Services Selection Boards of Indian Armed Forces

Services Selection Boards (SSBs) were raised with a view to recommend suitable and right candidates for the Indian Armed Forces. It is based on the PRISM concept i.e. Psychological Tests, Group Discussions, Ground Tasks, and Personal Interview.

These are specific for all the forces i.e. SSB(Service Selection Board) for the Indian Army, AFSB (Airforce Selection Board ), and NSB (Naval Selection Board) for the Indian Navy. The main aim is to select and recommend potential candidates to become Officers in the Indian Armed Forces by evaluating their OLQs (Officer Like Qualities). Following are the selection centers across India for all three Armed Forces.

Indian Army

1. Selection Center East (SCE), Allahabad

The center was raised in 1957. It is considered the biggest selection center of all as it has five Services Selection Boards namely 11 SSB, 14 SSB, 18 SSB, 19 SSB, and 34 SSB.

Places to visit

(a) Sangam- It is approximately 7 km from civil lines where the selection center is located. The sacred Sangam is the confluence of three of the holiest rivers in Hindu mythology – Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. At the Sangam, the waters of the Ganges and the Yamuna can be distinctly seen to merge into one.

(b) Allahabad Fort- The massive fort built by Emperor Akbar in 1583 A.D., the fort stands on the banks of the Yamuna near the confluence site.

(c) Swaraj Bhawan- The old Anand Bhawan, which in the year 1930 was donated to the Nation by Moti Lal Nehru, to be used as the headquarters of the Congress Committee. Moti Lal Nehru renamed it Swaraj Bhawan.

(d) Anand Bhawan Museum- Personal Belongings of Jawaharlal Nehru, of his parents and other members of his family. Picture gallery of the national movement, painting textile books parquetry.

Distance from the nearest railway station- The center is approximately 5.7 km from Allahabad junction railway station.

2. Selection Center Central (SCC), Bhopal

Selection Centre Bhopal was established in October 1975 and it is located in the area of Sultania Infantry Lines, Bhopal Military Station. It has three Services Selection Boards namely 20 SSB, 21 SSB, and 22 SSB.

Places to visit

(a) Upper Lake: The largest artificial lake in Asia. The Boat Club is also located there and national level water sporting events are organized by the club.
(b) Van Vihar National Park: A zoological park with the status of a national park, it is situated south of the Upper Lake.
(c) Takri: A Hindu and Jain temple, situated on a hill cliff, this place is popular for the scenic views it offers of the city below. A rope-way has been installed and people also have the option to reach the spot on foot.
Distance from the nearest railway station- The Selection center is approximately 4.8 km from Bhopal Junction railway station

3. Selection Center South (SCS), Bangalore

Selection Center Bangalore was raised on 1st April 1949. It is located on Cubbon Road in Bangalore. It has two Services Selection Boards namely 17 SSB, 24 SSB.

Places to Visit

(a) Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium: It is located on Sir.T Chowdaiah Road. Since 1992, it is managed by the Bangalore Association for Science Education (BASE).

(b) Visvesvaraya Museum: The Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore, India, a constituent unit of the National Council of Science Museums, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, was established in memory of Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya.

(c) Cubbon Park: Cubbon Park is a landmark ‘lung’ area of Bangalore city, located within the heart of the city in the Central Administrative Area.

Distance from the nearest railway station- The center is approximately 6.2 km from Banglore railway station via infantry road.

4. Selection Center North (SCN), Kapurthala

Selection center north is the recently inducted center in the list. Selection Centre North was raised on 01 Jul 2015 in its interim location at Kapurthala. It has two Services Selection Boards namely 31 SSB and 32 SSB.

Places to Visit

(a) Sainik School (Jagatjit Palace): The Sainik School, formerly known as Jagatjit Palace, is housed in what was formerly the palace of the erstwhile Maharajah of Kapurthala state, HRH Maharajah Jagatjit Singh

(b) Pushpa Gujral Science City: This is the largest and second Science City in India. Situated on Jalandhar-Kapurthala road in an area of 72 acres, it is named after the mother of former Prime Minister of India Shri I.K. Gujral who was a social worker.

