychological distance. Thinking the source of problem as being distinct from oneself can help boost creative thinking of a person. In a study the subjects were able to solve twice as many insight problems when asked to think about the source of the task as distant, rather than it being close in proximity.
Exercise more. Everyone is aware of the enumerable benefits of exercising. When it comes to creative thinking, exercising too proves to be beneficial. It puts you in a good and a positive mood and helps in coming up with more ideas. So the next time you find yourself stuck, you might as well go out for a jog!
Be willing to take risks. When it comes to building your creative thinking skills, you need to be willing to take risks in order to advance your abilities. Your ideas and abilities might not always prove to be helpful but in taking risks you’ll be tearing down all boundaries and thinking one step forward than those who are too afraid of failure or taking risks.
Be confident. Insecurities can suppress your ability. Come out of your shell and believe in your capabilities. Believing in yourself and having confidence will stop you from doubting yourself and encourage you to think out of the box.

Also Read:

All You Need To Know About The Next Chief Of Indian Navy – Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba

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SSBCrackExams

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February 25, 2016

Hello, Warriors! Senior naval officer Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, who is likely to take over as Chief of Naval Staff in four months, has now taken over as chief of the Mumbai based Western Naval Command, considered the “premier operational command” of the Indian Navy.

Prior to this appointment, Mr. Lanba was Commander-in-chief of the Southern Naval Command at Kochi and head of the premier operational Command of the Indian Navy.

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Here is all about Sunil Lanba, to be appointed as the next chief of Naval Staff:

Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba was commissioned into the Indian Navy as an officer in January 1978 as a Navigation and Direction specialist.
He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy (NDA) and Defence Services Staff College. He is also an alumnus of the College of Defence Management, Secunderabad, where he also served on the faculty.
He has very rich staff and operational experience over a career spanning more than three decades with the Indian Navy.
He has served as Navigating Officer of INS Sindhudurg (Corvette) and INS Dunagiri (Frigate).
During his illustrious service he commanded four frontline warships namely, INS Kakinada (Minesweeper), INS Himgiri (Frigate), INS Ranvijay and INS Mumbai (Destroyers).
He has also held important staff assignments such as Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet and Chief of Staff, Southern and Eastern Naval Commands.
He has also been the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area, Flag Officer Sea Training, Commandant at National Defence College and Vice Chief of Naval Staff.
He was Commander-in-chief of the Southern Naval Command at Kochi, prior to being appointed to head the premier operational Command of the Indian Navy.
Vice Admiral Lanba is a recipient of the Param Vishist Seva Medal and the Athi Vishist Seva Medal for distinguished service of an exceptionally high order.
Sunil Lanba’s wife, Mrs Reena Lanba who will now preside over the Navy Wives Welfare Association (Western Region) is a qualified teacher and a home maker.

Current naval chief Admiral R.K. Dhowan is due to retire on May 31, and once that happens, Vice Admiral Lanba will be the senior-most serving naval officer.

9 Tips For Successful Public Speaking

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February 25, 2016

Public speaking or oration is the process or act of performing a speech focused around an individual directly speaking to a live audience in a structured, deliberate manner in order to inform, influence, or entertain them. A good orator is someone who makes an impact on his/her audience. Public speaking is an important aspect in the SSB since the ability of the candidate to communicate ideas to the fellow candidates and the ability to influence the group and other teammates is assessed.

Some of us often feel anxious while speaking before a large gathering. Some feel self-conscious and aren’t able to perform their best because of the anxiety and nervousness.

Following are some of the tips that you can use for a better, successful and powerful public speaking:

Practice: No skill will come easily to you. You need to practice. Pick up a topic and start preparing on it and speak on it in front of someone with whom you are comfortable. You can even do it in front of the mirror. Practicing will make you feel more confident and this confidence will get transferred from the practice sessions to the real public speaking event.
Remind yourself that human interactions are part of everyday life: You talk and gossip with your friends, you talk with your parents, your teachers, colleagues, and seniors. Public speaking is no more complex than a general discussion and exchange of ideas and information in a large gathering. Make yourself understand that it is nothing to be fearful of.Download eBooks:
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Speak slowly: While speaking in front of people, an effective communicator will leave an impact on his/her audience. Speak slowly so that your audience can understand clearly each and every word that you are saying. Speaking too fast will prevent your audience from understanding your content well. So, speak slowly.
Voice modulations and pauses: Whenever we write we make use of commas and full stops. This gives the content a structure. Likewise, while speaking it is necessary to use correct voice modulation and articulation. Know when to emphasize on a point and when to pause to make an impact. Give your audience a moment to take it all in.
Watch Videos: There are n numbers of videos on YouTube of professional orators. Listen to them and watch their body language. Watch and learn how they use their words and their gestures, watch their postures and see how they influence their audience. Practice their techniques.
Record yourself: Pick up a topic and prepare it. Once you are through with preparing, record yourself while speaking. Once you are done, see your recording and focus on your body language and voice modulation. You’ll easily notice and find out in which aspects you can improve.
Breath and exercise before your speech: There are two main reasons for doing a little bit of light exercise before you go up on stage and speak. Firstly, it gets your blood circulating and brings oxygen to your brain, allowing you to think clearer. Light exercise is recommended because it burns the cortisol out of your system. Cortisol, a major stress chemical is made by your body when you’re anxious and stressed. It can also tighten your voice and interfere with your ability to conveying positive body language.
Don’t start talking right away: When you walk up to the podium, just remain silent for a few seconds. Don’t start talking as soon as you get the mike in your hands. You will surely trip on your words. Take a few seconds and breath. Your audience will appreciate this since it shows that you are calm, composed and your thoughts are synchronized. Don’t pause for too long, though.
State the facts: While you are speaking about a topic it is always advised that you provide your audience with facts and figures. Anybody can come and share their experiences and views and mug up a sheet of paper and speak, but an effective communicator will provide the facts and statistics to make an impact. Never give personal life examples. State examples that are known to your audience so that they can relate.

