National Defence Academy in Pune

The National Defence Academy of India is located at Khadakwasla in Pune. It is a joint services academy where cadets of the three wings of Army, air force and Navy are trained together before they go for their pre-commission training to their respective academies. The academy was established in 1955. The NDA is the stepping-stone for a career in the Indian military services. The three-year essential course comprises all subjects for a University Degree and basic training of fundamental military sciences and, in the final year, field into the particular branch of the Indian military services that a cadet desires to join.

On 01 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 intense training at the JSW, Army cadets moved 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 07 December 1954, the temporary process halted with the commissioning of the National Defence Academy.

On victorious accomplishment of the three-year course, the cadet gets ahead of out with a University Degree and goes on to the training enterprise of the Service he has opted for. Army cadets go to the IMA at Dehra Dun, Air Force cadets to the ab-initio flying training establishments and the naval cadets for Midshipman training to the Training vessels.

Admittance to the NDA is conducted two times a year via an entrance examination, held every six months by the UPSC, and a multiple-round interview comprising of physcological and group testing followed by a thorough medical check up. All applicants must be below the age of 19 and have successfully passed the 12th Grade of schooling