National Defence Academy

The National Defence Academy is one of the most iconic institutions in the country, a brand of excellence in the sector of military education in the world. Over the time the institute has emerged as a unique military academy, attracting the brightest and the best of youth across our country as well as from our friendly foreign countries and aims at transforming them into officers and gentlemen.

The concept of such an Academygot conceived by the end of the Second World war when six years of fierce combat had emphatically highlighted the need for ‘Jointness/ togetherness’ in modern warfare. The NDA was a unique and pioneering concept that was far ahead of its time. Actually, so exciting the concept that many nations looked at it with great interest to see how it would shape out in practice.

NDA is an aniconic training institution and also, the center of excellence for grooming junior leaders for the country’s armed forces and armed forces of friendly Foreign nations. The training focus on empowering the cadets with mental, moral and physical attributes that are much needed to cope with the challenges of the future battle situation. The training also aims at leading troops to victory in both conventional and non-conventional as well as asymmetrical conflicts.

The syllabi include science, technology, arts and military subjects. The three-year course is divided into six terms, ideally. A cadet will be awarded with a Bachelor’s Degree from the JNU. The regimen includes physical conditioning which has horse riding, swimming, drill, full gamut of games and adventure activities. The entire course period of the Academy will transform a Cadet into a potential Officer and a gentleman.

After completing the three-year course successfully, Army cadets will be assigned to Indian Military Academy at Dehradun, Naval cadets for Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala and Air Force cadets will be sent to the Air Force Academy at Hyderabad. After completion of one year of sufficient training at their respective academies, the cadets are commissioned as Officers into their respective services.

Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, the first from India to travel to space, to be decorated with an Ashoka Chakra and declared as the hero of the Soviet Union upon returning from space is an esteemed alumnus of the 35th National Defence Academy batch. Serving in the elite Special Action Group of the National Security Guards, Sandip Unnikrishnan who as martyred in action during the Mumbai Attacks in 2008 November is a graduate of 94th Course NDA. Anuj Nayyar, the posthumous Mahavir Chakra recipient who showed exemplary valor in combat during the Kargil War operations in 1999 was from the 90th course NDA. Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, a Padma Shri and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awardee, an Olympics silver medalist in double trap, and a member of parliament, is a graduate of the 77th course of the National Defence Academy. Radhakrishnan Nair Harshan, the youngest ever receiver of Ashoka Chakra, posthumously, was a part of the 101st course, Golf Squadron at the NDA.