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Written by Mumtaj Khan
Feb 04, 2026

Assistant Commandant Leadership:Strategic Leadership Roles in India’s Paramilitary Forces

The Assistant Commandant job is really desirable because it is a job that is directly related to serving the nation. The Assistant Commandant works as an officer in paramilitary forces. These forces include the Border Security Force, the Central Industrial Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Indo-Tibet Border Police and the Special Security Bureau. We often refer to these forces by their forms, such as BSF, CRPF, ITBP and SSB.

Each of these forces was created to do a task in a specific area. However over time the Assistant Commandant and these forces have been trained to work in all kinds of conditions and, in any type of area. The Assistant Commandant and these forces, including the Border Security Force, the Central Industrial Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Indo-Tibet Border Police and the Special Security Bureau are now capable of handling tasks.

Being a part of these forces is a proud feeling. The people who want to join these forces should remember that it is not easy. They have to be ready to face every kind of problem. These forces can be sent to any place at any time so they have to be ready to move from one area to another in a minute. You have to be a brave and strong person to join these forces as an Assistant Commandant. The Assistant Commandant has to be strong and brave to do this job.

There is a lot of competition to join the forces because people want to be part of something. The forces only pick the competent people who are eligible. These people have to go through written tests, psychological tests and physical tests. The forces choose the people and train them so that they can keep the country safe from problems inside the country and from other countries. Being part of the forces is a job and people who do this work have to be dedicated to what they do. They have to be responsible, brave, hardworking and very courageous. The forces need people, like this to safeguard the country from conflicts and cross-border battles. To be an Assistant Commandant one has to undergo a selection process of written and physical exams to ensure the best few among the many aspirants.

Assistant Commandant Eligibility

Educational Qualification for Assistant Commandant

To become an Assistant Commandant you need to have a Bachelors degree in any field. If you are taking your year exam you can also apply to be an Assistant Commandant but you must pass the exam. The Assistant Commandant position requires a Bachelors degree. It is very important that you have this degree to be eligible, for the Assistant Commandant job.

Having an NCC 'B' certificate or an NCC 'C' certificate is a thing. It is also great if you have a certificate, for doing well in sports or athletics. These things can be very helpful. The NCC 'B' certificate or the NCC 'C' certificate and the sports or athletic certificate are all good to have.

Age Limits

The person who wants to take the examination must be least 19 years old by July 1st of that year. They should not be than 24 years old on that specific date July 1st. This means the examination candidate must be between 19 and 24 years old, on July 1st of the year they take the examination. The examination candidate age is very important to consider when they want to take the examination.

Relaxation in upper age limit for SC/ ST candidates by 5 years and for OBC by 3 years

Physical Standards

For Male Candidates

  • Height - 165 cms.
  • Chest - 81 cms unexpanded (with 5 cms minimum expansion).
  • Weight - Proportionate to height.
  • Eyesight - Refer to the official notification for specific details.

For Female Candidates

  • Height - 157 cms.
  • Weight - Proportionate to height but not less than 46 kgs.
  • Eyesight - Refer to the official notification for specific detail.

Assistant Commandant Required Skills

  • To be a candidate you need to be able to lead people and get them excited about what they are doing. You also need to be in control of yourself feel good, about what you can do and be able to work with a team. The candidate needs to have team working skills and the ability to lead others.
  • People with these qualities can tell others what to do. They can also listen to what they are told to do. They are good at using computers. They are good, at talking to others. They have IT skills. They have excellent communication skills. They are able to give orders and follow orders. They have good IT skills and good communication skills.
  • Applicants should also need to be able to take responsibility and make decisions. They must have fitness levels and good organisational skills. Applicants should also be willing to go into combat. This is very important, for the job. Applicants need to have all of these things: the ability to take responsibility good fitness levels, good organisational skills and a willingness to go into combat.

How to become an Assistant Commandant?

To become an Assistant Commandant one has to follow the given steps:

Step 1 : To start with the person who wants to apply has to get the Application Form and all the necessary details, from the employment newspaper that usually comes out in April. They need to fill out the Application Form. Then send the filled Application Form to the regional centres that are mentioned.

Step 2 : People who want to apply have to take the Written Exam, which is also known as the Central Police Force Exam or CPFE for short. This exam is worth 300 marks. It covers the Central Police Force Exam subjects. The Central Police Force Exam has questions, in the following subjects.

