Pune: About 250 cadets, including 14 foreigners, are likely to graduate from the 133rd course at the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, later this month.
NDA, the cradle of military leadership, is one of the finest tri-services institutes in the world and is best in terms of infrastructure, size, capacity and quality of training. Here, rigorous training, inclusive of both physical and mental exercises, transform the cadets into the excellent young warriors. NDA promotes a spirit of jointmanship in thought, word and deed. Jointmanship will form the bedrock of future operations, as no single service can decisively win a war on its own. The cadets who graduate at NDA will join their respective finishing schools of Army, Navy and Air Force, for one more year, before they get commissioned into the services.
A Passing-Out-Parade (POP) is the most spectacular among the end-of-term events at the NDA and will be held to mark the occasion which will be attended by family members of the cadets, service personnel and local residents who are invited.
The NDA sends personalised invitation cards with each cadet's photograph to their parents. The academy has entered into an MoU with reputed hotels at concessional rates for parents' stay. Pick up from these hotels to the academy and back is provided for the POP and allied functions. A parents' reception cell is set up at the railway station and the airport for receiving the parents. Service transport is provided for conveying the parents from railway station and airport to these hotels. Parents have exclusive seating arrangements for all end-of-term activities. Two meals and refreshments are provided to the parents at a nominal charge.
14 foreign cadets
Bhutan - 04
Vietnam - 02
Maldives - 02
Afghanistan - 06
