Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived in China on 23 April to attend a preparatory meeting related to upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Cross-over of the Ministers
EAM Sushma Swaraj arrived in China on 21 April and took part in the foreign ministers meeting of the SCO on 24 April.
However, there were no bilateral meetings between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with their Pakistan counterparts at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial meets.
The meetings were prominent as they were the first such meetings after India and Pakistan were admitted into the eight-member SCO group last year.
About SCO
SCO is a Eurasian economic, political and military organisation. Its aim is jointly preserving and safeguarding regional peace, security and stability and also establishing a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order.
The SCO, headquartered in Beijing, was founded in 2001. It comprises of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India and Pakistan.
Structure of SCO [Source]The SCO aims at cooperation between the member states and involves intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism operations in Central Asia and joint work against cyber terrorism. China and Russia play an influential role in SCO.
Highlights of SCO Defence Ministers’ Meet
DM Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted India’s keen interest in developing an expanded partnership with the broader Eurasian region. In doing so, India has sought to build on her long-standing ties of deep mutual trust and confidence with Russia, vibrant historical and cultural linkages with countries of Central Asia and closer development partnership with China and to further enhance and deepen ties with all the member countries for mutual benefit.
She also stated that in the days ahead, India will work with the SCO partners to energize and revitalize the age-old ties of affinity with the countries of the region. She sought a forward looking partnership based on robust dialogue and concrete initiatives to enhance the economic, trade and cultural cooperation as well as mutually beneficial interactions on defence and security matters.
She called for SCO members to work towards enhancing greater communication among member countries within the region as well as in the broader international context. This is essential for progressive trends towards stability and peace to reassert itself and to arrest the current drift in ties between major powers and to address any possible implications for the region.
The Defence Minister stated that India will participate in the SCO’s Peace Mission joint military exercises being held in Russia later this year.
Recognizing the value of improving regional transportation and communication networks through mutual consultation, sustainability and sharing of benefits, the Raksha Mantri opined that it can create a network of physical and digital connectivity that extends from Russia’s northern regions to the shores of Indian Ocean. The International North South Transportation Corridor is an important step in that direction. However, she noted that it would also be essential that such initiatives respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.
Conclusion
During her visit, Mrs Sitharaman met a number of Chinese leaders and attended the SCO defence ministers’ meeting on 24 April. The annual summit of the SCO will take place in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June and is likely to be attended by PM Narendra Modi.
A three-day coastal security exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ was conducted off the coast of Kerala, Mahe and Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands to assess the preparedness of all agencies towards dealing with an asymmetric threat emanating from the sea.
The Headquarters Coast Guard District No 4 (Kerala) and the Headquarters Coast Guard District No 12 (Lakshadweep & Minicoy) conducted the exercise from April 24 to 26.
Objective
The exercise was aimed at enhancing synergy between various stake-holders through sharing of information and resources of various agencies involved in the field of coastal security.
It helped to assess the preparedness of all agencies towards dealing with an asymmetric threat emanating from the sea. It also helped in validating the standard operating procedures to strengthen the coastal security mechanism.
Equipments Involved
4 ships and 3 Fast Interceptor Craft (FICs) of Indian Navy, 5 ships of Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Dornier aircraft were deployed off Kerala and L&M coast.
Boats and personnel from Coastal Police, Marine Enforcement Wing (MEW), Central Industrial Security Force, Customs, Fisheries department and Port authorities also actively participated in the exercise.
In all, the exercise saw participation of 3 ships of India Navy, 10 of ICG, 4 fishing boats, besides 20 coastal police stations from Vizhinjam to Kasaragod. Extensive aerial surveillance of the coastal waters was also carried out by aircraft to detect the opposing force.
Results of The Exercise
The exercise provided seamless seaward cover along coast by all concerned security agencies from coastal belt area to limit of territorial waters i.e. 12 nautical miles. The exercise assessed effectiveness of coastal fishing community in serving as ‘eye and ears’ for early warnings of a seaward threat.
It tested intelligence and infiltration alertness and preparedness of stakeholders, including people. It provided all concerned stakeholders an opportunity to fine tune standard operating procedures and test new operation concepts for coastal security.
