Few dreams about to become Engineer, doctors, IAS officer in their young age but I dreamed of something else, I dreamed to wear uniform with stars on my shoulders, I always wished to become a commissioned officer in Indian Armed Forces. Once I read a quotation of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar saying ‘There are trillions who dreams, but there are handfuls of people who really live up their dream’. That is so truly said.
I started my campaign of chasing my dream when I passed intermediate; I appeared several times for National Defence Academy/Naval Academy entrance examination (NDA/NA) conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) of India. But I was not able to clear it even after preparing so much; maybe I lacked focus at that point of time. I was sixteen and half at that time. I joined engineering as engineers were eligible for several various courses in Indian Armed Forces. In final year I appeared for my first Service Selection Board Interview (SSB interview) for Indian Air Force under University Entry Scheme in 2009. I got rejected in conference which was 2ndphase of selection. I was not happy and disappointed but I had seen failure before. I didn’t lose hope and continued applying and appearing in the India’s toughest selection process which is for Indian Armed Forces. After 8 consecutive failures, I was finally selected for 36th Short Service Commission for Indian Army. I joined Officers Training Academy, Chennai in 2011 but under unfortunate circumstances I was not able to continue my training. I was once again competing with millions of engineers applying and appearing in SSB interview of Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. For some time I was disappointed but I gathered my courage and started applying again, but this time I was screened out for three times straight in which two times for Indian Army and once by Indian Navy in SSB interview. Screening is the first phase of the selection procedure and I was not able to clear it.
I applied for Technical Graduate Course 116 which is for January 2013 and selected candidates will join prestigious Indian Military Academy, Dehradun which is an 80 years old military academy and has produced many exemplary Army officers. Many countries want their officers to get trained in Indian Military Academy and very few earn this honor. In Indian Army you have to earn, no one will gift you. Every opportunity is like a golden chance and I had learnt this.
I got call for TGC 116 SSB interview call and my interview center was Bhopal from where I was before selected for 36 SSC Tech course. I had fifty days to prepare and I gave everything I had, I prepared on a regular basis, read lot of news. I was keeping myself updated with current affairs which helped me to improve my intellectual level. Reading improves thinking process and it is very true. I was not confident about my screening as I got screened out thrice before after coming back from Officers Training Academy.
DAY 1: The Reporting Day
My reporting date was 30thOctober 2012. I arrived by Kongu Express from Bangalore in morning at around 4. I was not keen to interact with other candidates who were also reporting the same day. So I straight away went to waiting hall and silently waited for the time when we had to report. The time was 2 in afternoon. I was watching time after every couple of minutes and I felt that time isn’t moving at all. After so many attempts, I was still feeling nervous as if it was my first attempt. That is something good about me; I never get bored in chasing my dreams.
At 12.30 bus arrived and I reached the center by 1 in afternoon. After that we were allotted our rooms and asked all of us to come in testing hall of 21 SSB by 3.30. In my room there were only fresher expect me. I was not keen to flaunt that I was previously recommended (or you can say selected for Indian Army), so I introduced myself as a repeater and it was my 13th attempt. There was a gentleman in my room who had done textile engineering and working in a reputed textile factory as engineer, I had a good interaction with him and I learnt about many things about textile industry. I am grateful that I was able to meet people from different fields of life which helps me to gain knowledge about the world.
At 3.30 in afternoon we reported to testing hall. In first trip less than hundred people had reported and there were two more trips so I was expecting around 500 people. We first went on the Terries of testing hall of 21 SSB and there our certificates were checked and then we furnished our details and status (it means previously screened out/conference out/recommended). Till that time I interacted with people working in oracle, Accenture and pursuing M.Tech and I introduced them by saying I am repeater. If I would have told them that I was previously recommended then I am sure there behavior would have different. They came to know when I informed the testing JCO about my status (i.e. recommended). After filling up forms, we were free at around ten in night. And after the distribution of chest number, I came to know that only 219 candidates reported, which was below my expectation.