Indian Army Recruits Women For All Combat Roles

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February 25, 2016

Indian Army Recruits Women For All Combat Roles

India will allow women to take up combat roles in all sections of its army, navy and air force, President Pranab Mukherjee said, signalling a radical move towards gender parity in one of the world’s most male-dominated professions.

Most countries employ women in various roles in their armed forces but only a handful, including Australia, Germany, Israel and the United States, have allowed them to take on fighting, or combat, roles.

India, which has one of the largest armies in the world, has resisted such a move, citing concern over women’s vulnerability if captured and over their physical and mental ability to cope with the stress of frontline deployments.

Addressing both houses on the eve of parliament’s budget session, the president – who is also supreme commander of the armed forces – said the government would in future recruit women for fighting roles in the armed forces.

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“My government has approved the induction of women as short service commission officers and as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force. In the future, my government will induct women in all the fighter streams of our armed forces,” Mukherjee said on Tuesday.

“In our country ‘Shakti’, which means power, is the manifestation of female energy. This Shakti defines our strength,” he added.

India began recruiting women to non-medical positions in the armed forces in 1992, yet only 2.5 percent of its more than one million personnel are women – most of them administrators, intelligence officers, doctors, nurses or dentists.

In October, the government took the first steps towards bringing women into fighting roles and approved plans by the Indian Air Force for women pilots to fly warplanes from June 2017 on a three-year experimental basis.

Women’s rights activists welcomed the president’s remarks but said that bringing real gender parity into the armed forces would be a slow process.

This Skydiving Video By Two Indian Army Officers Will Give You Goosebumps

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February 24, 2016

Dare Devil Skydivers of Indian Army Adventure Wing Lt Col Satyendra Verma and Lt Col Servesh Dhadwal, Jump Over Kavaratti in Lakshadweep islands, India…. Caught in action with 4 Amazing GoPro’s…. Watch the Madness Unfold.

Skydiving By Indian Army

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12 Signs That You Grew Up In A Military Background

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February 24, 2016

12 Signs That You Grew Up In A Military Background

Have you ever found yourself in a situation in which a complete stranger or a friend of a friend has asked if you belonged to a military background? If yes, then there must be something about you and your personality that made them say so. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out if a person is a military brat or not! The personality, the aura, the behaviours and mannerisms speak for themselves.

Every military kid has some qualities and peculiar behaviour habits that make them stand apart from the crowd.
Following are some of the signs that make it easy to say that one is a military brat! :

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Immense respect for men in uniform. Every military kid has an ever growing respect for men in uniforms. Be it their father or any other Armed Forces personnel, the military families strongly encouraged their children to have respect for them particularly because they can relate to them rather than relating their personal experiences to civilians.
You stand up for national anthem in movie halls. You respect your country’s national anthem and you are proud to show it! You stand up and pay your respects to the national anthem when they play it at the movies and you most probably might find yourself in an awkward situation for being the only one to stand.
You are punctual. Growing up in a military family teaches you many lessons for life, one of them is punctuality. You are likely to arrive 10 minutes early at an event but never 10 minutes late.
You call others (of your age group or younger) by their last name. This is something that you’ve picked up from your father as the soldiers generally call their mates by each other’s last names, a practice which starts from their training. Calling elders as ‘Sir’ and ‘Ma’am’ is another natural mannerism of military kids.
You are a perfectionist, especially about your appearance. You dress for the occasion. Never underdressed or overdressed. Self -appearance shows self- disciple which is a major quality of the Armed Forces personnel so their children too imbibe this quality and always look their best.
You have a lot of stories to tell! With every station your parents are posted to, comes a new story. You hear about the valour of heroic soldiers and you share their stories with your friends and family which shows us how far the soldiers are willing to go to protect their nation.
The dependant card! Along with a school ID card and other ‘normal’ identification cards, you also possess a military dependant card of which we are really proud! I bet, you must have flashed it around in front of your civilian friends’ faces at least once!
Your kitchen is always stacked with rations! Jams, Corn flakes, Custards, Bournvita, Cheese, Breads, Vegetables and Fruits, you name it and we have it! All of these were a vital part of your tiffin during school days!
You easily get along with others, especially with other military brats. Life in the military makes an individual very social and confident and this shows in your personality. You can easily make friends with others and you click instantly with another military kid.
You value diversity. With the Armed Forces being so diverse in nature, it’s no surprise that you have come to value it. The very essence of our country is diversity and you embrace it. You value and respect people from different cultures and ethnicities.
It takes a while for you to answer the ‘where are you from’ question. This is a tricky question for us military brats. It takes us a while to figure out what exactly to say. For the military brats home is more of a feeling than a place.
You are highly responsible. Every military family is highly organized when it comes to doing the daily home chores and tasks. I’m sure you must have been assigned tasks in your childhood that you HAD to do. Not only this, your upbringing has cultivated a sense of social responsibility too in you. You take initiative and show concern for the society as well.

10 Qualities Every Female Soldier Has

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