Review by FOC-in-C SNC
Vice Adm AR Karve, PVSM, AVSM, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command, who is also the Commander-in-Chief, Coastal Defence, reviewed the progress of the exercise with all concerned stakeholders on 25 April 2018 at the Joint Operations Centre, Kochi. Representatives of participating agencies attended the review.
Conclusion
During this exercise, important issues, such as multi-layer security, security of harbours and installations, requirement of boats for patrolling and training of coastal police personnel were discussed. The exercise concluded on the morning of 26 April 2018. An analysis of the exercise is in progress by all agencies with the aim of further strengthening the coastal security architecture.
The Bhabha Atomic Reseach Centre (BARC) has developed a next-generation bulletproof jacket – Bhabha Kavach – for the armed forces, which they claim, is not only cheaper but also much lighter.
The idea to develop a lighter bulletproof jacket was initiated in 2015. The weight of the bullet proof matters when forces are on a long duration mission. Heavier jacket becomes an impediment when there are operations that last around 3-7 days.
About Bhabha Kavach
Bhabha Kavach is named after nuclear physicist Dr. Homi J. Bhabha.
The jacket was developed at BARC’s Trombay centre in response to a request from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The jacket weighs just 6.6 kg in comparison to the 17-kg jackets in use, and has passed over 30 tests carried out by certified agencies. Bhabha Kavach is available in three variants as per the requirement of the armed forces.
Bhabha Kavach
The Making
The jacket is made using extremely hard boron carbide ceramics that is hot-pressed with carbon nano-tubes and composite polymer. BARC has been using boron carbide in the control rods of its nuclear reactors.
The materials used have been indigenously developed at BARC and is a spin-off from nuclear technology. The bullet proof jacket can also be customised to various requirements.
Costs and Testing
The cost of a Bhabha Kavach is ₹70,000 as against the jackets of similar strength in the range of ₹1.5 lakh.
A five-member BARC team worked for a year in 2015-16 to develop the jacket, which is being tested by a joint team of the CRPF, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and the Central Industrial Security Force. The northern command of the Indian Army is also testing a variant of the jacket in Jammu and Kashmir.
It has passed over 30 tests carried out by certified agencies.
Past Failure of Bullet-Proof Jackets
Unfortunately, in certain incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, bulletproof jackets have failed to protect our jawans, as terrorists have resorted to Chinese-made hard steel core bullets capable of piercing the jackets. These specialised steel bullets were used in an attack in Pulwama on December 31, 2017, where five CRPF jawans were martyred during a gun battle with terrorists.
Bhabha Kavach has been designed to protect our soldiers against eight 7.62mm bullets fired from AK-47 rifle from distance of 5-10 metres. It can even withstand 5.56mm bullet of Indian Small Arms System (INSAS).
Production
BARC has transferred the technology of Bhabha Kavach to Mishra Dhatu Nigam, Hyderabad, for its large-scale production. It is estimated that about one lakh jackets will be required, per annum, for the next 10 years. The light jacket will surely save the government exchequer foreign exchange.
About BARC
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is India’s premier nuclear research facility based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is multi-disciplinary research center with extensive infrastructure for advanced research and development. Its R&D covers entire spectrum of nuclear science, engineering and related areas. BARC’s core mandate is to sustain peaceful applications of nuclear energy, primarily for power generation.
For the first time, a large-scale joint training exercise is being conducted on the land of Malaysia and the soldiers of India and Malaysia.
The Indian and Malaysian armies are conducting a joint training exercise ‘Harimau Shakti’ in the dense forests of Sengai Paddick in Halo Lunar of Malaysia. The exercise started on 30 April and will go on till 13 May.
The exercise commenced on 30 April at Wardieburn Camp, Kuala Lumpur with a brief and impressive handing over of troops ceremony. Lt Col Irwan Ibrahim, Commanding officer of the 1st Royal Ranger Regiment of Malaysian Army welcomed the Indian contingent and wished the Indian and Malaysian troops for a successful and mutually beneficial joint exercise.
Objective
The exercise aims to increase mutual cooperation and coordination between the two armies and share expertise in the operation of chaos prevention operations in dense forests.
2015 Visit
During the visit of Prime Minister to Malaysia in November 2015, both sides agreed to strengthen defence cooperation including enhancing defence exchanges through regular dialogue at various levels as also through Service-to-Service Staff Talks.
