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indianexpress:  EVEN as several foreign cadets continue to receive training at the National Defence Academy (NDA), educational eligibility hinders them from securing their degrees. As most of the cadets do not possess the stipulated “10+2” qualification of entry, they step out of the three-year course with the Academy’s certificate of acknowledgement in the place of the university-approved degree.

The Academy’s courses are affiliated to the Jawaharlal Nehru University, which lays down the eligibility criteria for entry. “The difference in the education systems of other countries has caused the hitch,” say NDA officials. “This issue is long pending and is yet to be addressed,” said NDA’s Commandant D S Randhawa. “We have requested the Ministry of Defence to consider the matter, as they undergo the same training as the other cadets both in academics and on the field, but are unable to return with a degree,” he said. However, the cadets do receive an honorary certificate on the NDA’s behalf, acknowledging their tenure at the NDA. “However, this certificate is not related in any way to the formal JNU degree,” Randhawa said.