Serving in an infantry regiment is a dream for many defence aspirants who aspire to lead soldiers on the battlefield. The Indian Army has several infantry regiments with rich histories and traditions. But do you know how to get infantry posting? Is it based on merit, personal preference, or the requirements of the Army?
Today, we decode exactly how you can get commissioned in an infantry regiment after your training. So, let us get started.
Infantry Regiment vs Posting
Before we begin to tell you how to get infantry posting, please know that your preference is not absolute. The final allocation of infantry regiment will depend on organizational requirements. Let us first understand the difference between an infantry regiment and a posting first.
Interestingly, being allotted to an infantry regiment and receiving a posting to a particular unit are not the same thing. But, not many people know so.
An infantry regiment provides an officer with a broader professional and regimental identity. A battalion is an operational unit within that structure. After allocation and commissioning, an officer is assigned to a unit according to their preference as well as the Army’s requirements and procedures.
For example, an officer allotted to, let’s say, the Dogra Regiment may begin service with one of its battalions or even the Regiment of Artillery. Subsequent postings and assignments can change during the officer’s career.
This distinction is important because you may be interested in a particular regiment, while the actual location and unit assignment depend on service requirements.
How To Get Infantry Posting?
Now, we build on how to get infantry posting in the Indian Army. The overall procedure remains the same as any other arm or service allotment. However, we restrict ourselves to the infantry here.
Get selected and complete training
The first step on how to get infantry posting is qualifying the selection process of the Indian Army. To become a commissioned officer, you can either clear the SSB through the written entry or the direct entries. After this, you will have to meet the medical standards and completing training at the designated academy.
As an officer, you will be joining one of the following training academies:
- National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla
- Indian Military Academy, Dehradun
- Officers Training Academy, Chennai
- Officers Training Academy, Gaya
However, completing academy training does not automatically guarantee allotment to a particular infantry regiment. As we have shared above, the final allocation will depend on the requirements of the Army.
Submit your preferences
During pre-commission training, you will be asked to indicate your preferences for different arms or services. This is the most crucial step on how to get infantry posting. Here, you have to place Infantry as your first preference, and opt for specific regiments on the list.
For example, if you aspire to join the Rajputana Rifles, you should indicate that as your first preference. Similarly, to be on the safer side, you can also have your subsequent preferences around the infantry regiments.
Interestingly, a Supreme Court judgment in Union of India v. Lt Col P.K. Choudhary discussed factors involved in allocating officers to different Army streams, including merit, available vacancies, organizational requirements, and cadets’ preferences. The precise procedure may change with the applicable policy and entry.
Understand the role of merit and vacancies
Finally, the last step on how to get infantry posting will depend on your merit position. Apart from this, the Army also needs to distribute officers across its arms and services according to its operational and administrative requirements. Hence, the final allocation will depend on a range of factors:
- Number of vacancies available for that course
- Preferences of other cadets
- Merit position of the cadet
- Rules applicable to that training course
Therefore, please do not assume that securing a particular position in the academy will automatically get you an infantry posting. Sometimes, even after being the best cadet in the academy, you may be allotted a service like the Army Service Corps.
Final Thoughts
So, this was the entire procedure on how to get infantry posting. Remember that getting allotted to an infantry regiment is an important milestone in an Army officer’s career, but the process involves more than simply choosing a regiment. As a defence aspirant, your priority should be to qualify through the appropriate entry, complete training successfully, and prepare to serve wherever the Indian Army requires them.