Both sides have also agreed to upgrade the bilateral joint exercise ‘HARIMAU SHAKTI’ to company level and to set up SU-30 Forum for cooperation in training, maintenance, technical support and safety-related issues, etc. Setting up of the Forum was also discussed during the Air Staff Talks in April, 2016.
The Ambassadors
The Indian Army is represented by the 4 grenadiers. This battalion has rich experience of traditional and chaos prevention action.
The Malaysian army is represented by the Royal Rangers Regiment and the soldiers of the Royal Malay Regiment. Both of these regiments are known for expertise in the jungle war.
Phases of Harimau Shakti
First phase of the two week long joint military exercise began with the formal handing over of the Regimental Flag to the Malaysian Army signifying merging of the two contingents under one Commander.
First day also saw briefings to the joint contingent on Malaysian country brief, exercise settings and security aspects. The day ended with a keenly contested friendly Volley Ball match, which the visitors could finally snatch after a tiff competition.
The first training phase will be organized in the jungles of Hulu Langat and after 7 days field training phase will be organized wherein both armies will jointly train, plan and execute a series of training activities.
Future Impacts
Exercise Harimau Shakti is a positive step in the bilateral relations between the two nations. The conduct of such exercises in future will enable mutual capacity enhancement and assist in building strong bonds of friendship and cooperation between India and Malaysia.
Conclusion
Both Indian and Malaysian armies stand to hone their tactical and technical skills in counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations under the UN mandate. As part of the exercise, both countries will share the expertise of each other’s parties to conduct a joint training exercise in the dense forests. Due emphasis is being laid on increasing interoperability between forces which is crucial for success of any joint operation.
Overall, the exercise will not only provide an excellent opportunity to both the armies to hone their operational skills but will also contribute to enhance the strategic partnership between India and Malaysia.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by the Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, met today and accorded approval to Capital Acquisition Proposals of the Services valued at over Rs 3,687 crore.
In a boost to indigenisation and in realisation of India’s growing technological prowess, the DAC approved procurement of following:
NAG Missile System (NAMIS)
At the cost of Rs 524 crore, the system includes a third generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile, the NAG and Missile Carrier Vehicle (NAMICA).
ATGM NAG
The NAG missile is a third generation anti-tank guided missile, which has top attack capabilities that can effectively engage and destroy all known enemy tanks during day and night. This will give a quantum boost to the Army’s capability against enemy armour.
NAG Missile System
127 mm Calibre Guns
The DAC also approved procurement of thirteen 127 mm calibre guns for the Navy. These guns will be fitted on-board new construction ships for undertaking surface engagements including Naval Gunfire Support Operations. The guns will enable Naval ships to provide fire support and engagement of targets on the land. These guns have engagement range of 24 kilometres, which could be extended further by using Extended Range Gun Munitions (ERGM). These guns, a long outstanding requirement of the Navy would be procured from BAE Systems of the United States of America under the categorisation of Buy (Global) at an approximate cost of over Rs 3,000 crore.
About Defence Acquisition Council
Consequent upon the Group of Ministers recommendations on ‘Reforming the National Security System’, Ministry of Defence vide its order dated 11 Oct 2001 had set up broad structures and systems to deal with acquisitions on the Capital Account. An overarching structure, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) under the Defence Minister was constituted for overall guidance of the defence procurement planning process. The composition of the DAC is as follows:-
(a)
Defence Minister
Chairman
(b)
Minister of State for Defence
Member
(c)
Chief of Army Staff
Member
(d)
Chief of Naval Staff
Member
(e)
Chief of Air Staff
Member
(f)
Defence Secretary
Member
(g)
Secretary Defence Research & Development
Member
(h)
Secretary Defence Production
Member
(i)
Chief of Integrated Staff Committees HQ IDS
Member
(j)
Director General (Acquisition)
Member
(k)
Dy. Chief of Integrated Defence Staff
Member Secretary
Composition of DAC
Objective
The objective of the Defence Acquisition Council is to ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the Armed Forces in terms of capabilities sought and time frame prescribed by optimally utilizing the allocated budgetary resources.
