If you’re preparing for defense or police-related competitive exams like NDA, CDS, AFCAT, CAPF, or SSC CPO, it’s essential to be familiar with the commonly used abbreviations and full forms. These terms frequently appear in written exams, interviews, and general awareness sections. IAS Full Form , IPS Full Form, IFS Full Form
Here’s a comprehensive list of important short forms grouped under relevant defense and paramilitary branches:
🪖 Indian Army – Important Abbreviations – Important Short Forms
Short Form
Full Form
NDA
National Defence Academy
CDS
Combined Defence Services
JCO
Junior Commissioned Officer
NCO
Non-Commissioned Officer
RR
Rashtriya Rifles
EME
Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers
ASC
Army Service Corps
AMC
Army Medical Corps
AOC
Army Ordnance Corps
JAT
Jat Regiment (Infantry Unit)
SIKH LI
Sikh Light Infantry
GORKHA
Gorkha Rifles
✈️ Indian Air Force – Important Abbreviations
Short Form
Full Form
IAF
Indian Air Force
AFCAT
Air Force Common Admission Test
CAS
Chief of Air Staff
HAL
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
DRDO
Defence Research and Development Organisation
⚓ Indian Navy – Important Abbreviations
Short Form
Full Form
INA
Indian Naval Academy
IN
Indian Navy
CNS
Chief of Naval Staff
MARCOS
Marine Commandos
INS
Indian Naval Ship
NDA
National Defence Academy (also shared with Army & Air Force)
🛡️ Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) – Paramilitary Forces
Central Police Organization (used in exams like SSC CPO)
NSG
National Security Guard
AR
Assam Rifles
👮 Police Services – Important Abbreviations
Short Form
Full Form
IPS
Indian Police Service
SI
Sub-Inspector
ASI
Assistant Sub-Inspector
SHO
Station House Officer
DGP
Director General of Police
IG
Inspector General
SP
Superintendent of Police
DSP
Deputy Superintendent of Police
CID
Criminal Investigation Department
ATS
Anti-Terrorism Squad
STF
Special Task Force
Teaching Related full form
Here is a table listing the full forms of common educational abbreviations used in India, particularly for teaching positions and government exams:
Short Form
Full Form
TGT
Trained Graduate Teacher
PGT
Post Graduate Teacher
LT Teacher
Licentiates Teacher
DSSSB
Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board
PRT
Primary Teacher
CTET
Central Teacher Eligibility Test
UPTET
Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test
KVS
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan
NVS
Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti
B.Ed
Bachelor of Education
D.El.Ed
Diploma in Elementary Education
BTC
Basic Training Certificate (now equivalent to D.El.Ed)
NTT
Nursery Teacher Training
STET
State Teacher Eligibility Test
REET
Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers
HTET
Haryana Teacher Eligibility Test
Computer-related full forms
Here is a table of commonly used computer-related full forms:
Short Form
Full Form
CPU
Central Processing Unit
RAM
Random Access Memory
ROM
Read Only Memory
USB
Universal Serial Bus
HTTP
HyperText Transfer Protocol
HTTPS
HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure
IP
Internet Protocol
URL
Uniform Resource Locator
HTML
HyperText Markup Language
CSS
Cascading Style Sheets
WWW
World Wide Web
LAN
Local Area Network
WAN
Wide Area Network
Wi-Fi
Wireless Fidelity
VPN
Virtual Private Network
OS
Operating System
GUI
Graphical User Interface
HDD
Hard Disk Drive
SSD
Solid State Drive
PC
Personal Computer
PDF
Portable Document Format
PNG
Portable Network Graphics
JPEG/JPG
Joint Photographic Experts Group
CD
Compact Disc
DVD
Digital Versatile Disc / Digital Video Disc
AI
Artificial Intelligence
ML
Machine Learning
IOT
Internet of Things
Full forms of major Indian intelligence, investigative, and enforcement agencies:
Short Form
Full Form
CBI
Central Bureau of Investigation
RAW
Research and Analysis Wing
IB
Intelligence Bureau
NIA
National Investigation Agency
SPG
Special Protection Group
ED
Enforcement Directorate
IT
Income Tax (commonly refers to the Income Tax Department)