Part IIntelligence test and general knowledge
(GK, Intelligence & Reasoning and Numerical ability) 
200 marks
Part II   Essay writing, precise writing and Comprehension of a given passage.100 marks

You can write a note or an essay in either Hindi or English. However when it comes to writing and understanding a given passage you have to do it in English only. The note or essay, on the given topic should be written in an concise manner and the comprehension of the passage is also required to be done in English.

The candidates who do well in the written test will be asked to take physical efficiency tests. These physical efficiency tests are just to see if the candidates are good enough. The physical efficiency tests are, like a test to qualify for the step. The candidates need to pass the physical efficiency tests to move forward.

Step 3 : Physical Efficiency Tests include all these things to see how well we can do tasks. Physical Efficiency Tests are important to check our health and fitness. Physical Efficiency Tests have items that help us know our physical strength and abilities.

EventTime (Male)/RangeTime (Female)/Range
100 Meters Race16 seconds18 seconds
800 Meters Race3 minutes4 minutes
Long Jump3.50 meters3 meters
High Jump1.05 meters.90 meters
Shot Put (7.26 Kgs.)4.50 meters-

If you fail, in any part of this test you will not be able to continue. For some parts of the test like items (iii) (iv) and (v) you get three chances to do well. Item (v) does not apply to Female candidates. The Physical Efficiency Test is very important. The candidates who do well in the Physical Efficiency Test are then called for an interview and a medical checkup. The Physical Efficiency Test is a step. The candidates who pass the Physical Efficiency Test have to go through these steps.

Step 4

Part III

Interview (Personality test) carrying 200 marks.

Step 5 : The required number of candidates will be selected from the list of candidates who did well. These candidates will be given jobs in organizations such as Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police. The number of candidates selected will depend on the number of jobs in these organizations. The candidates will be given jobs based on the choices they made when they applied. The Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police will get the required number of candidates, from the list of candidates who did well.

Assistant Commandant Job Description

Being a Commandant is a deal. It means you have to take on responsibility and make sure the Indian Paramilitary forces men are ready for anything that comes their way every single day of the year. They have to be ready for anything at any time.

It is not easy. A lot of people still want to join the Indian Paramilitary forces every year. They do not do it because they want to have a life, at home. They do it because they want to feel proud and respected when they wear the Indian Paramilitary forces uniform. The Indian Paramilitary forces uniform is a symbol of honour and people want to wear it with pride.

Assistant Commandant Job Prospects

Job prospects for the Assistant Commandant are different depending on the force they're part of. For example in the ITBP the Assistant Commandant has a rank. The order of the Assistant Commandant position, in the ITBP is as follows:

The Assistant Commandant gets a promotion to the rank of Deputy Commandant. Maybe even a higher rank in the organization, which is a big deal for the Assistant Commandant and this promotion is definitely a great opportunity, for the Assistant Commandant.

  • Deputy Commandant after 6 years of service
  • Second-in-Command after 11 years in service
  • Commandant after 15 years of the service

The future of people who work in this field is really good. They can become very high ranking officers, like a Deputy Inspector General or even an Inspector General. People who start at the bottom can work their way up, to these roles like Deputy Inspector General or Inspector General which is a great thing.

Assistant Commandant Salary

An Assistant Commandant gets a salary that ranges from Rs.15,600 to Rs.39,100. The Government of India decides how money each employee will get based on the job they do. The salary for an Assistant Commandant and other jobs can change when there is a pay commission so the pay scales, for an Assistant Commandant are not always the same.
Note: The pay scales I mentioned earlier are a rough idea. The service has different branches and each branch has its own pay scale. Even people who work in the branch can get different pay. This is because the pay depends on where they're working and what job they are doing at that time. The service has different areas and jobs and the pay scales are different for each one. The pay for personnel in the service can vary a lot. It is not the same for everyone even if they are, in the same branch of the service.In addition to the salary, Assistant Commandant receives various types of allowances such as Dearness Allowance, City compensatory Allowance, Leave Travel Allowance, Medical and Subsidized Housing.

Frequently Asked Questions

An Assistant Commandant is a Group-A officer leading units in India’s Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) like BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, and SSB.
Candidates must clear the UPSC CAPF (Assistant Commandant) Examination.
A bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university is mandatory.
Generally, candidates must be 20–25 years, with age relaxation for reserved categories.
Yes, candidates must meet prescribed height, chest, weight, and medical fitness standards.

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