Functions of DAC
The functions of the DAC include
in principle approval of 15 Years Long Terms Integrated Perspective Plan for Defence Forces
accord of Acceptance of Necessity to acquisition proposals;
categorization of the acquisition proposals relating to ‘Buy’, ‘Buy & Make’ and ‘Make’;
issues relating to Single vendor clearance;
decision regarding ‘offset’ provisions in respect of acquisition proposals above Rs. 300 crores;
decisions regarding Transfer of Technology under ‘Buy & Make’ category of acquisition proposals; and
Field Trial evaluation.
Conclusion
The DAC is the committee which oversees various approvals and procurements for the defence forces. Recently, it has cleared proposal to procure the NAG Anti Tank Guided Missile, NAMICA for the Army and 127 mm Calibre Guns for the Navy.
Even though ties between India and Pakistan continue to worsen, the two neighbours will participate together for the first time in a multi-nation counter-terrorism exercise in Russia in September 2018.
The military exercise is being conducted by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and will see participation of almost member nations, including China.
The drill will cater resumption of bilateral military exercise between India and China, which was suspended last year following the 73-day Doklam standoff.
About Peace Mission 2018
Termed “Peace Mission”, the military exercise will be held at the Ural Mountains of Russia and its main aim will be to to enhance counter-terror cooperation among the eight SCO member countries.
The exercise will be held in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia from August 22 to August 29, 2018.
Even though military personnel of India and Pakistan have worked together in United Nations’ peace keeping missions, it will be for the first time since independence that the countries will take part in a military exercise.
Peace Mission is a biennially-held counter-terrorism exercise involving each SCO member. In 2016, it was held in Kyrgyzstan. Its purpose is to examine the coordination and combat readiness of SCO members for joint counter-terrorism operations.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO
India and Pakistan were admitted as observers of the grouping in 2005. Both the countries were admitted as full members of the bloc in 2017 making the group a 8-member bloc. India’s membership was strongly pushed by Russia while Pakistan’s entry into the grouping was backed by China.
India feels that as an SCO member, it will be able to play a major role in addressing the threat of terrorism in the region. It is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which is headquartered in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) and specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.
SCO now represents over 40% of humanity and nearly 20% of the global GDP and is aimed at cultivating multilateral cooperation in many areas, including trade, energy, education, tourism and others.
Conclusion
While repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan from across the Line of Control and interference in Kashmir by lending support to militant groups have seen relations between the countries on a free fall, the participation in a joint military exercise is certainly a positive step.
Formations of South Western Command are carrying out Exercise Vijay Prahar employing more than 20,000 troops, cutting edge equipment and state of the art force multipliers in the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges close to Suratgarh in Rajasthan.
Objective
The aim of the exercise is to fine-tune jointmanship with the Indian Air Force to maximise the impact of the joint operations. Notably, the IAF carried out exercise Gagan Shakti and demonstrated their capabilities and strength to handle adversaries.
The exercise is aimed to orchestrate wide spectrum of threats which are planned to be tackled through high tempo joint air and land operation involving hundreds of aircrafts, thousands of tanks and artillery pieces supported by real time intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and just in time logistic support.
The wargame will help the troops in bolstering their penetrative manoeuvres across obstacle-ridden terrain.
New Concepts
During the exercise, the formations of South Western Command are practising and operationalising certain innovative concepts of operating in the network centric environment, integrated employment of modern day sensors with the weapon platforms, employment of attack helicopters in the air cavalry role and bold offensive of application of the Special Forces.
The formations will refine their drills and procedures for fighting in the nuclear environment during the course of the exercise.
Brigadier Anil Gautam, General Staff (Information Warfare) noted that some of the areas being emphasised were real-time information, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, deployment and using satellite-based surveillance capabilities, drones, electronic warfare capabilities, radars with an aim to have a transparent battlefield.
The troops also integrated the inputs received from various sensors into the automated decision support system for quick and accurate decision making.
The month-long exercise that will conclude on May 9 and Army chief General Bipin Rawat, and Lt Gen Cherish Mathson, Army Commander, South Western Command and other senior officers are likely to witness the final phase.
About Exercise Gaganshakti 2018
The Air Force mobilised almost its entire fleet of combat and transport aircraft along with helicopters and ground-based assets for this exercise last month.
