The 'Tour of Duty' scheme for the Army and Mahindra Jobs

Anand Mahindra has certainly given hopes for the Tour Of Duty Scheme as The proposal to open up the Army to young professionals has been welcomed by the Chairman of the Mahindra Group.

What is The 'Tour of Duty' scheme for the Army ?

What is Tour of Duty in the Indian Army? Know more about this new proposal that the Indian Army is planning to start and what is its criteria and eligibility here.

Tour of Duty allows civilians of the country to join the Indian Army for three years and serve the country as an army soldier. The proposal is yet under process but it has certainly gained a lot of popularity. This could be a great opportunity for those who would like to experience the work of a soldier without actually pursuing it as a career.

How to join ‘Tour of Duty’ Indian Army?

The proposal of Tour of Duty is an effort made by the Indian Army to attract the best talent that the country has towards the Indian armed forces. Tour of Duty will be launched with around 100 vacancies for officers and 1000 for jawans. This ‘course’ set up by the Indian Army will help with the improvement of self-confidence, teamwork, initiative, stress management, innovation and a sense of responsibility. Army spokesman Colonel Aman Anand was quoted by a news source saying that the scheme will be launched with limited seats as an experiment. If it is a successful venture, the number of vacancies will be increased.


As per a news source, the Tour of Duty officer level has a salary of ₹ 80000 to ₹ 90000 per month.

Benefits of the scheme.

While the youth of India will gain benefits from the scheme, even the Army will face some significant financial gain. In comparison to a soldier who serves the minimum tenure in the army, i.e. 10-14 years depending upon their role, the cost of a ToD officer for three years would be just ₹ 80 to ₹ 85 Lakhs. On the other hand, short-tenured officers’ expenses are around ₹ 5.12 crores and ₹ 6.83 crores.

Tour of Duty eligibility

There are no updates yet as of the criteria for being eligible to apply for Tour of Duty. As per an education website, the official details will soon to be released by the Army. There is also no information about whether the applicants will have to appear for the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) interview or any written exam for the same. There is also no information on Tour of Duty age limit i.e. what is the minimum age to apply for this vacancy. The maximum age to apply for SSB however is 35 years of age.

Anand Mahindra appreciates The 'Tour of Duty' scheme

In a letter to the Army, Mr Mahindra said the young, fit citizens of India will get an opportunity to gain operational experience in the Army both as soldiers and Officers through this voluntary three year programme.

"I definitely think military training will be an added advantage for Tour of Duty Graduates as they enter the workplace. In fact, considering the rigid standards of selection and training in the Indian Army, the Mahindra Group will be happy to consider their candidature," he added.

The Army is also considering recruiting personnel from the paramilitary and central armed police forces for up to seven years, after which they would be allowed to return to their parent organisations, military sources have said.

The game-changing proposal to allow civilians to work for three years in the Army is being examined by top commanders. If approved, it will be a voluntary engagement and there will be no dilution in selection criteria. "Initially, 100 officers and 1,000 men are being considered for recruitment," Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand said.

So, what are your thoughts and suggestions on :Tour Of Duty " Scheme ? 

Ps-

BTW , Do you know that there is a TV Show from 1987 by the same name "Tour Of Duty" - It's about The trials of a U.S. Army platoon serving in the field during the Vietnam War.
I wonder if THIS tv show has inspired the name of scheme ?