Army beckons studnets at job fair

Drimi Chaudhuri and Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, April 20, 2007
If you are 18+, fit and fine, courageous and savour adventure, the Indian armed forces has a job for you. “Do you have it in you?” is what the armed forces is going to ask you in Kolkata at the 16th career fair. The fair starts from Saturday.
The four-day affair at Ice Skating Rink will have all the three services —army, air force and navy — present in a big way for the first time, looking for quality officers.
The three services will set up a Defence Forces Career helpdesk. Specially commissioned documentaries will be screened and attractive pamphlets will be distributed. Counselling sessions will be organised to woo XI 12 pass-outs and fresh graduates.
Wing Commander R.K. Das, ministry of defence (MoD) spokesman in the city, said the Coast Guard would also be present. The ministry has also booked a slot on a Bengali TV channel for a show on Sunday on career prospects, particularly in the navy.
“Our pitch is that no other industry can provide youngsters with work that gives job satisfaction, a sense of adventure, quality of life and a sense of fulfilment for born leaders. An added attraction is the opportunity to go to places where no tourist can ever go, and the opportunity to participate in adventure sports,” said Das.
The pay, however, is not so high as compared to the corporate sector, the MoD spokesman said. But he pointed out that at the recently concluded Army Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi measures have been taken to bridge the gap. The chiefs of all three services presented a joint memo to defence minister A.K. Antony seeking an implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission.
Fort William sources said a major reason behind an extensive presence of tri-services at the career fair is an acute shortage of officers. There are 11,000 in the army, 1,200 in IAF and around 400 in the navy. Das, however, did not agree. “We are looking for quality officers. Most of the field force comes from rural India, but officers usually come from major cities. We are here looking for quality. Moreover, we want to expose today’s Bengali youth to the armed forces and to the benefits of being an Indian defence officer.”
Sanjeev Bolia, chief executive of Affairs, the company organising the fair, said the helpdesk will not only inform students about a career in the sector but will also answer queries through interactive sessions. “The tri-services, unlike many other government sectors, still command immediate respect. We are expecting a footfall of about 15,000 students this year. There will also be on-the-spot admission provisions with some institutes, along with on-the-spot education loans,” he said.
Apart from the armed forces, the fair will also feature other career options.
drimi.chaudhuri@hindustantimes.com
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com