The exercises saw the entire IAF machinery move into top gear to simulate war scenarios in real-time. So, apart from its own sorties, bombing and air superiority missions, the Air Force also provided close air support for ground operations and carried out marine support with the Indian Navy. All relevant missions featured live fire drills.
Over a thousand IAF aircrafts were operated in this exercise while the rest were on standby, making it the largest exercise by the IAF.
About South-Western Command
The South Western Command of the Indian Army was established in April 2005 and became fully operational on 15 August 2005. It is headquartered at Jaipur, Rajasthan. The command’s operational units include I Corps, formerly under Central Command, and X Corps transferred from Western Command.
Further information about this exercise is classified in the interest national security.
The Exercise Varuna is being conducted in three legs, spanning 3 months. The harbour phase of the exercise had commenced on March 15, while the sea phase would be conducted from March 20-24 at the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), Vasco. The first leg saw the participation of the French Navy’s anti-submarine frigate, Jean de Vienne. The second leg of the exercise was held off the Chennai coast in April and the third started near the La Reunion Island in May.
It was also held at time when Indian Ocean is witnessing increased Chinese naval presence.
The Phases
The first phase had focused on joint anti-submarine combat training off Indian coast in Goa, with participation of French nuclear submarine and India’s Kalvari Scorpene-class submarine.
The second phase focused on amphibious operations with the French landing helicopter dock LHD Dixmude.
Both navies conducted final and third phase of Varuna naval exercise 2018 near Reunion Island in Indian Ocean region (IOR) to enhance their operational coordination. In the final phase, both navies simulated different possible scenarios such as asymmetric warfare and tested their air defence capabilities.
The Final Phase
The Indian and French navies are conducting the last phase of the 2018 Varuna naval exercise, from 1st to 7th of May, in the vicinity of Reunion Island.
The current exercise includes the participation of two major vessels of the Indian Navy, the destroyer INS Mumbai and the Talwar class frigate INS Trikand, and the maiden deployment at Reunion Island of a multimission maritime aircraft, the Boeing P-8I Neptune. They will interact with the French ships permanently deployed at Reunion Island, including the frigate Nivôse.
Indian Navy’s destroyer, INS Mumbai, and frigate INS Trikand were the vessels participating in the exercise. Moreover, Indian Navy’s submarine, Kalvari, P8-1 and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and MiG 29K fighter aircraft also had participated in the exercise.
India-France Relations
India is major defence partner of France in Indian Ocean region. Maritime security is priority in India-France’s defence and security policy, along with fight against terrorism. Indian Navy and French Navy have been conducting naval exercises since 1983. These exercises were christened as Varuna in 2001. The last edition of this annual bilateral exercise was conducted off French coast in April 2017.
The seven-day final-phase exercise sees the sailors simulating different scenarios, including air defense, firing, manoeuvers, asymmetric warfare and embarkation. Helicopters embarked on board navy ships are also training for touch-and-go landings.
About Exercise Varuna
The Varuna exercise is part of a long-term bilateral cooperation with India, illustrated by the regular port visits of French ships in India, and recently reinforced by the document on the Joint Strategic Vision of India-France Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region. The document was signed during the state visit of President Emmanuel Macron on March 10, 2018.
The Varuna series of naval exercises now has grown in scope and complexity and provides opportunity to naval forces of both countries to increase interoperability and learn from each other’s best practices.
Reunion Island
Réunion Island is a French territory in the Indian Ocean. It is known for its volcanic, rainforested interior, coral reefs and beaches making it a climbing destination and tourist spot.
Conclusion
This exercise illustrates the strong interest France and India share concerning maritime security issues in this region. The third session of the Varuna exercise is being held after two successive phases.
Reading your SSB success stories section really inspired me and kept me motivated throughout my grueling journey. Luckily, here I am writing my own success story.
“When you want something badly and give it all your heart, YOU WILL SUCCEED! Hello Readers, My name is Swarnim Mishra and my journey began when I decided to write the AFCAT 2 2017 and CDS 2 2017 exams and by the grace of almighty, managed to clear both of them. I selected the dates 26th Feb 2018 and 4th March 2018 for the SSBs respectively. I had always wanted to join the defence forces but couldn’t clear the NDA written examination so I decided to do my graduation from Delhi University where I did my Honours in English. Now after this brief introduction, I will get straight to the experience.
