CDS aspirants: how the IMA and OTA routes to an Army officer's commission differ
The Indian Military Academy and the Officers Training Academy differ in training length, type of commission and eligibility for candidates selected through the CDS exam.
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The Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination of the Union Public Service Commission is a major route to becoming an officer in the Indian Army. Candidates selected through the exam are sent to different training institutions, of which the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, and the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, are the most important. Both aim to turn out capable military officers, but they differ in admission, length of training, commission and career prospects.
Students preparing for the CDS should not see the IMA and the OTA merely as two training centres. They are two distinct career paths and should be understood as such.
The IMA, Dehradun, is the main academy for training Army officers who receive a permanent commission. Training for those who enter the IMA through the CDS lasts about 18 months. On completion, cadets are commissioned as officers in the Indian Army.
IMA training places special emphasis on physical fitness, military strategy, use of weapons, leadership, discipline and the ability to take decisions in war-like situations. The aim is to prepare the candidate for a long military career. Unmarried male candidates are generally eligible to apply to the IMA through the CDS. Candidates must also hold a degree from a recognised university.
The OTA, Chennai, mainly trains officers for a short service commission. Candidates selected for the OTA through the CDS undergo about 49 weeks of training. OTA training is also extremely rigorous. Cadets are taught skills such as military discipline, leadership, physical fitness, weapons handling and field craft.
A major difference in admission is that, through the CDS, the OTA is the main option for women candidates.
From the career point of view, the most important difference between the IMA and the OTA is the type of commission. Officers who pass out of the IMA can build a long career in the Army under a permanent commission. Officers trained at the OTA begin their service under a short service commission (SSC). The duration of the SSC and later opportunities for a permanent commission depend on the rules in force from time to time and on the eligibility of the branch concerned.
