Inside MARCOS Training: Praveen Teotia On Hell Week And Mental Strength

Inside MARCOS Training: Praveen Kumar Teotia On Screening, Hell Week And Why Giving Up Is The Only Failure

"Whoever gives up is not fit to become a MARCOS."

On the Accompany Akki podcast, former MARCOS commando and Shaurya Chakra awardee Praveen Kumar Teotia spoke with host Akash Kumar about how India's naval special forces are selected and trained, the brutal Hell Week, his time in Kashmir, and why India needs to rethink who it calls a hero.

What is MARCOS?

MARCOS is the special forces unit of the Indian Navy. Praveen Teotia calls it the deadliest force in India. "There is no one above MARCOS in India," he said. Globally, he believes it ranks around second or third, alongside forces like the US Navy SEALs and the UK's SAS.

Why are naval special forces so tough?

Because they operate in three dimensions: land, air and water.

According to Teotia:

• MARCOS must be qualified divers, which other special forces often aren't.
• Their fitness is assessed by specialists in marine medicine, with health reviewed every year.
• MARCOS must complete around 150 to 200 hours of diving every year.
• Para SF units, by comparison, need two to four parachute jumps a year to stay qualified.

How he decided to become a MARCOS

Teotia joined the Navy and worked as a survey recorder on a ship from 2003 to 2005. One day, a MARCOS commando reported on board, wearing a maroon cap and badges. Teotia asked him about the force, how they train and what operations they do.

"I got passionate," he said. "I thought, this is my line. What am I doing on this ship?"

The next day, they ran together and did the battle obstacle course. The commando was surprised and asked him why he was still on a ship.

"Your surroundings matter," Teotia said. "You become like the people around you."

How do you get into MARCOS?

1. Take permission to apply.
2. Clear an aptitude test.
3. Join a course where around 120 to 140 people gather.
4. Survive a two-week screening.
5. Complete ship diving or clearance diving.
6. Go through a separate two-week MARCOS screening.

How many MARCOS are trained each year?

• Today, around 30 to 35 people per batch
• Two batches a year, so roughly 60 to 70 new commandos annually
• In earlier years, there was no fixed number. Whoever survived was selected.

Injuries are the biggest reason people drop out. Once injured, it's very hard to return to the course.

What happens in MARCOS screening?

"In screening, the job is to break you," Teotia said.

Candidates carry weight throughout:

• A pitthu (backpack) of about 5 kg
• A water bottle
• A rifle that stays with them all day

They switch from cushioned sports shoes to jungle boots with no cushioning, which makes injuries more common. Everything, including running and physical training, happens in those boots.

The tests:

• Push-ups: do 100, then do another 100. Do 20, then 20 more, then 20 more.
• Rope climbing and pull-ups: keep climbing even when your arms are injured.
• Battle obstacle course: climb a 6-foot wall, then climb it again, and again.
• Endurance holds: stand in one position for four or five hours, or hang on a rope.

What instructors are really testing

The goal isn't to see how many push-ups you can do. It's to see what happens after you've reached your limit.

"Your body won't work then," Teotia said. "What works is your mental strength."

Instructors watch closely and take notes. When pressure builds, the first fear is being thrown out of the course. That's exactly what they're testing. "It doesn't matter how far you climbed. What matters is that you hung on the rope."

Candidates must keep saying: "I can do it. I will do it."

Of around 40 people who start, only 15 to 20 usually make it.

Special forces soldiers are average people

One surprising insight: most special forces soldiers worldwide aren't Olympic athletes.

"They're all average," Teotia said. "None of them is an Olympian shooter or sprinter. It's all mental."

What is MARCOS Hell Week?

Hell Week is the ultimate test. It lasts about 80 hours, with almost no sleep.

It tests:

• Physical endurance
• Mental ability
• Psychology
• Emotions

It's so extreme, he said, that people get hospitalised, get dehydrated or develop fevers. He said deaths have also happened in extreme training.

What happens to your brain without sleep

Before Hell Week begins, candidates are kept busy until midnight, woken at 2 am, and then pushed for around 80 hours.

By his estimate, after about 40 hours your brain effectively switches off. You can no longer form new thoughts. You only follow pre-given orders or the commands you're receiving at that moment.

Why MARCOS train for sleep deprivation

Missions may demand long hours without sleep. And a commando might be captured as a prisoner of war.

"The first slap, you feel it. After that, you shouldn't even know how many you're getting," he said. The training ensures soldiers don't break and reveal secrets.

Take care of yourself first

Teotia was clear that pushing through doesn't mean ignoring your health. "If you can't take care of yourself, how will you take care of the country?" he said. If you get dehydrated, it's because you didn't drink enough water. Endurance includes knowing your body's limits.

After training: the real test

Surprisingly, Teotia says training is the easier part. Once you graduate, you join a unit as staff, work in teams of different ranks, and learn from experienced members.

In real operations:

• Food doesn't come on time.
• You live on MREs (meals ready to eat).
• You might spend three days in a jungle or sitting in snow.

"After that, Hell Week feels easy," he said.

MARCOS in Kashmir

Teotia served about seven months in Kashmir, in areas around Bandipora and Sopore. MARCOS have a key role at Wular Lake, where they spend nights watching for infiltration routes used by terrorists.

He described night patrols in sensitive areas, climbing hills with a pitthu, never knowing where a bullet might come from. Soldiers also learn local languages, including Urdu and some Kashmiri, for operations in the region.

His medals

• Shaurya Chakra
• Op Rakshak medal (Kashmir)
• Nine-year service medal
• Clearance diver badge
• MARCOS badge
• Ironman medal

Running Khardungla with one lung

In 2017, Teotia completed the 72 km Khardungla Challenge in Ladakh, despite having only one lung. "If you want, everything is possible," he said.

Who are India's real heroes?

Teotia spoke strongly about how India celebrates cricketers and film stars far more than soldiers.

Cricketers hit a six and money pours in, he said. Soldiers take bullets, and few even know their names. He was frustrated that people prefer to be photographed with cricketers rather than wounded soldiers.

"First, start being proud of your soldiers," he said. "Often, films get made after a soldier dies. While alive, they don't get respect."

His advice to India's youth

• Believe in yourself.
• Start your day with exercise and a run. "If you want to know yourself, you have to run."
• Know your own capability before judging others.
• Healthy living is the biggest patriotism. Staying healthy saves you from ICU and hospital bills.

"A healthy thought only comes from a healthy body," he said.

Key takeaways

• MARCOS selection is designed to break candidates mentally.
• Giving up, not failing, is what disqualifies you.
• Hell Week involves about 80 hours with almost no sleep.
• Most special forces soldiers are average people with extraordinary mental strength.
• Real operations are harder than training.
• Respect soldiers while they're alive.
• Staying healthy is a form of patriotism.

Watch the full episode: 

 

Join the Accompany Akki WhatsApp channel: https://wa.openinapp.co/a46ji

Could you push yourself after reaching your limit?