Distance from the nearest railway station- The center is approximately 2.8 km from Kapurthala railway station.

Indian Air Force

1. AFSB, Dehradun

It is located in the Clement Town area of Dehradun.

Places to Visit

(a) Indian Military Academy

The campus is on National Highway 72, which separates the North and South Campus. The campus of the academy originally spanned 206 acres which were transferred to the academy along with existing buildings from the Railway Staff College.

(b) Forest Research Institute

It is an institute of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and is a premier institution in the field of forestry research in India.

(c) Buddha Monastery

It is closest to the center and a single visit can provide you with much-needed peace of mind.

Distance from the nearest railway station- The center is approximately 9 km from Dehradun railway station.

2. AFSB Mysore

AFSB is located in CV Complex, Sidharth Nagar of Mysore.

Places to Visit

(a) Jaganmohan palace
Jaganmohan Palace is a palace in Mysore, in the princely city of Mysore, India. Its construction was completed in 1861 and was initially used by the Wodeyars, kings of Mysore as their home.
(b) Railway Museum Mysore
The Railway Museum at Mysore, India is an outdoor exhibit of vintage locomotives. The Railway Museum was established in 1979 by Indian Railways, the second such museum after the National Railway Museum in Delhi.
(c) Mysore Zoo
Mysore Zoo is a 157-acre zoo located near the palace in Mysore, India. It is one of the oldest and most popular zoos in India and is home to a wide range of species.
Distance from the nearest railway station- The center is approximately 4.2 km from the Mysore junction railway station.

3. AFSB Gandhi Nagar

AFSB Gandhi Nagar north is the latest inducted center in the list. It was inaugurated in 2012. 3 AFSB is located in Sector 9 of Gandhinagar which is also the headquarter of South Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force.

Places to Visit

(a) Akshardham Temple
Swaminarayan Akshardham in Gandhinagar, Gujarat is a large Hindu temple complex inspired by Yogiji Swami, the fourth spiritual successor of Lord Swaminarayan according to the denomination of Swaminarayan Hinduism, and created by Pramukh Swami, the fifth spiritual successor of Lord Swaminarayan according to the denomination of Swaminarayan Hinduism.
Distance from the nearest railway station- The center is approximately 5.4 km from Gandhinagar railway station.

4. AFSB Varanasi

AFSB Varanasi is located in the Varanasi Cantonment area in Uttar Pradesh.

Places to Visit

Varanasi is also known as the city of temples and ghats. You can visit ample temples there like Kashi Vishwanath temple, Birla Vishwanath temple, Durga Temple, and Sankat Mochan Temple. You can visit Banaras Hindu University to see the diversity as it is one of the esteemed universities in the country.

Distance from the nearest railway station- The center is approximately 2 km from Varanasi railway station in the cantonment area.

Indian Navy

1. NSB Coimbatore

Naval Selection Board is situated in INS Agrani, Red Fields of Coimbatore. Here the future naval officers are recommended.

Places to visit

(a) GD Naidu Museum
Museum featuring an eclectic range of automobiles, with an emphasis on design & innovation.

(b) Brookefields Mall
Brookefields is a shopping mall located on Brookebond Road in Coimbatore, India. It was opened in 2009.

(c) Black Thunder
Black Thunder is a water theme park located in Tamil Nadu, India. It is situated at the foot of Nilgiris near Mettupalayam, in Coimbatore 40 km north of the city, and occupies an area of about 75 acres

Distance from the nearest railway station- The center is approximately 3.9 km from Coimbatore junction railway station.

2. Selection Center South (SCS), Bangalore

One of the boards in the selection center south i.e. 12 SSB conducts the SSB interview for the Indian navy. Places to visit are mentioned under the section of entries for the Indian army.

3. Selection Center Central (SCC), Bhopal

One of the boards in the selection center central i.e. 33 SSB conducts the SSB interview for Indian navy. Places to visit are mentioned under the section of entries for Indian army.