National Defence Academy (India)
The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defence service training institute of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force train together before they go on to their respective service academy for further pre-commission training. The NDA is located in Khadakwasla, Pune, Maharashtra. It is the first tri-service academy in the world.
NDA logo on the Sudan building of the campus | |
| Motto | Sēvā paramō dharma |
|---|---|
Motto in English | Service Before Self |
| Type | Defence Service training institute |
| Established | 7 December 1949 |
| Commandant | Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, AVSM, NM |
| Location | Khadakwasla, Pune , Maharashtra , India 18°25′20″N 73°45′55″E |
| Campus | 7,015 acres (28.39 km2) |
| Colors | Maroon |
| Affiliations | Ministry of Defence |
| Website | nda.nic.in |
The alumni of NDA include 3 Param Vir Chakra recipients and 12 Ashoka Chakra recipients. NDA has also produced 27 service Chiefs of Staff till date. The current Chiefs of Staff of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force are all NDA alumni from the same course. The 145th course graduated on 30 November 2023, consisting of 188 Army cadets, 38 Naval cadets, 37 Air Force cadets and 20 cadets from friendly foreign countries. The Supreme Court of India passed an order in August 2021 that allowed female candidates to appear for the all upcoming NDA entrance examination.