The Officers Training Academy (OTA) is a training establishment of the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

that trains officers for the Short Service Commission (SSC). The 49-week course at the OTA prepares graduates for all branches of the Army, except for the Army Medical Corps. Established in 1963, the first academy is located in

Alandur Alandur is a zone of Chennai corporation, and an urban node in Chennai district in Guindy division in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is Surrounded by Guindy in the North and East, Adambakkam in the South, Pazhavanthangal in the South-We ...

, a southern neighbourhood of

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

. OTA chennai has an impressive tally of gallantry award including 1 Param Vir Chakra, 8 Ashoka Chakra, 10 Maha Vir Chakra, 22 Kirti Chakra, 63 Vir Chakra, 119 Shaurya Chakra and 587 Sena Medal earned by the officers commissioned from this academy bears testimony to the Valor and dedication displayed by the Alumni. A new academy was set up at Gaya in 2011; but was given the go-ahead in December 2019 to be disbanded.

History

OTA Chennai

Officers Training Academy 2013 stamp of India

Seven Officers Training Schools were established in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

between 1942–45 to meet the huge demand for officers to serve in the Indian and Commonwealth Armies during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. However, these schools were closed down at the end of the war. In 1962, following the

Sino-Indian War The Sino-Indian War took place between China and India from October to November 1962, as a major flare-up of the Sino-Indian border dispute. There had been a series of violent border skirmishes between the two countries after the 1959 Tibet ...

, India identified the need to expand the number of officers for effective operations. Two Officers Training Schools (OTS) were established in

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

and Madras (now known as Chennai) to train officers for Emergency Commission into the Army. The process of establishing the schools was begun in September 1962. The Chennai school was inaugurated on 15 January 1963, for nation by and with Brigadier Ram Singh as its first Commandant. The Pune school had a short run and was closed in 1964. However, the school in Chennai continued to operate and on 2 February 1965, it obtained the sanction to shift focus to train officers for the Short Service Regular Commission. OTA Chennai is spread over . The Short Service Regular Commission has evolved into the Short Service Commission, and the OTS has continued to train officers for these commissions. The school was granted permanent status in 1985. On 1 January 1988, the school was renamed as the Officers Training Academy (OTA), on a par with the NDA and IMA. The first batch of 25 women to be commissioned as officers into the Army were trained at the OTA, with training commencing on 21 September 1992. Cadets are organised in 2 Battalions namely Ranjith Singh Battalion and Shivaji Battalion. RS Bn consists of Three companies, namely, Kohima, Jessami, and Phillora, Shivaji Bn consists of three companies, namely, Meiktila, Naushera and Zojila.

In Popular Culture

* OTA : Saga of excellence, Patriot by Major Gaurav Arya * Women of Honour: Destination Army,by Nat Geo. The special feature follows two lady cadets through their journey at the Officer’s Training Academy where they undergo rigorous training to join the Indian Army

OTA Gaya

OTA Gaya, set up in 2011, is located amid an estate of approximately 870 acres in a hilly terrain of Paharpur at Gaya. The academy is located en route from Gaya to

Bodhgaya Bodh Gaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous as it is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained Enlightenment ( ...

, approx 7 km from Gaya railway station. The international airport of Gaya is adjacent to the academy. In its vicinity is Bodhgaya, an international tourism destination. Gaya Cantonment dates back to World War II, as one of the headquarters of the British Army. To mark the commencement of the academy, a flag hoisting ceremony was solemnised and the consecration of the raising of the academy was carried out in true secular tradition of the Indian Army, with recital of scriptures from holy books of different religions. The academy has been equipped with state of the art training facilities, at par with other pre-commissioning training institutions. The insignia of Officers Training Academy, Gaya has a two-colour background, with upper half as grey and the lower half blood-red, having two cross swords superimposed with the Dharmchakra. A scroll below bears the motto of the academy – 'Shaurya, Gyan, Sankalp' in devnagri. The first batch of 149 trainee-officers underwent training in the academy during the period July 2011 to Jun 2012 and the first passing out parade was conducted on 8 June 2012. The second batch after successful completion of their training (January 2012 – December 2012) passed out on 8 December 2012. A total of 176 cadets from TES 26 and SCO 29 courses passed out on 8 December 2012. The academy had capacity to train 350 cadets. Lt Gen Sunil Srivastava, VSM (double bar) is the current commandant of the academy, having taken charge in 2018. In December 2019 the Defence Ministry gave the go-ahead to shut OTA Gaya due to lack of intake.

Notable alumni

The academy has produced many war heroes and distinguished officers. Many have gone on to work for corporations after leaving the

. The OTA Alumni Association was registered under the Societies Act 1860 at

Chandigarh Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which a ...

with all India jurisdiction.

Param Vir Chakra

*Maj. Ramaswamy Parameshwaran – 8th battalion,

Mahar Regiment The Mahar Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Although it was originally intended to be a regiment consisting of troops from the Mahar community of Maharashtra, today the Mahar Regiment is composed of different communities from ...

Posthumous Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death * ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987 * ''Posthumous'' ...

Ashoka Chakra

*Maj. D. Sreeram Kumar – on deputation to 39th battalion,

Assam Rifles The Assam Rifles (AR) is a central paramilitary force responsible for border security, counter-insurgency, and maintaining law and order in Northeast India. It guards the Indo-Myanmar border. The Assam rifles is the oldest paramilitary force ...

*Lt. Navdeep Singh (posthumous) – 15th battalion,

Maratha Light Infantry The Maratha Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It traces its lineage to the Bombay Sepoys, raised in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment in the Indian Army. The class composition of the regiment ...

