Brief About the Life of an NDA Cadet

Are you aspiring to join the army wing of the National Defence Academy? If yes, then you must have already read a lot about the Indian army and know a lot about the life of a soldier in the National Defence Academy. It is an extraordinary way of life that only chosen ones can endure.  From the outside we see dashing, disciplined, chivalrous, and courageous cadets being conditioned to be competent in protecting the nation. The academy is known to train every individual who enters the academy and swears to guard the nation in a way that they become both bodily and mentally capable of saving the sovereignty and integrity of the motherland.

Every year, NDA selects candidates based on their aptitude, attitude, and fitness. The Union Public Services Commission is responsible for organizing the NDA examination twice a year. Till August 2021, the National Defence Academy was recognized to produce men of steel but now even females will be eligible for joining NDA. This decision will not only bring a phenomenal change in the working of defense forces but also strengthen it even more. 

Find out the upcoming UPSC NDA exam dates and plan your preparation for each stage in the selection process accordingly. Similar to US army where soldiers get perks like the Army webmail, NDA also offers certain benefits to the cadets who eventually make it to the grandest

Life of a Cadet in National Defence Academy 

From the points mentioned below, we will try to describe the life of a cadet studying in one of the most prestigious defense institutes in the world in quick to read points. 

• Soon after being received and brought to the campus, cadets are supposed to behave and dress according to the standards set by the academy.
• The academy believes that your demeanor says a lot about your discipline. The first thing you receive is a haircut that is known as the crew cut or the academy signature cut. The haircut is also a way to maintain uniformity.
• Afterward, cadets are divided into squadrons which eventually become their home until their term in the academy. There are in total 18 squadrons divided into 5 battalions.
• Each cadet gets a room of their own, appropriate uniforms, a bicycle to travel within the academy, and an academy number that stays with them until the end of training at the academy.
• Each cadet is allotted with an overstudy who is a senior to coach them at all times in the academy.
• Every year there is an inter squadron championship in which cadets have to display their leadership and comradeship. The winning squadron gets to keep the champion banner for a term. 
• The championships end with cadets swinging to the tunes of the military band, prize distribution, a delicious dinner night, and surprisingly a ball dance.
• The day starts differently in the academy, here nothing is cozy and calm, soldiers wake up to the sound of a morning call, and get ready for a day where the instructions are hard but have to be willingly followed. 
• Around noon cadets can be seen paddling around Salaria Square. Followed by a time-out session spent under the watchful eyes of directors and senior cadets.
• The evenings are all about physical training, where cadets have to compulsorily engage in official and unofficial physical training designed to make every muscle in the body steel.
• After the day-long hustle, cadets retrieve to their room and sleep before the clock strikes ten.
• For the first two years, all the cadets are trained together, in the third year they study for the service they have opted for.

Find out the UPSC NDA answer keys to assess your performance before the results now.