Combined Defence Services (II) Examination 2021

Introduction

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination twice a year to recruit officers into the Indian Armed Forces. The CDS (II) 2021 examination was a pivotal opportunity for aspirants seeking to join the prestigious Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA).

Unlike the National Defence Academy (NDA) entry, which is for candidates after their 10+2 examinations, the CDS examination is a graduate-level entry. It opens doors for university graduates to serve the nation as commissioned officers. The CDS (II) 2021 cycle aimed to fill vacancies across various academies, offering a diverse range of roles for men and women.

Important Dates (Retrospective)

Candidates aspiring for the 2021 cycle had to adhere to a strict schedule laid out by the UPSC. The timeline for the notification, application, and examination was crucial for planning preparation strategies.

• Notification Date: The detailed notification for CDS (II) 2021 was released on August 4, 2021.
• Application Start Date: Applications were accepted online starting August 4, 2021.
• Last Date to Apply: The window for submission of online applications closed on August 24, 2021, up to 6:00 PM.
• Withdrawal Facility: The facility to withdraw applications was available from September 1, 2021, to September 7, 2021, till 6:00 PM.
• Examination Date: The written examination was successfully conducted on November 14, 2021.
• Result Declaration: The results were subsequently declared on the official UPSC website in March 2022.

Vacancies and Academies

The CDS (II) 2021 examination offered approximately 339 vacancies across different training academies. The distribution of seats is a critical aspect, as it determines the competition ratio for each specific academy.

*Note: Vacancies are provisional and may be altered by the authorities before the final selection.

Eligibility Criteria

To appear for the examination, candidates had to meet specific requirements regarding nationality, age limit, and educational qualifications. These criteria vary slightly depending on the academy applied for.

Nationality

A candidate must have been either:

• A citizen of India, or
• A subject of Nepal, or
• A subject of Bhutan, or
• A Tibetan refugee who came over to India before January 1, 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
• A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, and Ethiopia with the intention of permanently settling in India.

Age Limit and Marital Status

• For IMA: Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than July 2, 1998, and not later than July 1, 2003, were eligible.
• For INA: Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than July 2, 1998, and not later than July 1, 2003, were eligible.
• For AFA: Candidates aged between 20 to 24 years as of July 1, 2022 (born not earlier than July 2, 1998, and not later than July 1, 2002). Upper age limit is relaxable up to 26 years for candidates holding a valid and current Commercial Pilot License issued by DGCA.
• For OTA (Men): Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than July 2, 1997, and not later than July 1, 2003, were eligible.
• For OTA (Women): Unmarried women, issueless widows who have not remarried, and issueless divorcees (in possession of divorce documents) who have not remarried were eligible. They must have been born not earlier than July 2, 1997, and not later than July 1, 2003.

Educational Qualification

• For IMA and OTA: Degree of a recognized University or equivalent.
• For INA: Degree in Engineering from a recognized University/Institution.
• For AFA: Degree of a recognized University (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or Bachelor of Engineering/Bachelor of Technology.

Candidates appearing in the final year/semester of their degree examination were also eligible to apply, provided they submitted proof of passing the requisite qualification by the specified dates.

Examination Scheme

The CDS examination comprises a written test followed by an Intelligence and Personality Test (Interview) conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB). The written examination for different academies varies in the number of papers.

Syllabus Highlights:
English: Questioned the candidate's understanding of English and workman-like use of words.
General Knowledge: Included current events, history of India, geography of nature, and general science.
Elementary Mathematics: Covered arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and statistics (matriculation level).

The standard of the papers in Elementary Mathematics was of Matriculation level. The standard of papers in other subjects was approximately that of a Bachelors Degree of an Indian University.

Negative Marking

The UPSC employs a penalty scheme for wrong answers to discourage guessing. For every question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question were deducted as penalty. If a candidate gave more than one answer to a question, it was treated as a wrong answer even if one of the given answers happened to be correct, resulting in a penalty. There was no penalty for questions left unanswered.

Intelligence and Personality Test (SSB Interview)

Candidates who qualified in the written examination were called for the SSB Interview. This is a comprehensive test designed to assess the officer-like qualities (OLQs) of a candidate. The process involves a two-stage selection system:

• Stage I: comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT). Candidates who fail to pass Stage I are returned home on the same day.
• Stage II: comprises Interviews, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference. These tests are conducted over 4 to 5 days.

For candidates applying for the Air Force Academy, in addition to the SSB interview, they also had to undergo the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS) and/or the Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT).

Merit List and Final Selection

The final selection was based on the aggregate marks obtained by the candidates in the written examination and the SSB interview. The UPSC prepared a merit list for each academy. The Commission then recommended the candidates to the Ministry of Defence for admission to the respective training academies based on the number of vacancies and the medical fitness of the candidates.

It is important to note that qualifying in the SSB interview and being placed in the merit list does not guarantee final selection unless the candidate is medically fit as per the standards set by the respective armed forces.

Conclusion

The Combined Defence Services (II) Examination 2021 was a gateway for thousands of spirited individuals to realize their dream of wearing the uniform. It tested not only academic competence but also leadership potential, mental robustness, and physical endurance. For aspirants analyzing the 2021 cycle, it serves as a benchmark for understanding the trend of questions, the level of competition, and the rigorous selection standards maintained by the UPSC and the Armed Forces. Success in this examination requires discipline, a strategic approach to syllabus coverage, and a steadfast determination to serve the nation.