*Capt. Jas Ram Singh – 6th battalion,

Rajput Regiment The Rajput Regiment is one of the oldest infantry regiments of the Indian Army, tracing its origins back to 1778 with the raising of the 24th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry. The 1st battalion of the regiment was formed in 1798. After World ...

*Capt. Jasbir Singh Raina – 10th battalion,

Brigade of the Guards The Brigade of The Guards is a mechanised infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was raised as the first "all India", "all class" infantry unit of the Army where troops from all parts of India serve together, as opposed to other regiments that ...

*2Lt. Cyrus A. Pithawalla – 17th battalion,

Jammu & Kashmir Rifles The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Its origins lay in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. After the accession of the state to the Indian Union in October 1947, ...

*Lt. Col.

Harsh Uday Singh Gaur Harsh Udai Singh Gaur (1 July 1953 – 29 November 1994) was an Indian military officer posted as commanding officer of 10 Bihar Regiment. Army career Gaur was born in 1953 in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh. His father's name was Rajendra Si ...

– 10th battalion,

Bihar Regiment The Bihar Regiment is an Indian Army infantry regiment. It traces its origins back to the British Indian Army. The Bihar Regiment was formed in 1941 by regularising the 11th (Territorial) Battalion, the 19th Hyderabad Regiment, and r ...

* Maj.

Mukund Varadarajan Major Mukund Varadarajan AC (12 April 1983 – 25 April 2014) was an officer in the Rajput Regiment of the Indian Army. In 2014, he was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award, for killing three ...

(posthumous) – 44th battalion,

Rashtriya Rifles The Rashtriya Rifles (RR; ) is a counter-insurgency force in India, formed in 1990, to specifically serve in the Jammu and Kashmir region. They also maintain public order by drawing powers from the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Po ...

*Col.

Jojan Thomas Colonel Jojan Thomas, AC (22 May 1965 - 22 August 2008) was an Indian military officer with the Jat Regiment and later the 45 Rashtriya Rifles unit. He was a native of Kuttoor in Thiruvalla, Kerala and lived in Bangalore. He was commissioned fro ...

(posthumous) – 45th battalion, Rashtriya Rifles

Mahavir Chakra

*Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri – 23rd battalion,

Punjab Regiment Punjab Regiment may refer to the following existing units: *Punjab Regiment (India) *Punjab Regiment (Pakistan) From 1922 to 1947, the British Indian Army included 6 numbered Punjab Regiments: *1st Punjab Regiment * 2nd Punjab Regiment *8th Punj ...

* 2Lt. S. S. Samra (posthumous) – Brigade of The Guards * Maj. P.S. Ganapathi – 8th battalion, Mahar Regiment * Maj. Krishna Gopal Chatterjee – 3rd battalion, 4 Gorkha Rifles * 2Lt. Rajeev Sandhu – 7th battalion,

Assam Regiment The Assam Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment consists of 25 battalions: 15 regular battalions, 3 Rashtriya Rifles battalions, 5 Territorial Army battalions (including 2 ecological battalions). It recruits exclusiv ...

* Maj.

Padmapani Acharya Major Padmapani Acharya, MVC (21 June 1969 – 28 June 1999) was an officer in the Indian Army. He was awarded the second highest Indian military honour, Maha Vir Chakra posthumously for his actions during the Kargil War on 28 June 1999 ...

(posthumous) – 2nd battalion,

Rajputana Rifles The Rajputana Rifles is the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army. It was originally a part of the British Indian Army, when six previously existing regiments were amalgamated to form six battalions of the 6th Rajputana Rifles. In 1945, the ...

* Col.

Sonam Wangchuk Colonel Sonam Wangchuk, MVC is an Indian Army veteran, who served with the Assam Regiment and the Ladakh Scouts. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy, during his successful ...

–

Ladakh Scouts The Ladakh Scouts is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, nicknamed the "Snow Warriors" or " Snow Leopards". The regiment specialises in mountain warfare, and its primary role is to guard India's borders in the high altitudes of the Unio ...

* Lt. Balwan Singh – 18th battalion,

The Grenadiers The Grenadiers is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, formerly part of the Bombay Army and later the pre-independence British Indian Army, when the regiment was known as the 4th Bombay Grenadiers. It has distinguished itself during the tw ...

* Lt. Keishing Clifford Nongrum (posthumous) – 12th battalion,

Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAK LI) is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regimental center is in Srinagar's Airport Complex at Awantipora with a winter setup near Jammu. Its regimental insignia consists of a pair of crossed ri ...

* Capt. Pratap Singh (posthumous) – 75 Medium Regiment

Vir Chakra

*Capt. Jintu Gogoi (posthumous) – 17 Garhwal Rifles *Capt. Jerry Premraj (posthumous) – 158 Medium Regiment *Late Lt Col. Vikram Deuskar, Vrc - 76 Armoured Regiment

Others

*Capt. Tania Shergill became the first Indian woman Parade Adjutant to lead an all-men contingent at an Army Day function in Indian Army.

President's Colours

Colour Presentation The coveted Presidential Colours to the Academy was presented on 18 August 1990 by Shri R Venkataraman, the then President of India.

List of Commandants

The Commandant of the Officers Training Academy is the overall in-charge of all the functioning of the Officers Training Academy,

. The Commandant of the College is a

three-star rank An officer of three-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-8. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, three-star officers hold the ...

officer (

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

) from the

. He is supported by the Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor (DCCI), held by a

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

OTA Chennai

OTA Gaya

References

{{authority control Military academies of India Colleges affiliated to University of Madras Educational institutions established in 1963 1963 establishments in Madras State

History

OTA Chennai

In Popular Culture

OTA Gaya

Notable alumni

Param Vir Chakra

Ashoka Chakra

Mahavir Chakra

Vir Chakra

Others

President's Colours

List of Commandants

OTA Chennai

OTA Gaya

See also

References