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National Defence Academy

As part of my military training for the Army I underwent 3 years of training at the National Defence Academy. In this section I provide some general information about the Academy and the procedure of joining it.

Introduction

The National Defence Academy is a premier Inter Service training institution where future officers of the Indian Armed Forces are trained. The training involves an exacting schedule of 3 years before the cadets join their respective Service Academies, viz. Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy and Air Force Academy.

Historical Background

The Indian Army has a long and rich history. It goes back to the medieval ages to the times of Porus and Chandra Gupta Maurya. The history of present day Army can be traced back to the days of East India Company when the Presidency armies, namely the Bombay, Madras and Bengal Presidencies started recruiting Indian troops. However, it was not until 1918, when a Cadet College was started at Indore to train Indians for officers cadre in the Army.

The Indian Military Academy (IMA) was setup at Dehra Dun in 1932 to train officers cadre of the Army. Post World War II, the need was felt for an Inter Services Academy where future officers of the three services could be trained together. A Committee was setup on 02nd May 1945 to plan a National War Academy on the lines of Sandhurst Military Academy in England. The Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. Amarnath Jha, Vice Chancellor of Allahabad University, toured various Military, Naval and Air Force Academies in UK, USA and Canada.

On 15^th Dec 1948 that under the leadership of Colonel Kamta Prasad, the Joint Services Wing (JSW) was set up at Clement Town, Dehra Dun. On 01^st Jan 1950, the Academy was renamed National Defence Academy (NDA). In Dec 1954, the NDA shifted to Khadakwasla (Poona) under the guidance of then Commandant, Maj Gen Enayat Habibullah. The 8,300 acre estate sprawling over the open on the left of the Mutha river (Khadakwasla Lake) was donated by Bombay State. The backbone of the Estate was the Dudhanvadi plateau. It is at a distance of approximately 25kms from Pune city.

Selection

XII Class/Equivalent passed, unmarried male candidates, age between 17 to 19 ¹/₂ years can join the NDA. The process of selecting cadets for the National Defence Academy is split into three phases :

1. A written examination held by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
   The form for this is available at the nearest General Post Office. These have be filled and sent to the UPSC. The candidate will then receive an Admit Card and also be allotted a unique roll number along with instructions regarding your examination. The examination is composed of two exams:
   1. Mathematics - 300 marks - 2 ¹/₂ hours
   2. General Ability Test (GAT) - 600 marks - 2 ¹/₂ hours
   The level of Mathematics is equivalent to Class XII

   GAT tests the candidate's knowledge of Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History, Geography, Current Affairs etc.

2. An interview by the Service Selection Board to assess a candidate's officer potentialities (Intelligence and personality test).
   On successfully clearing the written examination the candidate is called for interview at any of the various SSB centres. Here he can expect to stay for 2 days to a week or more depending on his result. Adequate facilities are provided for the same.
   First the candidates undergo a screening test. A majority (80-90% depending on various factors) are rejected at the this stage. After this over a period of a few days his various characteristics like leadership, team spirit, IQ, psychological fitness etc. are evaluated. Only clearing this evaluations, the candidate proceeds to the next stage.
3. A medical examination by a Service Medical Board.
   Various medical examinations are conducted to make sure that the candidate is totally fit for his future service. The standards required differ from service to service.

Training

Cadets joining the NDA are trained in the Academy for three years culminating into graduation in B.A/B.Sc. or B. Sc. (Computer Science) degree of Jawaharlal Nehru University. Along with their main opted subjects, cadets also learn cross-stream subjects. He is also taught a Foreign Language/Hindi, CSS (Common Service Subject), Computer Appreciation (irrespective of his stream), Engineering Drawing, Workshop, Automotive Engineering, Military History etc.

Apart from academic training they are also trained in outdoor skills, like Drill, PT, Swimming, Equitation and games. The emphasis in NDA is on character building, esprit-de-corps, mental and physical robustness, leadership and a sense of keen observation. NDA has an excellent infrastructure for all-round training of cadets. Vast array of facilities like spacious and well maintained classrooms, well equipped labs, two Olympic size swimming pools, a Gymnasium, 32 football grounds, polo grounds, a cricket stadium and a number of squash and tennis courts. The academic year is divided into two terms, viz. Spring Term (January to May ) and Autumn Term (July to December). Here a cadet has to undergo training for a total of six terms before he passes out from NDA.

Every cadet is allotted to one of the 15 Squadrons, which then becomes his home for the next three years. The Squadrons are named as Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hunter, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November and Oscar. These squadrons constitute the four Battalions at the Academy. No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 Battalions have four squadrons each while No. 4 has only 3 squadrons. Each squadron has approximately 100 to 120 cadets drawn from senior as well as junior courses under training in the Academy. Each Battalions commanded by a Colonel or equivalent while each squadron is commanded by a Major or Equivalent. In addition each squadron has four officers of the rank of Capt or equivalent posted as Divisional Officers.

In the sixth term cadets are exposed to specialised service training and skills required latter in their respective service. This is done by Army Training Team, Naval Training Team and Air Forces Training Team. The Army cadets are taught weapons handling, section level tactics and basic operations of war, like patrolling, ambush and map reading. Naval cadets learn navigation and undergo practical training of sailing at Peacock Bay. The Air Force cadets learn principles of flight and related topics. They also gain practical knowledge by flying Super Dimona single engined training aircrafts.

Also, periodic visits are conducted to various military establishments like Artillery School (Deolali), Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACCS) & Mechanized Infantry Regimental Centre (MIRC) at Ahmednagar, Naval Dockyard (Mumbai), Commando School (Belgaum), Air Force base Lohegaon etc.

Related links

Official NDA website
My NDA e-Album