Yes, NDA cadets get holidays, and the same applies to OTA and IMA cadets. A Sunday, like in IMA or OTA, is nothing less than a holiday for a cadet.

The life of a cadet in the National Defence Academy (Pune), Indian Military Academy (Dehradun), or Officers Training Academy (Chennai) is a busy schedule of events comprising various training activities that drain out the energy of a cadet.

Irrespective of the various academies, the life of the cadet remains similar. Academy life is an everlasting experience that every military officer cherishes in his life, and Sunday is a special day among those. The free Sunday is the only savior for a cadet who is desperately looking for a break from training schedules and needs to revitalize for the coming weeks.

Table of Contents: NDA cadets' holidays

• Zero haircut

• Sleep, Sleep & Sleep

• Liberty

• Letters

• Canteen

• Phone

• Weapon Cleaning

In this blog, I endeavor to bring a few activities that take place during Sunday or any other holiday in NDA, IMA, and OTA. This will help an aspiring cadet to sense and visualize the Sunday in the academy.

As an OTA alumni, I may recall rigorous and tough training days, full of kiosks due to various scheduled activities that take place in day-to-day life, and most of the activities used to overlap with each other with no spare time at all.

We were so mentally and physically occupied that there was nothing else to think about other than how to get some free time. So now, you can understand the importance of this GREAT SUNDAY in a cadet's life.

Sunday is the only break from this busy schedule of the academy, a much-needed time to rest physically, mentally, logistically, and emotionally. This helps to relieve the body from weeklong training and fatigue and prepare it for the coming week.

Here is the list of various activities that most of the cadets do on Sunday, these are:

1. Zero Haircut

Yes, you can call it the most important event of the day which a cadet looks forward to and makes all the effort to complete it against all his will. Even slight remnants of hair can bring unwanted punishment to a cadet in the upcoming week.

2. Sleep, Sleep & Sleep

Yes, you read it right, that's what most of the cadets do. The Sunday break is required for full-time rest due to undergoing various weeklong tough training activities which further results in fatigue.

3. Liberty

Going out in the local city market during the daytime is commonly known as liberty. A time to satisfy your eyes by seeing young girls & taste buds by hogging everything available.

4. Letters

Yeah, yeah, a bit old-fashioned but we do write letters to our friends and family members. It helps to express your emotions and keep you energized for the week ahead. I didn't realize before the academy, that letters are so good means of communication.

5. Canteen

Yes, it’s time to fill up your stocks of emergency ration (in its literal meaning) for upcoming days. Anything that can be eaten without cooking is kept in the room.

6. Phone

Most of the time during weekdays one didn't get that much time to speak with family members and friends. Therefore, THE GREAT Sunday comes to the rescue.

7. Weapon Cleaning

Seldom cadets need to clean their weapons that could have been left dirty due to weeklong training activity. This is particularly after the week in which some outdoor exercise was conducted in the previous week.

I hope I've painted a clear picture of how Sunday is being spent in the academy. Comment if you have any questions about the life of a cadet in a training academy.

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