My AFSB interview started on 26th February 2018 in 1 AFSB Dehradun. I went to Dehradun a day in advance and stayed at a friend’s. On 26th, I reported at the MCO at 0600 hours in the morning and was baffled to see so many people already there. I didn’t expect such a huge crowd as I didn’t have any prior experience of the SSB, people there told me that a turn out like this was a pretty normal affair.
From there our luggage was loaded on a truck and we were taken to the AFSB Clement town in an Air force bus. Immediately after we reached we were segregated into groups of freshers, screened out, and conferenced out candidates. After a brief document check, the screening process began. We were escorted to a big hall where the OIR test was conducted. It is a pretty simple test so you don’t need to worry about it. After that we were taken to another hall in which picture was shown to us based on which we had to write a story, it was a hazy picture of a car surrounded by a crowd. I managed to write a decent story. After that, we were taken to separate rooms in groups of 13. After a good discussion, we came up with a well-made group story which I was designated to narrate. Later that afternoon, at around 2, our result was announced and 63 people got screened in out of a total 192 who had reported. I was really happy to get screened in. I was allotted a room along with my group which consisted 9 people including me. The room was spacious and comfortable.
The same evening at 5:30 PM we were asked to report for Psych testing. Most of the people slept in the meanwhile. AT 5.30, the testing started and series of tests like TAT, SRT, WAT, and SD were conducted. The tests were simple but tiring as we had to write too much. I would also like to point out at this time that during Psych testing try to be as simple and plain as possible, with your answers and you’ll be able to sail through. The testing ended at around 9 and then we were taken for dinner, immediately after which we all went to sleep.
Next day in the morning, we were asked to come for breakfast at 6 wearing the respective dresses for the testing of the day. We had our GTO that day. The whole GTO was going to be conducted the same day as our conference was preponed by a day due to Holi. GTO started with Group Discussion which went really well for me. This was followed by GPE which also went well, I was able to write the complete solution and was chosen to give the group solution after the discussion. The group was very cooperating until this point but it was a totally different story once we went outside. The first outdoor task was PGT, it was horrendous. We were not working together and so were not able to move much forward. I got a little depressed after that. When it came to HGT, I decided to take charge and change the course of how things were going and we did the task very efficiently. After this, Command Task was conducted, this was the turning point for me. I was called last for the task, it was different from what task was given to everybody and the assessor kept increasing the difficulty and I was able to solve all the problems. This boosted my confidence and carrying this confidence I was able to fare well in IO and FGT. With this GTO was over. That evening I decided to go out and use the sports facility in the AFSB. I went to the volleyball court and joined in with the people who were already playing there. I made some friends there, specially chest number 45, whose name I didn’t know back then but he would go on to become one of my really good friends.
The next day was my interview. I got ready, I was a bit nervous but I calmed myself down by knocking the fact that “it’s just a light conversation and that’s it” into my head. My turn came, I was called in and immediately the interviewing officer started firing questions at me. My interview went on for around an hour and the array of questions was from all walks of my life, both personal and public life. That day I played badminton and volleyball later in the evening as well and then went to sleep. That evening a run was conducted which was just a formality and everyone managed to make it in the stipulated time.
CONFERENCE DAY was here, everyone was dressed in their best formals. People were going in the room and coming out pretty fast. My turn came and I wasn’t asked anything specific. I was just told to rate my performance, which was followed by the generic questions about the stay. After a wait of around 2 hours in which we had our lunch, we were made to sit in the hall once again. The excitement levels were high, many were nervous. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife, I was more excited. Soon, the officer clad in his uniform came to the dais and gave the usual speech. As soon as he said, “the candidates recommended from this batch are…” my heart skipped a beat, “chest number 22”. I was speechless for a moment, I couldn’t believe he called my number, I stood up, thanked him and went out. That moment is by far the best moment of my life!
