National Defence Academy (India)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=National Defence Academy


caption=Cap Badge of the National Defence Academy
dates=1954-Present
country=India
branch=Indian Military
command_structure=
type=National Military Academy
role=Officer Training
size=15 Squadrons (Alpha to Oscar), Organised into 4 Battalions (1 to 4)
current_commander=
garrison=Khadakwasla, Pune
ceremonial_chief=
ceremonial_chief_label=Colonel in Chief
colonel_of_the_regiment= Air Marshal TS Randhawa, VM
colonel_of_the_regiment_label=Commandant
nickname=
motto="Service before Self"
colors=
colors_label=Colours
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=Arm Badge
anniversaries=
website=http://www.nda.nic.in www.nda.nic.in

The National Defence Academy of India located in Khadakwasla, Pune, is a joint services academy where cadets of the three wings Army, Navy and Air Force are trained together before they go for their pre-commission training to their respective academies. It covers an area of roughly 8300 acres.

History

A committee headed by Field Marshal David E. Cross, after extensive studying of various Military academies around the world, submitted its recommendations to the Government in December 1946. After independence of India in August 1947, this report was referred to the Chiefs of Staff Committee. Their suggestion for the formation of an interim Junior Inter Services Wing at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun was then implemented. A simultaneous action plan to commission a permanent war academy at Khadakwasla, Pune was also commenced and the foundation stone was laid by the first Prime Minister of India,Pt Jawaharlal Nehru on 6 October 1949.

On 1 January 1949, the Armed Forces Academy having its Military wing, now called the Indian Military Academy and the Joint Services Wing were commissioned. After two years of training at the JSW, Army cadets went on to the Military wing for a further two-year pre-commission training. The Naval and the Air force cadets were sent to Dartmouth and Cranwell in UK for advanced training. On 7 December 1954, the interim process crystallised with the commissioning of the National Defence Academy. Formal inauguration of the Academy took place on 16 January 1955.

**See the NDA film, 'The Standard Bearers' by Dipti Bhalla & Kunal Verma.

Course

The NDA is one way of building a strong foundation for a career in the Indian military services. The academy moulds out the young pliable minds into men, who lead their men by example. The academic part of the three-year course includes all subjects typical of a University Degree (B.Sc.,B.A.,B.Sc.Comp Sc.) and more importantly, basic training of fundamental military sciences. In the first two years, all cadets are trained on the tri-services and in the final year,the cadet is further trained on the service (Army, Air Force or Navy)that he was selected for. Cadets are trained for overall development, right from academic training, military strategies, outdoor activities like para gliding, sailing, horsemanship, rock climbing, etc. to physical training, firing and other such activities.

On successful completion of the three-year course, the cadet is given a University Degree (affiliated to the JNU, New Delhi) and goes on to the training establishments of the Service he has opted for. Army cadets go to the IMA at Dehra Dun, Air Force cadets to the Air Force Academy at Hyderabad. The Naval cadets complete their training at the Naval Academy in Goa and no longer attend NDA, even though the entrance exam is the same for the three branches. Navy has the least number of vacancies (about 40) followed by Airforce (about 50), while the rest of the 300 odd seats are for the Army. Indian Army is the biggest and the oldest of the three branches of Indian Defence Services.

Admission

Admission to the NDA is conducted twice a year via an entrance examination held every six months by the UPSC, and a multiple-round interview including psychology tests and group tasks conducted by SSB (Service Selection Board). In addition, candidates applying for the Airforce also go through a Pilot Aptitude Battery Test. Selected candidates are sent for a thorough Medical check up. Based on final list of candidates, a merit list is prepared and those ranking high enough to match the vacancies for that term get the call letter for joining the Academy. Typically the top 1500 candidates from the written are invited for interview and psychology tests, out of which about 300-350 enter the academy. More than 100,000 people take the written exam every 6 months.

External links

* [http://www.nda.nic.in Official website]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKg--0KnB5w Video of passing out parade @ Youtube.com]
* [http://www.nda.nic.in/wallpaper.htm Wallpaper images]
* [http://www.nda.nic.in/downloads.htm video]
* [http://www.mod.nic.in/samachar/july1-06/image_n/22a.gifImage of a Parade]

ee also

*Military academies in India