Here is a table of important Finance and Tax related full forms commonly used in India:
Short Form
Full Form
GST
Goods and Services Tax
PAN
Permanent Account Number
TAN
Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number
TDS
Tax Deducted at Source
ITR
Income Tax Return
CST
Central Sales Tax
CGST
Central Goods and Services Tax
SGST
State Goods and Services Tax
IGST
Integrated Goods and Services Tax
UTGST
Union Territory Goods and Services Tax
VAT
Value Added Tax
HSN
Harmonized System of Nomenclature
SAC
Services Accounting Code
CBDT
Central Board of Direct Taxes
CBIC
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
ROC
Registrar of Companies
SEBI
Securities and Exchange Board of India
RBI
Reserve Bank of India
NBFC
Non-Banking Financial Company
FDI
Foreign Direct Investment
FII
Foreign Institutional Investor
IPO
Initial Public Offering
NABARD
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
SIDBI
Small Industries Development Bank of India
NPS
National Pension System
PF
Provident Fund
ESI
Employees’ State Insurance
✅ Why These Abbreviations Matter?
Understanding these short forms not only helps in exam preparation but also enhances your general knowledge about the Indian defense and security framework. They are frequently asked in:
Competitive exams like CDS, NDA, AFCAT, CAPF, SSC CPO, State Police Exams
Interviews for defense and paramilitary services
Group discussions and personal interviews (GD/PI) in SSB
🇮🇳 Major Indian Government Organizations
Short Name
Full Name
Domain
ISRO
Indian Space Research Organisation
Space research and satellite technology
DRDO
Defence Research and Development Organisation
Military R&D and defense technologies
BEL
Bharat Electronics Limited
Defense electronics and systems
BHEL
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
Power generation and industrial systems
HAL
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Aircraft and aerospace manufacturing
NAL
National Aerospace Laboratories
Civil aviation R&D
ITI
Indian Telephone Industries Limited
Telecom and defense communication
IISc
Indian Institute of Science
Advanced scientific and engineering research
NCBS
National Centre for Biological Sciences
Biological and life sciences research
UAS
University of Agricultural Sciences
Agricultural education and research
🔹 List of Civil Services Offered Through UPSC CSE:
Candidates selected through UPSC CSE can be appointed to the following All India Services, Group A, and Group B services:
✅ All India Services
IAS – Indian Administrative Service
IPS – Indian Police Service
IFoS – Indian Forest Service (separate prelims exam)
✅ Group A Services
IFS – Indian Foreign Service
IRS (IT) – Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax)
IRS (C&CE) – Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise)
IAAS – Indian Audit and Accounts Service
ICAS – Indian Civil Accounts Service
IDAS – Indian Defence Accounts Service
IES – Indian Economic Service
IIS – Indian Information Service
IRTS – Indian Railway Traffic Service
IRAS – Indian Railway Accounts Service
IRPS – Indian Railway Personnel Service
IPoS – Indian Postal Service
DANICS – Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service
DANIPS – Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service
CAPF – Central Armed Police Forces (through a separate UPSC exam)
✅ Group B Services
Pondicherry Civil Service
Pondicherry Police Service
Various other state-level and union territory-level services
Summary Table
Term
Full Form
Description
UPSC
Union Public Service Commission
Conducts various exams including Civil Services
IAS
Indian Administrative Service
Top-ranked civil service in India
CSE
Civil Services Examination
The exam to recruit for IAS, IPS, IFS, and other services
📚 Final Thoughts
Being well-versed with these abbreviations is a key part of your preparation for a career in defense or police services. Bookmark this list and revise regularly to stay ahead in your journey to serve the nation.
