For army…I have been to all three boards- Allahabad, Bangalore, Bhopal. Well…my personal favourite is Allahabad, for the following reasons:
- It’s so huge with facilities like Atm, Cafe, Canteen all inside only, with no rush at all. You can do anything you want at peace.
- The barracks are big…like 20–25 beds in one room…we get to have a blast. The buildings are also awesome. If you go to the 1st floor..you can see officers playing basketball from your balcony at peace!!!;
- Phone is allowed.
- The only problem with Allahabad board is that of water!!! And in summers I tell you…we had to take out water from the cooler and manage our morning chores!!!
- And getting screened in in this board is actually an achievement…with so less candidates to screen in from such a huge crowd…consider yourself lucky if you make it!!!
Even Bangalore board is masttt!!! With all the greenery…the centre is spread in a huge area. And the best part is that it is situated in the middle of the city…all the food joints, commercial centres, shopping places are at walking distance. The barracks are also neat and clean.
For Airforce, I have only been to Varanasi board…and that is my favourite. Well for the very obvious reason that I started my defence journey from that place. And it’s neat and clean, with good food and helping staff. They ask for suggestions from every batch for the betterment of the centre…ant trust me…they try to implement it to their best capacity. We get to play all the games. And the ante-room is heaven where you can watch news and chit-chat with friends comfortably. Also, it’s at a stone’s throw distance from the railway station, which makes it easier for booking and cancellation of tickets accordingly. The environment is also good. And personally, I found the selection system here very good and fair and transparent.
Let me analyze this question in a greater depth with a different perspective from the candidates point of view. The army candidates who had undergone screening at various SSBs be it Bangalore, Allahabad or Bhopal have different stories or experiences and majority of them are impressed by the way different Selection Centers have showcased their facilities and the way they have stage managed their existing resources to the taste and liking of the candidates.
But, apart from all these from the candidates point of view, there are some factors which contribute to the popularity of the board and these are inherent , unwritten and not contested by anyone . These can only be perceived by a few who keeps a close watch on the over all functioning of these boards. Firstly, all senior army officers are not alike, in the sense their outlook, perceptions all differ. Some are very strict, some are helping in nature , others are lenient and they have their explanations also and no doubt all of them were recommended by DIPR , New Delhi for posting either as president or member of the SSB and no doubt, in their field they are the masters of the game. Now, if such an officer is posted as President or member of the board , he exerts his influence over his subordinates and as the typical army functions, he would fine tune the system as per his liking and wants his subordinates to toe his line of thinking. And if the president of the board falls in the category of very strict disciplinarian, obviously the selection rate would fall an abysmally low and that was the reputation being carried forward by SSB Allahabad for a long period of time.
Not withstanding the above, army only requires mediocre candidates who should be neither too intelligent nor below average. Any one who have original and constructive ideas, practical solutions to tactical problems which can be implemented on ground, a beautiful mind who always think positive, one who adheres to orders and instructions, one who seeks self improvement, upward mobility and a candidate who should be with strong convictions, not self seeking, task oriented and helping attitude are some of the key factors which decide a candidates fate in the SSB.
There are many more inner truths in the functioning of SSB which I will deal with them separately in the subsequent answers.
You can also comment below so that i can add your reviews as well here.
