NDA, India’s best defence institution, completes 75 years of march to glory

NDA, the cradle of Indian military leadership, has given to the nation 40 service chiefs of staff.

Pune: May 1945. The dust of World War 2 has started to settle and the theatres of conflict stare at a tall transition after six years of bloodshed. But closer home, a then colonial India, on the cusp of freedom, is negotiating at a separate challenge – fortifying its nascent defence forces and training young cadets of the three services.

A high-powered committee that month got to work on sketching out a British proposal to integrate India’s defence services. The discussions gave birth to the inimitable National Defence Academy (NDA), which turns 75 on Tuesday and has for decades been the cradle of the country’s military brass and a bulwark of its defence forces.

The committee transformed the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun in 1946, naming it the Armed Forces Academy and splitting it into two wings — the “Inter-Services Wing” (later known as the Joint Services Wing) and the “Military Wing”.

Eventually, the joint-training for all three services began in the Inter-Services Wing in January 1949, working out of Dehradun for exactly six years, before moving to the current NDA in Khadakwasla, near Pune, on the same day in 1955.

To be sure, though NDA operated out of Dehradun for six years and has been based out of the Khadakwasla complex for 69 years, the army is considering January 16, 1949 as the institution’s foundation day.

Congratulating the academy’s staff and alumni, Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, commandant, NDA, said, “The illustrious National Defence Academy has completed its 75 glorious years of service to the nation on January 16, 2024. I convey my heartfelt wishes to the staff and alumni of the prestigious institute on this historic moment. To commemorate the milestone, a series of activities in the arena of sports, adventure, academia and ceremonial domains have been conducted over the last one year.”

In its seven-and-half decades, NDA has churned out over 42,000 officers for the Indian armed forces and about 1,000 officers for friendly foreign countries.

Its alumni have been conferred with the nation’s highest gallantry awards, both during peace and wartime. NDA also holds the distinction of having trained the chiefs of three services respectively from the same batch three times — 1991, 2020, and 2023.

Indeed, all of India’s three incumbent service chiefs – General Manoj Pande, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari and Admiral Hari Kumar – walked out of NDA’s distinguished corridors.The nation’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, who died in a helicopter crash on December 8, 2021, was also an alumnus of NDA. In all, NDA has given India 40 service chiefs — 14 of the Indian Army, and 13 each of the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.

The sprawling Khadakwasla complex, spread over 6,780 acres, was chosen in 1947 for its space and potential to serve as a combined warfare school for allied troops.

Then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone of the academy on October 6, 1949, even as operations continued out of Dehradun. The institution near Pune was inaugurated on January 16, 1955 by Morarji Desai, who was chief minister of Bombay State at the time.

Cadets who have walked out of the academy’s hallowed halls have played crucial parts in the battles and wars India has fought since Independence.

“Over the years, the institution has produced stalwarts who have selflessly dedicated their lives to the service of our nation. The academy continues to train young boys, and now girls also, not only in aspects of prosecution of war, but also in diverse fields that make them excel at the national and international level,” said Kochhar.

The institute last year also marked a milestone moment, as the first batch of woman cadets participated in the passing out parade (PoP), reviewed by President Droupadi Murmu on December 31 last year.

The 19 female cadets admitted in the first batch tri-service training institution during June 2022 are being trained in “gender neutral” manner alongside their male counterparts. The current batch is part of the 148th course, slated to graduate in May 2025.

Kochhar said NDA has moved in lockstep with the evolution of warfare over the years, embedding technology in its welfare programmes.

“We have adapted to the changing dynamics of warfare, embraced technology, and redefined our training methodologies to ensure our cadets are equipped to face the challenges of the modern world. Looking ahead, the NDA will continue to strive for excellence and innovation and our cadets will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to tackle the complex security threats that our nation and the world is likely to face,” he said.

Rear admiral SK Grewal (retd), former deputy commandant of NDA, said the institute has evolved with churning global military scenarios.

“It was supposed to be the commissioning academy and later transformed into a top-most military foundational training academy. Earlier, students used to come after matriculation, but now they join after Class 12. The academic training is on par with top technical training institutions in the country. It has been the most sought-after academy which shapes up the value system in cadets based on strong ethics and team leadership,” he said.

“The academy has produced thousands of bravehearts who have fearlessly led their team in the most demanding situations in both war and peace with unparalleled success, thanks to the knowledge, values, camaraderie and motivation imbibed during three years of one of the most gruelling training schedules possible…NDA is truly one of the jewels of our nation of which every Indian can be justifiably proud,” said Lt Gen Sanjeev Kanal (retd), who also graduated from the academy.

Par excellence

The NDA has produced 40 service chiefs of staff, including the incumbent chiefs of staff of Army, Navy and Air Force, besides the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff.

NDA not only provides joint military training, but also offers contemporary education

It is recognised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, for the award of BA/BSc/BSc (Computer Science) for Army cadets and BTech degree for Navy and Air Force cadets.

Awards

Three of its alumni have been honoured with Param Vir Chakra, 12 with the Ashok Chakra, the nation’s highest awards for gallantry in war and peace respectively.

The other gallantry awards of the alumni include 32 Maha Vir Chakras, 45 Kirti Chakras, 163 Vir Chakras and 152 Shourya Chakras.

Sources: NDA website and interaction with Indian defence staff

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