30% jump in applicants after Army eases height rule

DEHRADUN: The Indian Army's decision to reduce the minimum height requirement for recruits from Himalayan states has resulted in a substantial increase in the number of aspirants applying to pre-recruitment training camps, with the figure shooting up by as much as 30% in Uttarakhand alone.

The Army had in August reduced the height criteria from 166 cm to 163 cm for recruits from the western Himalayan regions of J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab as well as Garhwal and Kumaon in Uttarakhand. The impact of the new rule has been "immediate and drastic", say organizers of pre-recruitment training camps in Uttarakhand.

An Army recruitment official on condition of anonymity told TOI that the number of applicants to the Army had indeed risen. "Several young men who had been rejected in previous drives after failing the height criteria participated in the latest recruitment exercise," he added.

Sources said approximately 18,000 youths had appeared in the recruitment drive held by the Army in Gauchar in Chamoli district in April while 22,000 aspirants lined up at the recruitment drive in Dehradun in October. This was the first recruitment drive conducted by the Army in Uttarakhand after the new height rule came into effect from October 1.

Col Ajay Kothiyal, principal, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, who also founded the Youth Foundation Uttarakhand which organizes pre-recruitment training camps, told TOI, "After the Army eased the minimum height requirement in August, the number of applicants to pre-recruitment camps went up by 30% in September. In the next camp in November, we are expecting 70% more applications to pour in. Many people in remote areas are still unaware about the reduction in height criteria which is why we are expecting the percentage to increase further."

Suraj Negi, member, Youth Foundation Uttarakhand, added, "The recruitment drives are held twice a year by the Army. The next one will be in March or April 2018 and cover districts of Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Tehri, so many more people are expected to apply."

Amit Kumar, 20, from Pauri, is among the lucky ones to have passed the physical test conducted by the Army in Gauchar after the height rule was eased. "I was rejected by the Army twice since I'm 165cm tall. I was elated after I heard that the minimum height requirement has been reduced and I applied again. I have passed the first stage, i.e. physical examination, this time. Now, I'm preparing for the written exam next month," Kumar told TOI.

Rohit Singh Rautela, who is also one step closer to his dream of becoming a soldier, said, "I was rejected because of my height in previous drives. It had left me feeling disappointed but the new rule has been a gift to people like me and this time I have made it to the next round."