My CPSS was conducted 2 days after this and I cleared that too. I was ecstatic and very confident for my CDS, IMA SSB which was scheduled just 4 days after this. I came back to Lucknow where I hail from and the very next day had to report to Allahabad. I took the morning train on the 6th of march to Allahabad and reached there at 11. Sharp at 12 the bus came and took us all to the Allahabad SSB. AS we were unloading our bags from the truck, I heard a familiar voice call me out, I turned and saw that it was chest number 45 from AFSB who had coincidently chosen the same date for IMA SSB as well. Now I got to know his name which is Anil Solanki. Luckily, we both were given the 11 SSB board and I was happy to have a familiar face around. The same evening, our documentation was conducted and 2-3 people were sent back for the lack of proper documents. There were 57 of us left after this.
Next day in the morning our screening process started with the OIR, which was again a simple affair. This was followed by PP&DT. It was not as simple as last time as I was with the repeaters this time and everyone was shouting at the top of their voices in the discussion. This time again I was chosen to narrate the group story which I couldn’t do to my satisfaction. I was really nervous and the thought of getting screened out just after being recommended was making me really anxious. After a wait of around 1 hour we were called back in and the result was announced. My name was amongst the last names to be called and hence I was given the chest number 24 out of a total 26 who got screened in.
That day in the evening we, me and Anil who also got screened in, followed the same tradition and went to volleyball which was quite fun. The next day was going to be psychological tests. We woke up early and reached the testing hall around 8. The testing started and I found out that somehow I was more nervous than last time because I believed that everybody would now expect more of me as I am previously recommended but I didn’t let this hamper my performance. Getting recommended before helped me a lot here as I knew the benchmark I had to achieve to make the cut and I worked for the same. All the psych tests went well. Later that evening we again played volleyball and basketball.
Next day was the GTO Day-1 and in the morning I was told that this day I was going to have my interview as well just after the GTO. I was not feeling really well and the extra burden of the interview pulled me down. I could do satisfactorily well in the GTO tasks but had little left in me for the interview. It was quite an interview, I was grilled so hard that after that I had lost all my confidence. There were many questions pertaining to GK that I couldn’t answer which made me nervous and therefore made many silly errors. After the interview I had lost hope of getting recommended this time. This is where having a good company came in clutch, people around me were supportive and helpful. They kept me going and helped me forget what had happened and concentrate on the task at hand.
Next day was GTO-2. It was a short day as not much was left to be done. We were only left with Command task and lecturette. The topic that I chose to lecture upon was Indo-Pak relations and I could do some justice to the topic. Command task was, again, interesting. I was given one of the harder tasks but I could manage to do it even with the increase in difficulty level from time to time by the assessor. I was satisfied with my performance of the day.
Now came D-Day. This time I was not much hope for the recommendation but I was really happy that I had made some good friends. When I entered the conference hall I was showered with questions by my interviewing officer. The questions were pertaining to my group building skills and compatibility in a group environment. Expect one question, I could tackle all the questions efficiently. The questioning brought my hopes high, I started believing that I still have a chance. The turn of the results came. We were seated in a small auditorium and soon an officer entered the room which was followed by a generic speech. After which he started calling out the chest number and the second number he called was chest number 24. I was very happy but this time the feeling didn’t take a lot of time to sink in. I went to the stage and started praying for all of my friends. Soon enough chest number 16 was called who was none other than Anil. We were all very happy and in total 7 of us had gotten recommended which I think must have been a record in the Allahabad SSB.
At the end I would like to tell everyone something that I believe in strongly. Life is not a continuum, its an amalgamation of many fragments. The important thing is to spend more fragments being happy than sad, and that I believe is the real success. If you succeed in doing that, nothing can stop you from achieving whatever that you want to achieve.
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Asia’s largest startup conclave named Huddle Kerala will be held in which Indian city?
(A) Thiruvananthapuram
(B) Kochi
(C) Thrissur
(D) Kollam
Answer (A) Thiruvananthapuram- Asia’s largest startup ecosystem congregation, Huddle Kerala, will be held at Kovalam, Kerala on April 6 and 7. The initiative is envisaged to provide a platform for start-ups to pitch their products and interact with a wide array of technology and industry leaders from around the world.
R K Dorendra Singh who passed away recently was former Chief Minister of which state?
(A) Assam
(B) Manipur
(C) Arunachal Pradesh
(D) Mizoram
Answer (B) Manipur- Former Manipur Chief Minister R K Dorendra Singh has passed away at the age of 83. Dorendra Singh had been chief minister of the state four times between 1974 to 1993.
