NDA v/s CDS OFFICERS-KNOW ALL THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

16-December 2019........... 1 Comment(s)

NDA v/s CDS OFFICERS: KNOW ALL THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

National Defence Academy (NDA) and Combined Defence Services (CDS) are the two central gateways to join Indian Armed Forces. They both lie at the priority of Defence aspirants. Thousands of citizens from all over the nation aspire to clear these exams each year, however only a few of them get selected. What makes NDA and CDS so special, let’s find out under the banner of similarities and differences between NDA and CDS Officers as mentioned below:

NDA: National Defence Academy is located in Khadakwasla, Pune and is the first Academy in the world to provide tri- service in terms of Indian Navy, Indian Army, and Indian Air Force. The entrance exam could be taken after class 12th.

CDS: Combined Defence Services (CDS) is an exam which is conducted with the motive of recruiting candidates for admission in Indian Military Academy, Officers Training Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Indian Air Force Academy. The entrance exam could be taken after graduation.

TRAINING CENTERS: The training in NDA is provided at the following centers:

NDA- Khadakwasla; IMA, Dehradun; INA, Ezhimala; AFA, Hyderabad.

The training provided in CDS includes the following centers:

IMA, Dehradun for Army cadets; INA, Ezhimala for Navy cadets; AFA, Hyderabad for Air Force Officers; and OTA, Chennai.

Age- NDA-16-19 Years, CDS- 19-25 Years

Eligibility- NDA- Men Only, CDS- Men &Women

SCHEME OF EXAMINATION-

NDA-Written + SSB

CDS-Written + SSB

FREQUENCY OF EXAMINATION-

NDA- Twice a Year

CDS- Twice a Year

TIME PERIOD: The training at NDA lasts up to 36 months while that of CDS lasts up to 12 to 18 months. In NDA the training session comprises of 4 years for Navy and Army and 4.5 years for Air Force cadets. In CDS, on the other hand, the training is scheduled for 1.5 years for Army cadets, 37 to 40 months for Navy cadets and 74 months for Air Force cadets.

DEGREES AWARDED: On completion of training the candidates are awarded the following degrees in NDA:

Army cadets: B.Sc, B.tech, B.A

Navy cadets: B.tech

Air force cadets: B.tech

Furthermore, on completion of training in CDS cadets are awarded the following ranks:

Army cadets: PG Diploma in military and Defence management.

OTA: PG Diploma in Defence management and Strategic studies.

RANKS: Both NDA and CDS Officers are awarded the ranks of Lieutenant after training.

PAY SCALE: The difference between pay scale of NDA and CDS Officers is:

Rank	NDA Officer Pay (in Rupees)		CDS Officer (Total Pay in Rupees)
Rank	Rank Pay	Grade Pay	CDS Officer (Total Pay in Rupees)
Lieutenant	15,600—39,100/-	5,400/-	56,100 – 1,77,50
Captain	15,600—39,100/-	6,100/-	6,13,00-1,93,900
Major	15,600—39,100/-	6,600/-	6,94,00 – 2,07,200
Lieutenant Colonel	37,400—67,000/-	8,000/-	1,21,200 – 2,12400
Colonel	37,400—67,000/-	8,700/-	1,30,600-2, 15,900
Brigadier	37,400—67,000/-	8,900/-	1,39,600-2,17,600
Major General	37,400—67,000/-	10,000/-	1,44,200-2,18,200
Lieutenant General HAG Scale	67,000/–79,000/-	–	1, 82, 200-2,24,100
HAG + Scale	75,500/- 80,000/-	–	2,05,400 – 2,24,400
VCOAS/Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG)	80,000/-	–	2,25,000/-(fixed)
COAS	90,000/- (fixed)	–	2,25,000/-(fixed)

Add to that, the Officers ranging from Lieutenant rank up to Brigadier also get Military Service Pay (MSP). The difference is that NDA Officers receive Rs. 6,000/- per month while the CDS Officers get Rs. 15,500 per month.

ALLOWANCES: Apart from salary Officers in NDA and CDS also receive various allowances such as:

Type	NDA Officer (in Rupees pm)	CDS Officer (in Rupees pm)
Dearness Allowance	Equal to Civilian Gazetted Officers	Equal to Civilian Gazetted Officers
Kit Maintenance Allowance	400/-	Subsumed into DA
High Altitude Allowance	1,060/-	3,400 – 25,000/-
Siachen Allowance	Not Applicable	42,500/-
Uniform allowance	14,000/- (initial) and 3,000/- (every 3 years)	Subsumed into proposed DA
Transport allowance	1,600 – 3,200 /- + DA	3,600 – 7,200 /- + DA
Children Education Allowance	Not Applicable	Rs. 2,250/per month/per child for two children from Nursery – XII

NOTE: The newly proposed Daily Allowance (DA) is Rs. 20,000 per month for CDS Officers.

FLYING ALLOWANCE: The flying allowance of NDA and CDS Officers is:

Rank/Position	NDA Officers (in Rupees/pm)	CDS Officers (in Rupees/pm)
Lieutenant	9,000/-	25,000/- (fixed)
Captain	11,000/-
Major to Colonel	14,000/-
Brigadier & above	10,500/-

RANK AND COMMISSION: Talking about various ranks, promotion, scope and time of commission here are a few details:

Rank	Min. Commissioned Service for Promotion
Rank	NDA Officer	CDS Officer
Lieutenant	On Commission	On Commission
Captain	02 Years	02 Years
Major	06 years	06 years
Lieutenant Colonel	13 years	13 years
Colonel(Selection)	15 years	15 years
Colonel (Time Scale)	26 years	26 years
Brigadier	On Selection	23 years
Major General	On Selection	25 years
Lieutenant General	On Selection	28 years
General	On Selection	No restrictions

QUALIFICATION PAY: Lat but not the least the qualification pay of NDA and CDS Officers remains same and has the following structure:

Rank/Position	Qualification Pay (in Rupees)
Master Aviation Instructor	500/- p.m.
Senior Aviation Instructor Class I	400/- p.m.
Senior Aviation Instructor Class II	280/- p.m.
Aviators holding Master Green Card	400/- p.m.
Aviators holding Green Card	280/- p.m.

Be it NDA or CDS, hard work co joined with smart work is a must to mark your entry into Indian Armed Forces. So leave no gap in a good preparation. All the best!