1 ANALYTICAL STUDY OF SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT OF OFFICERS IN INDIAN AIR FORCE

Nabha Sprusham Diptam Bhagvad Gita, Chapter XI/24 As Adopted by IAF as the logo

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY

The Indian Armed Forces, a name with ethos of nationalism, patriotism and discipline as its bedrock. The deeds of valour in sacrificing their lives, their emblematic humanism and professionalism, their courage in preserving our territorial integrity and the way they serve people during times of national calamities, the Indian Armed Forces make every citizen proud. A career in the Indian Armed Forces is lot more than just element of pride in donning the uniform. A soldier in the Indian armed forces is an example of a soul who is willing to perform the supreme sacrifice for the Indian Republic, without fear or favour, without any prejudice based on ethnic, religious, linguistic, regional or caste identity; all in all as a proud Indian. There is nothing to beat a career in the armed forces, crucial responsibilities, service to the nation, respect from all sections of society all rolled into one. The Indian Air Force (IAF), is the Air Arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict. It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the empire and the prefix Royal was added in 1945 in recognition of its services during World WarII. After India achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, the Royal Indian Air Force served the Union of India, with the prefix being dropped when India became a republic in 1950. Since independence, the IAF has been involved in four wars with neighboring Pakistan and one with the People's Republic of China. Other major operations undertaken by the IAF include Operation Vijay - the invasion of Goa, Operation

Meghdoot, Operation Cactus and Operation Poomalai. Apart from conflicts, the IAF has been an active participant in United Nations peacekeeping missions. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the IAF. The Chief of Air Staff, an Air Chief Marshal (ACM), is a four star commander and commands the Air Force. There is never more than one serving ACM at any given time in the IAF. One officer has been conferred the rank of Marshal of the Air Force, a 5-star rank and the officer serves as the ceremonial chief. With strength of approximately 170,000 personnel and 1,300 aircraft, the Indian Air Force is the world's fourth largest air force after the United States Air Force, Russian Air Force and China's People's Liberation Army Air Force. In recent years, the IAF has undertaken an ambitious expansion and modernization program to replace its aging Soviet-era fighter jets.

Mission

The IAF's mission is defined by the Armed Forces Act of 1947, Constitution of India and the Air Force Act of 1950, Defence of India and every part thereof including preparation for defence and all such acts as may be conducive in times of war to its prosecution and after its termination to effective demobilization. Thus, the IAF has the primary objective of safeguarding Indian territory and national interests from all threats in conjunction with the other branches of the armed forces by defending Indian airspace. The IAF provides close air support to the Indian Army troops in the battlefield and also provides strategic and tactical airlift capabilities. The IAF also operates the Integrated space cell together with the other two branches of the Indian Armed Forces, the civilian Department of Space and the Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO) to utilize more effectively the country's space-based assets for military purposes and to look into threats to these assets. The Indian Air Force along with the other branches of the Indian Armed Forces provide assistance in disaster relief such as during natural calamities by undertaking evacuation or search-and-rescue (SAR) operations and air dropping relief supplies in affected areas. The IAF provided extensive assistance to relief operations during natural calamities such as the Gujarat cyclone in 1998 and the Tsunami in 2004. The IAF also

provides assistance to other countries during relief activities such as Operation Rainbow in Sri Lanka.

Objective of Study

Working in the Air Force is about being in the middle of supersonic jets, state-ofthe-art technology and best of the people. Air Force provides the most modern facilities, gives an unparalleled way of life and creates an environment, where the best of an individual comes out. As an officer in the Indian Air Force one strategizes, leads and manages. Trained in diversified fields and environments one is ready for all the challenges that the fast paced life in the Air Force has in store. Be it flying the most advanced combat aircraft or providing technical support, the mission is to always give the best. An attempt has been made in this dissertation to analyse the various means of joining the Indian Air force as an officer to jumpstart a secure future while donning the uniform. The study is carried out to identify the core areas of competence needed to qualify and join the Indian Air Force within the broad ambit of human recourse management in the IAF. Further, formulate the knowledge acquired through the study in developing the skills of management in order to enhance the overall personal growth.

Methodology

Methods of Data Collection The data has been collected from both documentary and non-documentary sources. Primary sources include Journals and Official publications. Secondary and Tertiary sources in the form of books, periodicals and internet have also been utilized, largely in support of the arguments put forth in this work. . The resources of the World Wide Web and certain documents available on it have also been referred to.

Large portions of this work consist of original, and in the authors opinion self-supporting, formulations. Towards that, mention of any classified data has been avoided.