It is not common knowledge that the Indian Air Force has a separate, internal Department of Judge Advocate General (JAG) Air. Since there is no direct entry to the JAG department for the Air Force, unlike Army and Navy, there is often an air of confusion surrounding the same. However, this should not be a cause for worry. This article will provide you with a step by step solution and information on how you can join the separate Department of Judge Advocate General (JAG) Air, as well as a detailed account of the branches you are eligible to join in the Air Force, including the flying branch.
Unlike the Army and Navy, the Indian Air Force does not allow for direct entry to any of the branches (Except for the NCC Special Entry). So each one of you will have to appear for a written AFCAT examination. (Details of the Exam will be discussed in another article.) When the notification for AFCAT examination is released, it may contain a note stating, “Two seats are reserved for Law qualified candidates in Ground duty (Non-Tech) branches and these candidates may get employed on legal duties of the IAF (after commissioning.”
The Indian Air Force has the following branches:
A. FLYING BRANCH
B. GROUND DUTY (NON- TECHNICAL) BRANCHES
- Administration Branch
- Accounts Branch
- Logistics Branch
- Education Branch
- Meteorology Branch
C. GROUND DUTY (TECHNICAL) BRANCHES (Not applicable for law graduates)
From the above mentioned branches only the Administration Branch, Accounts Branch (only if you have a B.Com degree), Logistics Branch, Education Branch (Post- Graduate Degree mandatory) and Flying Branch are open for law graduates. It is only through the Ground Duty (Non-Technical) Branches, that a law student may be inducted for legal duties after commissioning. Managing human and material resources, the Ground Duty (Non-technical) Branch is the mechanism that steers the Indian Air Force. Since Air force has a separate internal Department of JAG Air, it is only after being commissioned into the above mentioned branches that a law student may be inducted into the legal duties for IAF. The role and qualifications for the above mentioned branches are as follows:
A. FLYING BRANCH
As a Graduate/ Engineer, you can enter the Flying branch through the Air Force Academy. The following are the three modes of entry for Graduates/ Engineers to join the Flying branch:
1. CDSE (COMBINED DEFENCE SERVICES EXAMINATION) (FOR MEN ONLY)
Individuals entering through this mode will get a Permanent Commission.
Eligibility criteria
- Age – 20 to 24 years (at the time of commencement of course)
- Nationality – Indian
- Marital Status – Single
- Gender – Men only.
Educational Qualifications:
- Graduate (Three Year Course) in any discipline from a recognised University (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level)/BE/B Tech (Four Year Course).
- Final Year/semester students are also eligible to apply, provided they produce Degree certificate issued by the University as per the date stipulated in the advertisement.
- No Percentage Bar for CDSE entry.
2. SSC (SHORT SERVICE COMMISSION ) ENTRY( FOR MEN AND WOMEN)
You can apply through AFCAT for Short Service Commission (SSC) in the Flying Branch. Short Service Commission in Flying branch is for 14 years with no further extension.
Eligibility criteria:
- Age – 20 to 24 years (at the time of commencement of course). Upper age limit for Candidates holding valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by DGCA (India) is relaxed up to 26 years (at the time of commencement of course).
- Nationality – Indian
- Marital Status – Single
- Gender – Men and Women.
Educational Qualifications:
- Minimum of 50% marks each in Maths & Physics at 10+2 level.
- Graduation with minimum three years degree course in any discipline from a recognized University with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent.
- Final Year students are also eligible to apply, provided they do not have any backlog at the time of AFSB Testing and produce Degree certificate issued by the University as per the date stipulated in the advertisement.
B. GROUND DUTY (NON-TECHNICAL) BRANCHES
General eligibility criteria for Ground Duty (Non-Technical) Branches
- Age – 20 to 26 Years for Graduates and Post Graduates (at the time of commencement of course).
- Marital Status – Candidates below the age of 25 years must be Unmarried.
- Nationality – Indian.
- Gender – Both men and women.
I. ADMINISTRATION BRANCH
- Responsible for the efficient management of both human and material resources. Some of the officers of the Administration Branch are selected and trained to carry out the following duties also:
- Air Traffic Controller – Involves maintaining an orderly flow of traffic and airspace management.
- Fighter Controller – Performs the job of directing Fighter Aircraft and Weapon Systems against enemy in various Air Operations while ensuring Air Defence of the nation using Radar Networks.
- Educational Qualifications: Graduate Degree (Minimum three year degree course) in any discipline from a recognised university with 60% marks or equivalent.
II. ACCOUNTS BRANCH
- Responsible for efficient financial management of funds. You will also act as internal auditor to ensure a zero-defect audit from outside agencies.
- Educational Qualifications: B.Com degree (minimum three year degree course) from a recognised university with a minimum 60% marks or equivalent.
NOTE: As a law graduate, if you want to join the Accounts Branch of the Air Force, then you will mandatorily require a B.Com degree.
III. LOGISTICS BRANCH
- Responsible for materials management of all Air Force resources. You would ensure efficient supervision of inventories, and involve in procurement processes of various ranges of equipment.
- Educational Qualifications: Graduate Degree (Minimum three year degree course) in any discipline from a recognised university with 60% marks or equivalent.
IV. EDUCATION BRANCH
- Educational Qualifications: Passed 10+2 and Post-Graduation with 50% in any discipline including integrated courses offering PG (Single degree without permission to exit and lateral entry) and with 60% marks in Graduation in any discipline. For integrated courses (single degree without permission to exit and lateral entry), the minimum duration must be as per prevailing UGC guidelines with a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate of all papers put together.
This is a detailed account of how can a law graduate join the Indian Air Force as an officer and the branches available for them. The next article will cover in detail about the AFCAT examination.
YLCC would like to thank Apurwa Shah for her valuable inputs in this article.
