Candidate to Cadet: My Journey in SSB - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Screening and PABT

Disclaimer: This is a continuing story, please read Chapter 1 below for continuity.

All the candidates whose documents were validated were sent to canteen to have breakfast. I was still standing in the line and was waiting for my docs to be reviewed. Nitin was sent. My case was not much different from his. The officer came to me and asked for the document.

“What is this?”, the question sounded familiar. “You do not have a 12th Original Class Marksheet.” I never understood that when people know answers why do they ask questions. I gathered myself and said “Sir! I have to submit it as part of Engineering College Counselling.” Shaking his head in annoyance, He took me to the DSO, the head of the base and our POC for next 5 days if we cleared screening, but my screening test itself was under threat.

DSO asked the same question “What is this?”, I concluded that it is there protocol to ask ‘what is this?’. After explaining a while he understood my case. He told the officer “Let him sit for screening, he will be required to fill an affidavit that he will submit 12th originals if he is selected.” 10th Class marksheet was required because it bears the original DOB. I was relaxed. I rushed to the canteen as only 15 mins were left for screening test to start. After putting two three Puris at once in my mouth and draining it with some water, I rushed to the Seminar Hall. We were not alloted rooms yet, all our luggage was lined up in Corridor. The candidates not clearing the screening test were supposed to leave the same day.

Seminar Hall was a mini theatre with a seating capacity of around 100 people at a time. A peculiar looking off white answer sheets were distributed to us. The answer sheet had a 1.5 * 2 sq inch box at top and remaining writing area. Suddenly the lights were dimmed in the conference hall and DSO started briefing us. We were shown a hazy slide and were asked to identify total characters in the slide and plot them in the rectangular box on answersheet with specifics like probable age, sex and character(+ve and -ve). Honestly I could not see anything. Then we were asked to write a story based on the slide. The whole process was supposed to be finished in 2 mins. Once the story was over we were taken into a small room in batch of 10 and were given 2 mins each to introduce our story and 5 minutes to have a group discussion and to reach a conclusion. Here I encountered the first surprise of the journey, 8 out of 10 stories were almost same. ‘A snake biting a girl and a guy taking her to hospital while there are some onlookers.’ Only I and one other guy had a different story. Mine was ‘a guy saving a girl from a mob.’ We discussed it in length and finally were not able to conclude anything like most GDs. All the guys with same story were actually from a coaching institute of Delhi where they were taught to write so what ever may be the slide. We were given a lunch break. Eating my Lunch I only thought whether I will be staying for 5 days or will be leaving today itself. Suddenly a hand patted me on my back “Hey! I am Amit” the owner of the hand said. “Hi, I am Anand.” I replied

“First attempt?” he asked again. I nodded my head in yes. “That’s why you look tense, it is my 3rd.” My jaws dropped listening to this and I started feeling a bit more relaxed sincepeople will be more tensed then me. On lunch I met Sheshnath, Sushant and Ravi. Coincidentally Sheshnath and Sushant were joining same engineering college I was joining.

Post luch we were taken for our PABT test, it stands for Pilot Aptitude and Battery test. Any person appearing for defence selection can give this test only once in his life. As per Indian Defence forces flying a plane is an aptitude and it cannot be taught, only your instincts can be sharpened and rest all is physical training. The test consisted of a theory paper and a practical. Theory paper had a booklet with pictures various position of a plane, we were supposed to calculate the readings of various dials in the cockpit. I cleared the theory with good marks. The practical test however wrecked my nerves, it was a video game kind of test where we were supposed to sit on a Computer looking like a gaming console and play it for a particular time. I am not a good gamer till this date, so I was really terrified. Result of this test was not announced.

At around 4 PM when all the batches finished their PABTs, we were once again assembled in the Seminar hall.

DSO spoke “Good Evening All of you! Now we will be announcing the results of screening, the name which I will be taking are selected rest all please collect your items from corridor and proceed to front gate. A truck will be taking you to station, also collect your reimbursement from front office beside the front gate. For the selected students we will also be announcing their chest numbers which will be their identification for next five days and also the rooms where they will be staying for first day”

He started taking names of the selected candidates one by one. If you can ask me one time I was nervous, it was the moment. Then suddenly DSO spoke

“Anand Singh Chest no. 21 Room MIG-21”

I was staying. I was staying for 4 more days.

The next thing which came to my mind when happiness took its course was I have to take my luggage from Corridor and find the “MIG-21”.

To be Continued………