I went to my room, called my girlfriend, and talked to her for about thirty minutes then went to room and slept.
DAY 2: The Screening Day
Well there was a time I used to call conference as the Judgment day but as I got thrice screened out, I was calling screening day as the judgment day of my life. I was screened out before due to my mistakes and I had identified through deep introspection.
In reasoning I did well and attempted all the questions in both of the section. Then it was time for PPDT, and the picture was very different, for the first time I saw such kind of picture: A lady standing in balcony looking at traffic and a male person driving a car looking like santro. I wrote a story on sexual harassment. After that we had lot of time for the start of discussion, so we all were goofing up on the Terries of 21 SSB. After couple of hours, it was time for discussion; I narrated very badly but compensated it with my fluency. Then at time of discussion, we were divided into two groups, I spoke whenever I got a chance and at the end of group discussion, I was not sure that I will be screened in or not.
After lunch, I sat with four of candidates with whom I was goofing up and gelling up together, we cracked lot of vulgar jokes, laughed about it and we forgot that we were waiting for the results.
Then when result was announced, I had made it though I wasn’t confident. Only 40 out 219 cleared 1st round of SSB. I was one of them and I was happy. Only one of my friends didn’t make it and rest four were screened in and we fell in the same group. That meant we were going to rock down the next 5 days.
After screening we were allotted our chest numbers, mine was 32. We started filling PIQ forms, and submitted attested copies of certificates to testing JCO. I made lot of cuttings due to curiosity of my group member chest number 31. Well, I didn’t care for cuttings and continued filling up the form. Surprisingly and for some it come as shocker, chest number 40 to 36 were called for the interview the same evening. Yes, the interviewer was taking interview in the reverse order.
We went back in our room, wondered how come we all friends fell in the same group and cheers for our tiniest achievement of getting screened in which was really big thing as I was able to see the 2ndphase of the interview after 22 months. That night I revised my notes with chest number 40 and fell sleep.
DAY 3: PSYCHOLOGY TEST
So it was the day for psychology and I woke up late as usual (you will soon come to know why I said as usual). I got ready, missed my breakfast, ate biscuits and I was the last one to reach for the group photo. I posed for the photo but not in traditional style, I showed the victory sign for the photo. Then we were taken to the testing hall. I carefully heard the instructions said (as I had almost forgotten the instructions) and started my psychology. Completed my all 12 stories, completed all 60 WAT, completed all the SRTs and for the first time I finished my Self-Description within time (previously I had always missed the last paragraph).
After the psychology test, I went to my room and I saw everyone was very serious and preparing for interview. I didn’t care and I lifted up the moment by cracking up some jokes and I lied down on my bed. Then at 12.30 I got my interview call and in ten minutes I reached the interview hall, my interviewer was respected president of 21 SSB Bhopal. I went into the waiting room and saw four people were already there waiting for their interview turn (common waiting hall for candidates). They all were reading magazines of Army, The Infantry and Competition Success but I was interested in Star Dust Magazine and I picked couple of them and started reading and watching sizzling hot photos of Bollywood Actress. Then at 1.30 they asked me to go back and eat lunch after that they will take my interview and in my place they took interview of chest number 31. So I went back and ate my lunch, then went to table tennis room, and goofed up with my buddies and then returned back to waiting hall after an hour.
So at 3 in afternoon they called me for my interview, and interviewer shook hands and asked me to get seated. His first question was compare democracy of India and USA. I answered him whatever I knew. Then for next twenty five minutes, he discussed about my previous attempts and my academy days. I answered him confidently plus I was also not in a serious mood, so I was not enjoying. I thought my interview had started but after 25 minutes he said, to forget about past and announced that now he is going to start my interview. I thought, ‘crap so much time wasted’. Then he asked me so many questions about geography and geographical lines and I had one line answer with me, ‘I don’t know’. There were only couples of questions which I answered correctly. After fifteen minutes of geography round, he asked me a rapid fire of six questions and then two good points and two bad points, followed by a minute discussion on one of my weakness and my interview ended in overall forty five minutes. If you exclude those 25 minutes, then you can say my interview ended in 20 minutes. After the interview, one thing I was sure of that ‘I don’t know what the hell I did inside’.
