The National Defence Academy is a premier Inter Service training institution where future officers of Armed Forces are trained. The training involves an exacting schedule of 3 years before the cadets join their respective Service Academies, viz. Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy and Air Force Academy.The history of soldiering in India goes back to the medieval ages when India defended its western borders against attacks from the West. The names of Porus and Chandra Gupta Maurya immediately come to mind, who gave Alexander the great, his first taste of tough resistance and defeat. The history of present day Army can be traced back to the days of East India Company when the Presidency armies, namely the Bombay,Madras and Bengal Presidencies started recruiting Indian troops. However, it was not until 1918, when a Cadet College was started at Indore to train Indians for officers cadre in the Army.
Next step towards Indianisation of officers cadre in the Army was setting up of Indian Military Academy (IMA) at Dehra Dun in 1932. After the experiences of World War II, the need was felt for an Inter Services Academy where future officers of the three services could be trained together. A Committee was setup on 02 May 1945 to plan a National War Academy on the lines of Sandhurst Military Academy in England.The Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr Amarnath Jha, Vice Chancellor of Allahabad University, toured various Military, Naval and Air Force Academies in UK, USA and Canada.It was on 15 Dec 1948 that under the leadership of Colonel Kamta Prasad, the Joint Services Wing (JSW) was set up at Clement Town, Dehra Dun. On 01 Jan 1950, the Academy was renamed NATIONAL DEFENCE ACADEMY (NDA). In Dec 1954, the NDA shifted to Khadakwasla (Poona) under the guidance of then Commandant, Maj Gen Enayat Habibullah.
All the cadets joining the NDA after their 10+2 Examination, are trained in the Academy for three years culminating into graduation in B.A/B.Sc. or B. Sc.(Computer Science) degree of Jawaharlal Nehru University. Apart from academic training they are also trained in outdoor skills, like Drill, PT and games. The emphasis in NDA is on character building, esprit-de-corps, mental and physical robustness,
leadership and a sense of keen observation. NDA has an excellent infrastructure for all-round training of cadets. Vast array of facilities like spacious and well maintained classrooms, well equipped labs, two Olympic size swimming pools, a Gymnasium, 32 football grounds, polo grounds, a cricket stadium and a number of squash and tennis courts. The academic year is divided into two terms, viz. Spring Term (January to May ) and Autumn Term (July to December). Here a cadet has to undergo training for a total of six terms before he passes out from NDA.
The moment a cadet reports to the Academy, he is allotted to one of the 15 Squadrons, which then becomes his home for the next three years. The Squadrons are named as Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hunter, India, Juliet,Kilo, Lima, Mike, November and Oscar. These squadrons constitute the four Battalions at the Academy. No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 Battalions have four squadrons each while No. 4 has only 3 squadrons. Each squadron has approximately 100 to 120 cadets drawn from senior as well as junior courses under training in the Academy. Each Battalions commanded by a Colonel or equivalent while each squadron is commanded by a Major or Equivalent. In addition each squadron has four officers of the rank of Capt or equivalent posted as Divisional Officers.
The Academic faculty is headed by the Principal who exercises command through the HsOD. The Academy has approximately 200 civilian and service instructors to teach the above subjects. The ratio of teacher to student in the Academy is 1:20, which is one of the best in the country. The cadets undergo a total of 2904 contact periods for academic subjects. Apart from this, cadets are also given extra coaching on a regular basis in the subject they are found weak.
A career as an officer in the armed forces demands a very high standard of physical fitness. A new entrant to the Academy is generally an happy-to-lucky young man, without any exposure to the rigors of soldiering. He is slowly but surely transformed into an ever-vigilant man of tremendous physical strength and stamina. This is achieved through scientifically designed physical training exercises,which help in all round physical development of the cadet.Sports and games are given prime importance in the NDA. 
Facilities exist for all major games including Hockey, Football, Boxing, Cricket, Handball, Basket Ball, Volley Ball, Squash, Tennis, Rowing, Yachting, and Sailing. The academy houses two Olympic size swimming pools and a well furnished gymnasium.Physical training and sports are the responsibility of Physical Training Team which has NIS trained coaches and PT instructors to carry out its functions.The NDA cadets are expected to learn riding as well as animal management. Equitation Training Team is responsible for this aspects of training. The Team stables a number of fine horses to teach cadets riding, polo and show jumping. There is also a Veterinary Hospital to look after these horses
In their sixth term cadets are exposed to specialised service training and skills which they are required to learn in order to become commissioned officers in their respective service. This is the responsibility of respective training teams namely, Army Training Team, Naval Training Team and Air Forces Training Team.The specialised service training for Army Cadet is imparted by this Team. The senior Army Battalion Commander is also the Senior Instructor for the Army Training Team.
The cadets are taught section level tactics and basic operations of war, like patrolling, ambush and map reading.The specialised service training for Air Force Cadet is imparted by this Team. 
the senior Air Force Battalion Commander is the Senior Instructor for the Air Force Training Team. All Air Force cadets undergo practical training of gliding. AFTT is fully equipped to provide about 12 launches to each Airforce cadet before he joins the Air Force Academy.
The specialised service training for Naval Cadet is imparted by this Team. The senior Naval Battalion Commander is the Senior Instructor for the Naval Training Team. All Naval cadets undergo practical training of sailing at Peacock Bay, which is fully equipped to train naval cadets on all the aspects of Boat handling, Wind Surfing, Rowing and other related areas.
Cadets at NDA are also exposed to other facets of life through hobby clubs, which include Rock Climbing & Trekking, Nature Study, Music (Indian and Western, Photography, Arts, Model Making, Aero Modeling, Computers and many more to use their leisure fruitfully.
Cadets participate in cultural competitions and exhibitions and have won many laurels for NDA with their grit and talent. Talks and seminars by eminent personalities from Defence and Civil alike are organised for the benefit of cadets.Inter-Battalion Entertainment, Quiz Competitions, Debates, Music and Drmas from an integral part of the cultural panorama of cadets life at NDA.
A service officer's precision, cohesion and steadiness; alertness and sense of confidence; implicit obedience to orders; requisite spirit of pride and elegance; smart physical bearing and meticulous turn-out; all demanding sweating out in the parade ground. Discipline, endurance, honesty daring and devotion to duty are drilled, drummed and nurtured in the drill square.
Foot drill, sword drill, rifle drill, cane drill, ceremonial drill, colour parade Guard of Honour, the inter service character is maintained on the length and breadth of the parade ground. After three years' rushing, pushing, hurrying, worrying, tossing, swinging and swating on the parade ground the ordeal culminates in the grand finale -- passing out parade. 
The indispensable ordeal which begins with stress ends with the accompaniment of solemn melancholy strains of Burns' immortal lyric Auld lang Syne which has summed up for ever the sadness of all human partings. As the passing -out cadets march off in sixes in slow time across the parade ground, to pay their final compliment, upto the Quarter-Deck, the junior most cadets who man the mast burst into cheers for their departing seniors.