NDA Salary Insights: From Lieutenant to Chief of Army Staff

The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defence service training academy 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.

According to the NDA eligibility, only unmarried male and female aspirants whose age should be between 16.5 – 19.5 years are eligible to apply for the exam. The educational qualification for the Army Wing of NDA is a passing certificate in the 10+2 exam. Candidates must clear Class 12th with Physics, Chemistry and Maths to apply for the Air Force and Naval Wings of NDA.

 During the three-year training period after NDA exam, candidates receive a monthly stipend of INR 56,100. After the training period, NDA officers receive various allowances such as Dearness Allowance (DA), High Altitude Allowance, Uniform Allowance, and more.

NDA Salary 2024 is provided according to the guidelines of the 7th Pay Commission, as per Level 10 of the matrix pay. 

This article includes the details about the salary, perks, allowances and benefits provided to candidates joining the National Defence Academy.

NDA Stipend-

The NDA exam is conducted twice a year and there are two selection processes – a written examination and SSB Interview. Candidates who qualify in both rounds and make it to the merit list are sent to the National Defence Academy for their training.

The training period is of 3 years. During training, candidates are paid a stipend as per the allowances applicable for the training period.

Rank–wise NDA Salary-

The NDA Officer salary for UPSC NDA Officers differs for the ranks in the three defence wings:

The salary according to different ranks is given below- 

Rank-wise Grade Pay-

The rank-wise grade pay of the officers is given below-

NDA Salary Structure-

The salary of an officer consists of basic pay and other allowances and perks. These allowances are discussed below-

• Dearness Allowance (DA): Officers receive a DA, It is calculated as a percentage of the basic pay (currently 17%) and varies based on location of posting and inflation.

• Military Service Pay (MSP): This stipend compensates officers for the risks and hardships they face. MSP ranges from Rs. 15,500 for a Lieutenant to Rs. 30,000 for a Major General.

• Grade Pay: It is a fixed amount based on rank. 

• House Rent Allowance (HRA): The amount varies based on location of posting and ranges from 8% to 24% of the basic pay.

• Transport Allowance: The monthly amount ranges from Rs. 3,600 to Rs. 7,200, depending on rank and location of posting.

• Flying Allowance:  The Army Aviators (Pilots) serving in the Army Aviation Corps are entitled to a flying allowance at Rs 25,000.

Tables are given below for the easy understanding about the salary structure-

Field Area Allowances:

Depending upon rank and area of posting officers are provided following Field Area allowances-

High Altitude Allowance: 

Siachen Allowance: Candidates posted to Siachen are entitled to a Siachen Allowance of Rs 42,500/- per month. 

NDA officers posted to high-altitude regions are given the following allowances.

Counter Insurgency Allowance:

Depending upon the type of area of posting, the following Counter Insurgency Allowance is provided:

Transport Allowance (TPTA):

Higher transport allowance Cities are Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad, Surat, Kochi, Bengaluru, Pune, Greater Mumbai, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Chennai etc. The transport allowance is admissible to those service personnel who have been provided with the facility of Government transport. 

Other Allowances:

Some additional allowances are also given to the officers. Below given is the list of such allowances:

Monetary Support In Case of Death or Disablement:

The following monetary benefits are available to the Cadets (Direct)/NoKs in the event of invaliding on medical grounds/death of a Cadet (Direct) due to causes attributable to or aggravated by military training: 

(These figures are according to the guidelines released by UPSC in 2023-

Flying Allowances: The Pilots or Army Aviators serving in the Army Aviation Corps are entitled to a flying allowance (R1H1 of Risk and Hardship Matrix) at a rate of Rs 25,000/ per month.

Insurance Policies for Officers:

• At IMA (at the time of stipend) the cadets are provided insurance cover of Rs 75 lakhs with a monthly contribution of Rs 5,000 (with effect from October 1, 2016, as per AGI scheme).

• A compulsory contributory group scheme, Army Group Insurance Fund provides an insurance cover for 15 lakhs rupees on payment of onetime non-refundable premium of INR 6,400 for 3 years. This has to be paid from the date of joining NDA until completion of training.

• In the case of relegation, an additional premium of Rs 1,160 per relegated term will be paid immediately on occurrence.

• For those who are invalided out from NDA by IMB on account of disability and not entitled to any pension areprovided Rs 7.5 lakhs for 100 per cent disability. This will be reduced to Rs 1.5 lakhs for 20 % disability.

• Those who are invalidated out from IMA by IMB on account of disability and not entitled to any pension will be provided Rs 25 Lakhs for 100 % disability. This will be reduced to Rs 5 lakhs for 20 % disability. For less than 20% disability only an Ex-Gratia amount of Rs 50,000 for the initial year of training and Rs 1 lakh during the last year of training will be paid.

NDA Retirement Benefits-                    

Pension and gratuity is given according to the guidelines issued by the UPSC.

NDA Promotions and Opportunities-

Below listed are the promotions given to officers in all the three wings i.e. Army, Air Force and Navy.

Frequently Asked Questions-

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