Interaction: Brigadier Pankaj Sinha, Deputy Director-General, Recruiting (States), at the Army recruitment rally in Cuddalore on Wednesday.
CUDDALORE:
Army recruitment process will be automated and written tests conducted online from April 2011, according to Brigadier Pankaj Sinha, Deputy Director-General, Recruiting (States). He was addressing a press conference after inspecting the on-going Army recruitment rally at the Anna Stadium here on Wednesday. Brig. Sinha said that automation would save time, effort and check for impersonation. Under automation, biometric system would be adopted and data of prospective candidates compiled.The Brigadier, who is in-charge of the zone comprising Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said that the recruitment rally had evoked good response from candidates from Chennai, Vellore, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Villupuram and Puducherry.
He said that the number of vacancies was not a criterion because it was flexible. Generally, vacancies were decided on the basis of Recruitable Male Population (RMP) factor derived from the Census. Accordingly, his zone would have a share of 13.7 per cent and Tamil Nadu would account for 7 per cent at the national level. The quota was not transferable between the States but could be shuffled among districts. For instance, the quota for Chennai was fixed at 20 per cent and Vellore at 15 per cent, whereas Wednesday's turnout from both the districts was 398 and 2,130 candidates respectively. Hence, care ought to be taken to render justice to both the districts.
Brig. Sinha also said that the recruitment process would take about five months. On appointment, the candidates would get a salary ranging from Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 18,000, depending upon the cadre, besides free food, accommodation and dress, and travel allowance, with ample promotional avenues. Asked whether there was a distinction in the turnout of rural and urban candidates, the Brigadier said it was not very glaring. The response from urban areas was comparatively less because of other employment opportunities. As for recruitment of women in the armed forces, he said that they were inducted in nursing and medical posts and in the officer cadre. Society was yet to accept them in combat roles and moreover risks faced by women in adverse terrains were manifold. Brig. Sinha also cautioned prospective candidates against touts. Colonel Thushar S. Bhakay, Director, Recruiting (Headquarters), was present.
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