Top Military Academies’ in India: When we talk about Military Academies in the world, they play a vital and crucial role in shaping the future of defense, these Academies provide complete defense-based knowledge to the Cadets and develop a standard of self-discipline. It is believed that Military Academies make men out of boys.
So if a candidate wants to join Indian Army, Indian Airforce, or Indian Navy then they must have to undergo these Training centers because these Military Academies not only train the cadets but also make a sense of brotherhood and leadership qualities in cadets.
In this blog, we are going to take a look at the Top 10 Military Academies’ in India and will try to extract the maximum related information. Here is the list of the Top 10 Military Academies’ in India:
National Defence Academy (NDA)
NDA is the joint defense training center of the Indian Armed Forces where cadets of the Indian Army, Indian Airforce, and Indian Navy are trained together in this academy. NDA is Located in Khadakwasla, Pune India.
NDA Khadakwasla is the first tri-service academy in the world and is well-known for its reputation and legacy of producing India’s Bravehearts Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, He was part of Oscar Squadron of NDA he graduated from the 94th course of the NDA, he served a crucial role in 26/11 Mumbai Taj Hotel Attack.
For Selection in NDA, Applicants have to appear in the Union Public Service Commission of India (UPSC) entrance exam which is conducted twice a year then after qualifying for the exam the students are called for an interview conducted by the Service Selection Board (SSB). About 9 lakh candidates appear for the UPSC exam out of which only 6,000 are called and 300-350 candidates are only recommended.
NDA includes rigorous training and a broad curriculum that offers an Undergraduate program. Candidates are offered Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), and Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) programs. After the completion of the training passing out parade is held for the graduated candidates.
Indian Military Academy (IMA)
Indian Military Academy or the IMA is one of the oldest Military Academies located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand in India. It was established in 1932 by Field Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode. Initially, it had only 40 classes but currently, it serves 1600+ male cadets. Once the candidates complete their training period they are commissioned as Lieutenant in Indian Army. The Main Motto of the Indian Military Academies is “Veerta aur Vivek“- Veerta means Valour whereas Vivek means Wisdom. It has an estimated area of about 1400 acres (5 Sq.km).
Candidates in IMA undergo rigorous training which aims to enhance their physical fitness, mental agility, leadership skills, and military knowledge. The training program encompasses academic instruction, physical training, field exercises, weapons training, and character development. Candidates are encouraged to indulge themselves in group sports activities like football, cricket, polo, volleyball, and boxing.
The selection process for the candidates for choosing IMA involves basic three steps-
- By Appearing in a written exam conducted by UPSC.
- Candidates must have to appear and pass in Medical test.
- After passing the exam and medical test candidates are called for Personal Interviews.
- Through Technical Graduate course.
- Through CDSE
Notable Alumni who have passed out from IMA are India’s First Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, and the Param Veer chakra recipient Somnath Sharma, Captain Vikram Batra, Lieutenant Colonel Hoshiar Singh, and Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria. IMA also awards other honorable Awards such as Ashoka Chakra, Mahavir Chakra, and Kirti Chakra.
Air Force Academy (AFA)
Air Force Academy of India was established in 1969 and it is located in Medchal-Malkajgiri district of Hyderabad. AFA was established in order to train the Air Force cadets and imparts the knowledge of flying, and technical duty branches of the Air Force of India. AFA was first operational in 1971 and the foundation stone was laid down by that time President of India Dr. Zakir Hussain. AFA aims to cultivate the feeling of togetherness and integrity between the cadets and work for their Motto- “Shram se Siddhi” which means Achievement through diligence and hard work
In this Air Force Academy Candidates are given the knowledge of Aviation and are trained to fly fighter aircraft through various successive stages further serving as the frontline warrior dealing with the most advanced fighter aircraft like Rafale, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mig-29, so more during the combat situation with the enemy.
Apart from the flying training and aviation candidates are also trained with de-sanitization which basically means overcoming the airsickness with the help of Yoga.
Talking about the selection process the age limit to become an Airforce officer is 20-24 years and you are required to have 50% marks in Maths and Physics and should pass the 10+2 graduation with at least 60% marks.
Naval Academy (NAVAC)
Indian Naval Academy is the defense naval academy that was established in 1969 at Kochi with commander L-Ramdas and is located between the two hills- Ezhimala Hill and the Kavvayi backwaters, Kerala. The main motive of the Naval Academy is to train the officers to protect the maritime and the coast guards on the Indian Border with neighboring countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Maldives.
Indian Naval Academy is the largest Academy in Asia and the third largest in the whole world which shares an area of 2400 acre (approx 10 Sq.km).
Candidates who are potentially determined to achieve their goals apply for NDA/NA exam after qualifying for the exam are called for a personal interview and medical /Fitness test. Candidates can also apply through 10+2 Navy Tech Entry. The first batch of the Naval Tech Scheme was passed out in May 1990.
Offiers Training Centre (OTA)
Officers Training Centre (OTA) is the training Academy that is highly ranked among the top Military Academies in India whose motive is to train officers for the Short Service Commission (SSC). It was established in 1963 and is located in Alandur near Chennai. The Main Motto of the Officers Training Academy is- “Serve with Honour“. In 2011 a new OTA Academy was established in Gaya. OTA Alandur has an area of 750 acres (3 sq. km) whereas the size of the OTA Gaya is 870 acres.
OTA Chennai
OTA Chennai was the first training and Military Academies in India which focus on personality building, physical, mental, and moral training. OTA Chennai is located near Chennai. The need of establishing the OTA was felt in 1962 during the Sino-Indian War and it was inaugurated on 15 January 1963 by Brigadier Ram Singh. Training at OTA is considered the second toughest military training for physical and mental endurance. OTA consists of two battalions in which cadets are divided- Ranjith Singh battalion and Shivaji battalion.
Ranjith Singh battalions consist of three companies –
- Kohima
- Jessami
- Phillora
Shivaji also consists of three companies-
- Meiktila
- Naushera
- Zojila.
OTA Gaya
OTA is the second Military training academy after OTA Chennai. It was established in 2011 and it is located in the hilly terrain of Paharpur at Gaya and is spread over 870 acres. The Academy is just adjacent to Gaya railway station. OTA Gaya offers the Candidates for Permanent Commission (PC) whereas OTA Chennai offers the Candidates for Short Service Commission (SSC). Candidates can be shortlisted based on TES. The motto of the OTA Gaya is – “Shaurya, Gyan, and Sankalp”.
The academy has been equipped with state-of-the-art training facilities, with other pre-commissioning training institutions. The first batch includes 149 trainees who went under training during the period of 2011-2012.
Indian Coast Guard Academy (ICGA)
Indian Coast Guard Academy (ICGA) was established following the Mumbai Attack in 2008. It is located in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. Indian Coast Guard personnel were previously trained at Indian Naval Academy. It is spread over an area of 160 acres the is approximately 0.65sq.km.
All the manpower of the service; officers and enrolled personnel are professionally trained in their respective domains. The Motto – “We shall Protect” signify the importance of the Indian Coast Guard for the safeguarding of the country’s coastline border sharing with other countries.
The training period of the trainees long last for 22 weeks. It is common for all officers including General Duty(GD), Pilot Navigator (P/N), Short Service Appointment (SSA), and Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) entry- gentlemen and women and Technical Officers.
So these were the list of the Top Military Academies in India that are serving in shaping India’s future of defense aspirants and training programs. We hope that this blog would have given you a gist of knowledge about the military academies.
Thank You!!
