Navy Service Selection Board inaugurated in Kolkata

Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba Tuesday inaugurated the Navy's first full-fledged Service Selection Board (SSB) at the Diamond Harbour near Kolkata, officials said.

SSB (Kolkata) is located around 55-km away from central Kolkata and is based on a land that was previously occupied by a Naval Coastal Battery.

This is the fifth SSB of the Indian Navy and caters for selection of both permanent and short service commission officers, the Navy said in a statement.

The other boards are located in Bhopal, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Coimbatore.

Spread over an area of 27 acres on the banks of the Hooghly river, SSB (Kolkata) has the capacity to screen around 5000 officer-candidates annually.

"The board can accommodate approximately 160 candidates at a time and has separate facilities and accommodation for men and women candidates," the statement said.

The SSB at Diamond Harbour, Kolkata will boost the induction of officers, both men and women, into the Indian Navy. Its location will reduce the travel time and effort for candidates from northern and northeastern parts of the country.

Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, was also present on the occasion.