"The philosophy of the NDA is to provide training to young men to familiarise them with the various facets of the three defence services by inculcating in them, the courage to be leaders and the spirit to perform as a team. "

Training at the National Defence Academy

Nurturing heroes for more than 50 years, the National Defence Academy is one of the foremost training institutes in India. While the efforts of the students and staff have contributed to its stature, it is also the philosophy of the Academy that has kept the spirit of the institute alive year after year.

The training curriculum at the Academy is largely divided into the following activities:

• Physical Training
  
• Service Subjects
  
• Academics

Physical Training
NDA lays special emphasis on physical training and related activities. The Physical Training programs are aimed at building stamina, endurance and agility of cadets. The Physical Training Team implements the programs with scientific techniques, in a phased and progressive manner.

Endurance and obstacle training are designed to augment the physical development of cadets. Drill, which is an important aspect of physical training, is aimed at inculcating in the cadets, smartness in gait and implicit obedience to orders. Equitation training is imparted to add to the overall mental and physical development of cadets.

Cadets are encouraged to play games that include football, hockey, basketball, volleyball, cricket, squash, tennis and boxing. To further enhance interest in sports and related activities there are a number of outdoor clubs that include activities like kayaking, rowing, cycling, trekking, golf, rifle shooting, pistol shooting, sailing and wind surfing.

Service Subjects
Cadets are taught Common Service Subjects in the first five semesters at the Academy. These subjects - historical evolution of the three services, material management, military technology and camp - expose them to important aspects of each of the three services. To further acquaint them with the life in the services, visits are made to the Army, Navy and Air Force units.

In the last semester at NDA, cadets are introduced to specialist service subjects. The Navy, Army and Air Force Training Teams impart training to the cadets for their respective services.

Vyas Library The NDA Central Library, shaped like an anchor, is known as the Vyas Library. It has over 75,000 titles to choose from. It also subscribes to over 55 Indian and 11 foreign magazines in addition to 8 newspapers. Within the reading room, a section is reserved for surfing the Internet and browsing through an updated collection of CD-ROMs.

Academics
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. On successful completion of the degree course, the cadets are awarded a bachelor's degree in Arts, Science and Computer Science by Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Based on their academic profile and performance in the classification test, the cadets have the option of joining the Science or Humanities streams. Computer Science is another important aspect of academics at NDA. The teaching of computer fundamentals was introduced as early as 1987. To achieve a well-rounded education all cadets are taught the fundamentals of cross-stream subjects. In addition to English, they are also required to learn Hindi and a foreign language.

Click here to know if you are eligible to join the NDA.