What is Army Education Corps and How To Join It?

Hemanth Kasturi
June 2, 2020
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What is AEC Army Education Corps?

AEC provides challenging opportunities to motivated young men and women with right attitude and a passion for teaching.
The Army Educational Corps of India is a program run by the Indian Army that develops soldiers and officers of all ranks in a variety of disciplines. The centre provides education in both combat and non-combat operations.
The Corps’ facilities are located in Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh state.
Major General Devesh Gaur ADG MT (AE) is the current Colonel Commandant of AEC.

History of AEC:

24^th April 1921: Sanctioned by Army HQ India, Army School of Education was established with two separate wings, namely, the British Wing at Wellington and the Indian Wing at Belgaum.
11^th November 1924: The British Wing was moved from Wellington to Belgaum to form the Army School of Education India, Belgaum. This was because the General HQ India decided to amalgamate the two wings under one commandant in view of the economy drive of the government and to establish a centralized control over both wings of the school.
October 1931: The schools got amalgamated and finally integrated under one commandant.
October 1939: The Army School of Education India moved from Belgaum to Pachmarhi to cope with the war time education and the release period education schemes during and after World War-II.
August 1947: The Army School of Education, India, was redesignated as Army School of Education, Pachmarhi. Army Educational Corps Records office was established in the same year as part of the school.
1949: The school was again redesignated as AEC Centre and School, Pachmarhi.
In 1961, AEC Centre and School was redesignated as AEC Training College and Centre after it was affiliated to Dr. Hari Singh Gaur Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar. This affiliation marked the introduction of degree courses – Bachelor of Education in 1961, Bachelor of Library Science in 1962, later renamed as Bachelor of Library and Info Science in 1981, and Diploma in Audio-visual and fundamental education in 1962, later upgraded to a degree course named as Bachelor of Education Technology.
26^th May 1985: The College attained the status of an Autonomous College under the same university.
1995: As per the policy of the Government of MP, the jurisdiction of University of MP was restructured on geographical proximity and thus wef 1995, this autonomous college was affiliated to Barkatullah Universities, Bhopal.

Modernization Drive in AEC:

Based on the evolving professional requirements in consonance with emerging technologies, the equipment modernisation projects for the Corps are set down as under:-

Hi-tech Classrooms: Upgradation of the existing classrooms using modern audio-visual equipment such as computers and Video Projection Systems would be an inescapable requirement in the future for multi-sensory instruction.
Intranet: This would imply the automation of all functional areas, with nodes available for major functionaries and would later be integrated with the Army Intranet, once permitted.
Instructional Monitoring System: This would allow the senior management to monitor all instruction from a single location, thereby fostering greater accountability and commitment.
Internet & Media Connectivity: The unlimited sweep of the Internet is required to be harnessed and integrated with day-to-day functioning of the College. Networked terminal labs are proposed to be set up in areas of need.
Fully Automated Library: Most libraries are planned to be fully automated with an integrated library management system to enhance functional efficiency.
Computer-based Language Labs: Computer-based language labs with the requisite software would facilitate the teaching of English, foreign and regional languages and would allow the use of the latest language teaching software.
GIS for Map Reading Training: Integrating the Geographical Information System technology into map reading training would allow the trainees to acquire skills in the use of this state-of-the-art technology in the larger interests of the Indian Army.
CBT Production Centre: With the present emphasis on multi-sensory instruction, a modern, well-equipped CBT production centre at the College would facilitate the integration of CBT into all courses of instruction run by the AEC in various areas of functioning throughout the Army.

Making Future More Knowledgeable:

The AEC may be required to undertake an additional charter in the following areas in the future:-

Stress Management & Counselling
Clerks Training
Educational Rehabilitation and Civic Action
Training of Trainers
Instruction in Ethics and Morality
Computer Training for Recruits
Education of Wards of Servicemen

How to Apply (Officers)

Indian Army has stopped the direct AEC entry from 2017. There is no update on when the army will start the entry for AEC directly.
The recommendation has come from a committee formed under retired Lt Gen DB Shekatkar, which feels that the closure of the Army Education Corps can help in “saving of approximately 5,000 personnel including 370 officers who can be redeployed for futuristic core activities of the combat units.”
“The AEC should be closed as a Corps over the next five years and its existing manpower should be re-oriented and re-skilled to form part of the cyber warriors, various electronic surveillance and intelligence as well as electronic warfare unit or trained as Unmanned Aerial vehicle operators,” the committee has recommended in its report to the government.

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