Identifying the right candidate for the job is the first and crucial step in HRD in the IAF.

Ranked as the Fourth largest In the World, over the six decades since Independence the Indian Air Force (IAF) has grown from strength to strength and today it is a lethal force armed with weapon systems of the most advanced technologies the world can offer. While weapon systems can be bought off the shelf, in the final analysis, it is the man behind the machine who makes the difference. The real challenge before the leadership in the IAF, therefore, is to identify, develop and retain the human resource needed to operate and maintain equipment of not only infinite complexity, but of mind-boggling diversityThe IAF comprises of four distinct categories of personnel: the officers, the airmen, the non-combatant enrolees [NCs(E)] and the civilian cadre. Officers and airmen will be the focus of this article.

In an environment of rapidly growing economic prosperity, it is not surprising that the socalled cream amongst the youth should gravitate in hordes to greener pastures. But in a nation of over a billion souls, there would always be enough of those available with the inclination to dedicate their lives to defending the skies and be ever prepared for the ultimate sacrifice. The process of selection, therefore, is designed to distinguish from among the volunteers those with the high potential to join the mainstream of the IAF. Despite the perceived shift in priorities of the youth, there is neither scope nor intent to compromise with selection criteria. The long-term implications of such compromise are horrendous. Identifying the right candidate for the job is the first and crucial step in the ladder of human resource development in the IAF which is founded on the ethos of excellence.