Who has been appointed as the first Director General of National Testing Agency (NTA)?
(A) Alok Verma
(B) Tapan Misra
(C) Rekha Sharma
(D) Vineet Joshi
Answer (D) Vineet Joshi- Explanation: The former chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Vineet Joshi, was appointed the first director-general of the National Testing Agency (NTA), an independent body dedicated to conducting entrance tests for higher education in India.
Which among the given has tied up with Indian Medical Association (IMA) to launch exclusive credit cards for doctors?
(A) Rupay
(B) SBI Card
(C) IDFC Bank
(D) ICICI Bank
Answer (B) SBI Card- Explanation: SBI Card has partnered with Indian Medical Association (IMA) to launch ‘Doctor’s SBI Card’ which among other things offers professional indemnity insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh to protect doctors against professional risks and liabilities.
Name the India’s first lady doctor whose 153rd birth anniversary was observed on March 31, 2018
(A) Anandi Gopal Joshi
(B) Monotoshi Roy
(C) Divya Ajith Kumar
(D) Kamini Roy
Answer (A) Anandi Gopal Joshi- Explanation: Google on 31st March, 2018 dedicated its doodle to mark the 153rd birth anniversary of India’s first lady doctor Anandi Gopal Joshi. The doodle is created by Bangalore-based artist Kashmira Sarode, who portrayed Joshi celebrating her medical degree.
Who among the following has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission?
(A) Sandeep Rana
(B) Srimati Chakravati
(C) Indu Bhushan
(D) V. K. Iyer
Answer (C) Indu Bhushan- Explanation: Indu Bhushan was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Centre’s ambitious Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission (ABNHPM).
Name the first Indian bank to launch artificial intelligence based voicebot
(A) Kotak Mahindra Bank
(B) ICICI Bank
(C) Axis Bank
(D) South Indian Bank
Answer (A) Kotak Mahindra Bank- Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched the country’s first artificial intelligence-powered voicebot in the banking sector. The voicebot has been developed using a library of millions of phone-banking conversations over the past three years.
Which among the following cricketer has been appointed as the coach-cum-mentor by Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) for the 2018-19 season?
(A) Yuvraj Singh
(B) Yusuf Pathan
(C) Zaheer Khan
(D) Irfan Pathan
Answer (D) Irfan Pathan- Explanation: The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) appointed former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan as the coach-cum-mentor of its senior state side for the 2018-19 season.
The foundation stone of the 60 MW Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project has been laid down in which state recently?
(A) Himachal Pradesh
(B) Uttarakhand
(C) Jammu & Kashmir
(D) Odisha
Answer (B) Uttarakhand – Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh laid the foundation stone of the 60 MW Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project at Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.
The Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project (NMHEP) is being developed on which of the following rivers?
(A) Sarju River
(B) Nandakini
(C) Tons River
(D) River Puspawati
Answer (C) Tons River- Explanation: The Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project (NMHEP) is located on the Tons river, a tributary of the Yamuna river, in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.
Name the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Power and New and Renewable Energy.
(A) Giriraj Singh
(B) Hardeep Singh Puri
(C) R. K. Singh
(D) Mahesh Sharma
Answer (C) R. K. Singh
Who is the Chairman of the Kotak Mahindra Bank?
(A) Sanjiv Mishra
(B) Shankar Acharya
(C) V Srinivasan
(D) Rakesh Makhija
Answer (B) Shankar Acharya
Who is the Secretary General of Indian Medical Association?
(A) Nilratan Sircar
(B) Kumud Sankar Ray
(C) Bidhan Chandra Roy
(D) R.N. Tandon
Answer (D) R.N. Tandon- The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is a national voluntary organisation of Doctors of Modern Scientific System of Medicine in India, which looks after the interest of doctors as well as the well being of the community at large. It was established in 1928 as the All India Medical Association, renamed “Indian Medical Association” in 1930. It is a society registered under The Societies Act of India.
Where is the Headquarter of SBI Card located?
(A) Gurugram
(B) New Delhi
(C) Mumbai
(D) Hyderabad
Answer (A) Gurugram- SBI Cards & Payments Services Pvt. Ltd. is a payment solutions provider in India. It is incorporated as a joint venture between the State Bank of India, India’s largest bank, and The Carlyle Group.
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