Then went back in the room, people asked me about the questions, I told them, they went to cyber café and noted down the answer and they answered all the geography questions and general knowledge questions very well which I was not able to do so. I had fun in the evening with my group of friends, we also threatened a guy of parallel TGC batch of 20 SSB who came in front of our room and was challenging us. We had loads of fun.
DAY 4: GTO DAY 1
As usual, we went to GTO field, which was newly constructed and I was completely unaware of that. Our group’s testing held in 20 SSB by additional Group Testing officer.
Group Discussion 1: Some serious topic which I don’t remember, I spoke for few times, but it was a treat to listen to the points of Chest number 31. Chest number 33 had lot of facts to speak about which was really impressive. And I was speaking general points.
Group Discussion 2: The topic was: Why girls are outperforming boys? And I started with a series of jokes by saying that, boys only run behind girls, and girls concentrate on studies and similar kind of jokes. I didn’t have any solid point to speak and after the group discussion I knew that I had badly screwed up in group discussion.
Group Planning Exercise: We made plan, we discussed, we nominated chest number 40, few didn’t agree. We moved on. So this is the end of story.
PGT: We were given task, group was really good and my group of friends, we were doing well and taking group ahead. Though we reached till 3rd phase of PGT and time ran out.
HGT: We were divided into two groups; Group 1: 31 to 35, Group 2: 36 to 40. Initially we stuck up, but thanks to the wonderful idea of Chest number 35 we completed it.
GROUP OBSTACLE RACE: Our slogan was Vande Matram; I really enjoyed it, though I shouted so much that after that I was not able to speak.
Lecturate: Some topic I chose, I spoke with few facts which I knew and spoke for three minutes. But it was treating to listen to chest number 33 and chest number 40.
Individual Obstacle Task: I did 8 out of 10 within three minutes which was really disappointing as in my group there were many who did more than ten.
We went back to our rooms, then slept, chit-chatted about our experiences and had lots of fun.
Day 5: GTO Day 2
We went, to GTO field, we had command task as the first task of the day. I was called by two, I got a task which was very easy and I completed it within minutes. I wasn’t satisfied with the difficulty level of the command task. Then we had final group task, we completed that too within five minutes and after GTO’s little speech. Our day ended.
In evening we went out to see Bhopal came back and one of friend in some other group was drinking and asked me to join, so I joined. That night I went to bed very late.
In morning, I woke up late, I was the last one to get ready and I was not getting any kind of feeling. I was not feeling like going back.
Conference started, when my turn came, I waited for hardly twelve minutes, I went inside, I was asked to compare my pervious performance with this one, then asked about why I got screened out so many times after getting recommended once. Then how I started my business in Bangalore. And in last they asked me that do I have any suggestion. I said no and got out of the conference hall, I knew that I was recommended but still nervous. Then we waited to mess to open, had lunch, and went back at 1.30 in conference hall. Technical officer of 21 SSB Bhopal came to announce the result, without wasting time he said two are selected, the first chest number was 11 and I thought, I am not selected, but he announced chest number 32 and I from inside I broke into tears, but controlled my emotions in front of other candidates.
I didn’t shook hand with my friends at the SSB but I hugged them for being there in one of the happiest moment. 13 number is considered to be as unluckiest, but I converted my bad luck into good luck with my simple efforts which were not different compared to others.
Also Read: Recommended in 10th SSB Attempt
Author: RahulHe is focused about the things he want to achieve and also like to enjoy each and every moment of his life. He love movies, sports and beautiful girls. He respect relationships and he can do anything for his family and friends.You can follow Rahul here
Author: Anurag Singh: He stays in Rohtak (Haryana) and doing graduation in Delhi university. He has cleared SSB in his very first attempt
