Lady Cadets Training Schedule at OTA Chennai

The Indian Army’s Officers Training Academy is a training facility that prepares officers for the Short Service Commission. The 10-month course at the OTA prepares graduates for all branches of the Army, except for the Army Medical Corps.  In 1962, two Officers Training Academies were established in Pune and Chennai to meet the needs of the Indian army. The Institute was renamed on January 1, 1988, to Officers Training Academy earlier it was known as Officers Training Institute. In the year 1992 lady cadet training facility was included in the institute & around 1200 such cadets were trained so far. The total strength is 750. The motto of the academy is “Serve with Honour”.

The Academy provides an all-inclusive military training to ensure physical, mental and psychological development of Cadets. Successful Cadets report to the Academy during the months of Apr and Oct (generally on second, Thursday/Friday) each year and are imparted 49 weeks of military training organized into two semesters of 23 weeks each with a three weeks Term Break. At any point of time, two courses are conducted at the Academy. Apart from the basic military training, the Cadets are exposed to troop and individual games/sports, an intensive physical

training schedule and a plethora of other co-curricular activities. Efforts are made to ignite the leadership qualities in the Cadets, which are required to meet the challenges of the finest profession of the world, the Armed forces. The faculty at the Academy ensures development of communication skills, decision making capabilities and psychological conditioning.

By the end of the training, the successful trainees are proficient in handling all infantry weapons, can endure the rigours of toughest conditions and become leaders who can successfully lead their subunits in battle.

The Ranjit Singh Battalion is one of the two training battalions of OTA. The Battalion has four companies viz Jessami, Kohima, Basantar (Gentlemen Cadets) and Phillora (Lady Cadets). Shivaji Battalion is the second training battalion of OTA. Battalion comprises of three companies namely Naushera, Meiktila (Gentlemen Cadet Companies) and Zojila (Lady Cadet Company). All the companies are named after historic locations where famous battles have been fought in the past. The Passing-Out-Parade at the Academy marks the formal completion of the 49 weeks training of an OTA Cadet, which includes a meticulous Parade conducted at the Parameswara Drill Square and a solemn Pipping (Commissioning) and Oath Ceremony on the last day of the course.

 OTA Chennai offers 3 types of training:

1. SSC (Non- Technical)
2.  SSC (Technical)
3. WSES

A Lady Cadet is a trainee who has been accepted in the OTA. These Cadets come from a variety of backgrounds with a wide range of routines and grooming. No LC is given any special treatment and all of them break bread together, play together.

Training Schedule of Lady Cadets is as follow:

• A Cadet’s day at OTA starts at 0530hrs when she must attend a ten-minute morning muster parade, followed by forty-minute physical and drill training sessions that lasts until 0700 hrs.

• Breakfast is scheduled at 0700-0800 hrs.

• Later they are at training, academics and swimming from 0800-1300hrs.

• There is some daily business or they could run into seniors for another Ragda.

• Evening games are held from 1500 to 1700hrs. From 1700 to 1930 hrs. The LCs are at the senior’s disposal, where everything from analysis to physical, which informally the latter, will take place.

• Dinner is served from 1930 hrs to 2130hrs.

• Again, the hors of 2130 hrs to 2200 hrs are set aside for unofficial physicals by seniors.

• From 2200 hrs onwards, the lights are turned off.

This was the Schedule of Lady Cadets at OTA Chennai, I hope this was helpful.