Assam Rifles, SSF and NCB through SSC GD

Most SSC GD posts are in the big five forces: BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB. But the notification also lists three other organisations: Rifleman (GD) in the Assam Rifles, Constable (GD) in the Secretariat Security Force (SSF), and Sepoy in the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

They get less attention, and many candidates list them without reading about them. That is a mistake. Each has a very different job, and one of them has usually been at a lower pay level. Here is what you need to know before you fill in your preferences.

The Assam Rifles

History and role

• Raised in 1835 as the Cachar Levy, it is India's oldest paramilitary force. Its headquarters is in Shillong.
• It guards the India–Myanmar border, which runs through Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.
• It carries out counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
• It works under dual control: the Ministry of Home Affairs handles administration, while the Army has operational control. Many of its officers come from the Army.
• It is often called the "Sentinels of the North East" and the "Friends of the Hill People".

Life as a Rifleman

• Postings in the hills and forests of the North-East, often in small posts near villages.
• Patrols along a border that is partly open: under an arrangement with Myanmar, people living near the border have been allowed limited movement across it. (The rules on this have been changing; check current news.)
• Close work with local communities: medical camps, schools and help after landslides.
• Training and discipline closely linked with the Army.

The Secretariat Security Force (SSF)

• The SSF is a uniformed force that guards the Central Secretariat buildings in Delhi, where central ministries work.
• The work is access control (checking passes at gates), guarding entrances and premises, regulating vehicles and parking, and making sure no government property leaves the building without permission.
• In many ways it is like CISF work, but focused on government offices.
• Postings are mostly in Delhi, in a city office setting.

The SSF usually has far fewer vacancies than the big forces, so check the numbers for your state and category.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)

• The NCB is India's central agency against drug trafficking. It was set up in 1986 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and works under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• It coordinates action against drugs across the country and with other nations.
• Sepoys support enforcement operations, office work and security of offices and seized goods.
• In recent notifications the NCB Sepoy post has been at Pay Level 1, lower than the Level 3 of most constable posts.

How much does the pay difference matter?

Take the entry basic pay under the 7th Pay Commission:

The gap in basic pay is 21,700 − 18,000 = ₹3,700 a month. Dearness Allowance and some other allowances are a percentage of basic pay, so the real gap in take-home pay is larger. Over a year, the basic-pay gap alone is 3,700 × 12 = ₹44,400.

That does not mean the NCB is a bad choice. Some candidates value office-based work or a posting near home more than the difference. But it should be a conscious choice. Our salary guide explains pay and allowances in detail.

Comparing the options

Filling your preferences carefully

When the notification asks you to rank the forces:

1. Read the vacancy table for your state and category. Some organisations may have no vacancies or only one or two in your state.
2. Check the pay level of each post.
3. Think about the work. Field operations in the hills or security of an office? Border patrols or airport screening?
4. Think about location and your family's needs.
5. List only posts you would actually join. If you are allotted a post from your list, you are expected to take it.
6. Think long term. Promotion, posting patterns and the kind of work matter more than the first year.

For the big five forces, read the forces you can join through SSC GD.

A decision exercise

Suppose a candidate lives in Delhi, cares for an elderly parent and prefers office work. Another candidate grew up in the hills, loves outdoor life and wants field experience.

• The first might rank the SSF or CISF high, and weigh the NCB's lower pay against its office setting.
• The second might rank the Assam Rifles, ITBP or BSF high.

Neither order is "correct". The right order is the one you can live with for the next ten years.

Practice

1. Which is India's oldest paramilitary force, and when was it raised?
2. Which border does the Assam Rifles guard?
3. What does "dual control" mean for the Assam Rifles?
4. What does the SSF protect?
5. Under which Act was the NCB set up?
6. What is the monthly gap in entry basic pay between Level 3 and Level 1?

Answers:

1. The Assam Rifles, raised in 1835 as the Cachar Levy.
2. The India–Myanmar border.
3. The Ministry of Home Affairs handles administration; the Army has operational control.
4. The Central Secretariat buildings in Delhi.
5. The NDPS Act, 1985.
6. ₹21,700 − ₹18,000 = ₹3,700.