5-fold jump in applicants for country’s only govt-run NDA coaching institute for girls

Those selected only have to pay their academic fees at a Mohali school from where they pass their mandatory Class 12. Last year, the institute received 400 registrations from girls.

The recruitment of female candidates in the NDA commenced from 2022 after a Supreme Court ruling in 2021 paved the way for it.

The institute’s director, Major General J S Sandhu (retd), told The Indian Express that the response has been encouraging.

“We have received 2,150 registrations for the entrance exam. For the first time, we have seen tremendous response from girl students from far-flung districts of Fazilka and Ferozepur too,” he said.

The institute was started in 2015, but it was only last year that NDA coaching admissions started for girls — the first batch of 10 girl aspirants for NDA is already undergoing training. These aspirants include daughters of farmers, teachers, anganwadi workers, former servicemen and serving defence personnel.

“We shall soon increase the number of vacancies to 20 once additional infrastructure is in place. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is keen that the ambit of the NDA coaching be expanded,” said Maj Gen Sandhu.

The entrance examination this year will be held at Bathinda and Jalandhar in addition to Mohali. “We do not want any candidate to travel more than 100-150 km to appear for the exam, else they have to make boarding/lodging arrangements to stay overnight,” said Maj Gen Sandhu.

The highest number of registrations were received from Hoshiarpur district (253) followed by Sangrur (249) and Bathinda (202). As many as 93 registrations have been received from Fazilka district adjoining Rajasthan on the India-Pakistan border, and 58 from Ferozepur.

“In the selection procedure, 60 per cent weightage is given to academic performance and 40 per cent to other qualities,” said Maj Gen Sandhu. Those who clear the written examination have to take a physical test and undergo psychological assessment.

The girls will study at Doon International School, Mohali, in Class 11 and 12 while preparing for the NDA. “Most girls who have made the cut in the entrance examination for our previous NDA course as well as graduate courses come from very humble economic backgrounds,” said Maj Gen Sandhu.

There are 16 girls already enrolled in the institute’s training programme for graduate entry schemes in the Army, Navy and Air Force. They have also applied for the NDA as they fall in the eligible age bracket.

As per figures provided by the Ministry of Defence in Lok Sabha, there are 57 girl cadets already undergoing training in NDA Khadakwasla in Maharashtra. The UPSC has released a list of vacancies for the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA for the 153rd Course and for the 115th Indian Naval Academy Course commencing January 2. As per this notification, there will be 28 vacancies for girl cadets in NDA and nine in the Naval Academy.

The coaching institute was established in 2015 by the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party government under Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. It followed on the heels of an earlier institute, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, set up in 2011 by the SAD-BJP government to coach Punjab boys for entry into NDA.