Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU) graduate Sameer Rajput has topped the Services Selection Board (SSB) merit list for the 124th course of the Indian Army's Judge Advocate General (JAG) entry.
Rajput, of HNLU's 2019-2024 batch, has been selected for the JAG entry scheme through which law graduates are commissioned as Short Service Commission (SSC) officers in the Indian Army's JAG branch. Selection involves shortlisting based on CLAT PG scores, a five-day SSB interview and a medical examination.
The JAG Department is the legal and judicial wing of the Indian Army, dealing with military law, disciplinary matters, litigation and court-martial proceedings, besides advising military authorities on legal matters.
Rajput's journey to the top of the merit list was not straightforward. In his first two SSB attempts, he was screened out and nearly quit before choosing to utilise his remaining attempts. In his third attempt, for the 123rd course, he was recommended by the SSB but because of his merit list rank, was not selected for training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai. In his fourth attempt, he cleared the SSB and secured rank 1 in the merit list.
On why he chose JAG over other legal careers, Rajput said that he discovered the entry while exploring internships early in college and pursued it to fulfil a childhood dream of being in the Army. He added that a JAG officer's role is not to far removed from that of a litigator, since JAG officers take on litigation related tasks a few years into their commission.
"JAG has command, institutional purpose, the blend of legal work with military life. Being in the Army also offers a lot in terms of exposure and lifestyle. As an officer in the JAG branch, I will get to undertake tasks that I genuinely love and get paid for doing them," he added.
Busting a common misconception among law students, Rajput said that the SSB process is identical across all entry schemes.
"It's not a comfortable government job and it demands extraordinary effort. Whether you're a JAG officer or from any other entry, you're a soldier first and you have to be ready to live that way. Even though the role doesn't require you to be on the field, it's still a demanding profession," he added.
He credited HNLU with focus on conceptual understanding over rote learning, its extracurricular activities and a batch drawn from across the country as factors that built confidence, discipline and teamwork the SSB looks for.