Dos And Don’ts For A Fresh Law Graduate Planning To Appear For The JAG Entry

In a previous article, we read briefly about the opportunities available to a law graduate in the Indian Defence forces. In this article, we will read in detail about the JAG entry in the Indian Army. This article will elaborate upon the role played by a JAG officer in the Indian Army, a step by step procedure encompassing when and how to apply for the said entry and the detail account of the instructions to be followed as a fresher. Read on!

The Indian army is divided in two parts, Arms and Services. Out of the various service corps which exist within the Indian Army, one such is the Judge Advocate General department. The Judge Advocate General (JAG) Department, is the judicial and legal wing of the Army responsible for dispensation of justice to all ranks. It also which deals with disciplinary cases and litigation. The Department is actively involved in assisting all ranks in observing Human Rights and the rule of law.

The origin and evolution of JAG’s Department, is linked with the evolution of Military Law in England and traces its history to British “Article of War-1385”. The Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Department celebrates its Corps Day on December 21 every year. It was on this day in the year 1949 that the Bill for the enactment of the Army Act was introduced in the Parliament. The JAG department is headed by a Judge Advocate General, who is of the rank of a Major General. The Defence Ministry in February 2021, cleared the appointment of Major General Prabhu Singh Rathore, a veteran military law expert, as the Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Indian Army. He was preceded by Major General B.V. Nair. The JAG is not only the top law officer of the Indian Army, but also the chief legal adviser of the Army chief in matters pertaining to law.

Coming to the intricacies of the selection procedure of JAG entry, the following information and tips will be helpful for a fresh law graduate while applying for the JAG entry.

• Notification: The notification is released twice a year, in the month of Jan/ Feb and July /Aug. The notification is comprehensive and includes all necessary information, starting from the eligibility, the terms and conditions of service, training, how to apply and a brief of the selection procedure. The applications are only accepted online on the www.joinindianarmy.nic.in website. No offline applications are accepted. The notification is the beginning of the process.
• Registration: One has to register himself/herself before starting the process to fill out the application (by clicking on Officers Entry `Apply/Login’ and then click `Registration’ on the site). It is necessary to read the information mentioned in the notification carefully before filling the form. The form should be filled with utmost care and the particulars i.e., Name, Father’s Name and Birthdate, should be filled exactly according to the information mentioned in the matriculation certificate of the candidate. (Your application will only be accepted if you fulfill the eligibility criteria of minimum 55% aggregate marks in LLB Degree).
• Further Process: After filling out the application form, you will receive a mail in a month or two, with a date selection link, to select your desired date for the SSB from the given dates. Following which you shall receive a call letter in the mail mentioning all the details for the SSB. (In case you don’t receive a mail, you can find the call letter at the join Indian Army site itself).

NOTE: The SSB (Service Selection Board), is a five day test conducted for selection in the forces. It is usually conducted in the months of May /June /July & Oct /Nov /Dec. (The details of the examination (SSB) will be covered later in a separate article.) They are conducted separately for men and women. The vacancies notified for the JAG entry can vary from 2 to 7, separate for men and women.

•  Once you receive a call letter, you should read all the instructions carefully. The call letter contains the following information:
• The Place, date and time of reporting for the testing procedure.
• Permanent body tattoo policy. (Please read this carefully before reporting. If you have a body tattoo at a place not allowed by the rules, then you will be barred from appearing for the test).

NOTE: “Only small innocuous permanent body tattoos are only permitted on inner face of forearm i.e from inside of elbow to the wrist and on the reverse side of palm/ back (dorsal) side of hand. Permanent body tattoos on any other part of the body are not acceptable and candidates will be barred from further selection. Tribes with tattoo marks on the face or body as per their existing custom and traditions will be permitted on a case to case basis.”

3. Documents Required when Reporting for SSB Interview: This is one of the most important part in the call letter. It states all the documents which a candidate should mandatorily carry at the time of reporting (along with the requisite photocopies of the same). The documents required are as follows:

1. Matriculation or Equivalent Certificate for verification of your date of birth. [Certificates issued by the board concerned (CBSE/State Boards/ICSE)/ admit Card/ Mark sheet/ transfer/ Leaving Certificate etc in which date of birth is reflected are not acceptable proof of date of birth.]
2. Marks Sheet of Matriculation or equivalent.
3. Intermediate/ 10+2 Pass Certificate.
4. Marks Sheet of Intermediate/10+2 examinations.
5. Mark Sheets of all years / semesters.
6. Graduation Degree/Provisional Degree (in case of three years LLB after graduation).
7. LLB Degree / Provisional Degree.
8. One copy of Online Application duly signed and affixed with self-attested photograph.
9. Valid Proof of Identity with photograph – Aadhaar Card/ PAN Card/ Voter ID Card/ Passport.
10. No Claim / Risk Certificate. Format is attached as per the Appendix attached to the notification.
11. Registration with Bar Council of India/ State OR Certificate from College/ University that the LLB Course in the particular College/ University is recognized by Bar Council of India. (This is an essential requirement).
12. Certificate for Not Having Duplicate Profiles/Registration IDs. A declaration to this effect as per format of the Appendix attached to the notification.
13. In Case Original Documents Submitted for Pursuing Higher Studies. Candidates are required to bring a Bonafide cum Custodian Certificate as per the Appendix attached to the notification on original letter head duly signed by the Principal/ Head of institution where the documents have been submitted.
14. Certificate of Previous Candidature/SSB Attempt. Format is attached as an Appendix to the notification.
15. Residential Address Proof. Any One of these residence proofs i.e. Passport/ Electricity Bill/ Telephone Bill (Landline)/ Ration Card/ Pass Book/ Utility Bill/ Rent Agreement as Proof of your Residential Address along with two photocopies of the same duly self-attested.
16.  For Candidates from Universities Following CGPA/Grades System Conversion Certificate. Certificate issued by Controller or Examination/Registrar / Dean of the concerned University regarding formula for conversion of CGPA/Grades to percentages, as followed by the University. Format of certificate required enclosed as an Appendix to the notification.

4. It also contains certain administrative instructions, including the items to be bought along by the candidate for testing.

The above mentioned information is a detailed account of what all a fresh law graduate should be aware of before applying for the JAG entry. This information is likely to help with filling out the form particulars correctly, along with being prepared for the SSB with all the essential documents and avoid committing the mistakes which a fresher may commit due to lack of proper guidance. 

 

YLCC would like to thank Apurwa Shah for her valuable inputs in this article.