My aim is to join the Indian Army
I am a Std IX student. It has always been my aim to join the Indian Army. I would like to know about the NDA.
Puneet
The National Defence Academy, Pune (nda.nic.in) is a centre of excellence for military training. This prestigious inter-service institution conducts training for unmarried male citizens who wish to serve the defence services: Indian Army, Indian Navy or India Air Force.
Admission to NDA is through an entrance examination, conducted twice a year by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), New Delhi (upsc.gov.in). This examination consists of a written examination, interview, outdoor physical tests, psychological assessment and group tests. The candidate should be an unmarried male having passed 10+2. For joining the Air Force and Navy wings of the Armed Forces you need Mathematics and Physics at the 10+2 level.
The course of training is for three years. 68% of the training curriculum at the NDA is devoted to academics. The aim is to achieve excellence in academic pursuits without compromising on outdoor activities. Every cadet has to play some game, pass compulsory outdoor training tests, participate in competitive sports, including rifle firing, handball and yachting. On successful completion of the degree course, the cadets are awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Science or Computer Science by Jawaharlal Nehru University.
After completion of the course at the NDA/Naval Academy, Army cadets join the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, Navy cadets join a training ship, and Air Force cadets move on to the Air Force Training Academy in Hyderabad. These courses are 18 months long after which you are commissioned as an officer in the Indian Armed Forces.
Dr Vibha Gupta, a feature writer, is a Ph.D. in Mathematics from IIT Roorkee. Her book Careers: A Pathfinder and articles in various publications are an attempt to guide students in choosing a career according to their natural strengths, talents and skills.