Indian Naval Academy

Indian Naval Academy (INA)

Type	Military academies in India
Established	January 8, 2009
Location	Ezhimala , Kerala , India
Campus	Naval base, 2500 acres
Affiliations	Kannur University

Indian Naval Academy Ezhimala (INA) (Asia's largest Naval academy) also called as NAVAC is a state-of-the-art naval training facility of Indian Navy,located in the Kannur (Cannanore) District of Kerala State in southern India. Situated between the imposing Mount Dilli, serene Kavvayi backwaters and majestic Arabian Sea, NAVAC(short form for Naval Academy) provides an idyllic setting for training with its picturesque and tranquil environment. It will conduct the basic training for all officers being inducted into the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard under various courses. INS Zamorin is the base depot ship for administrative and logistic support for the functioning of INA.

The academy spread over nearly 2,500 acres (10 km²) on a promontory that was the capital of the ancient Mooshika kings. It was a flourishing seaport and centre of trade in ancient Kerala and one of the major battlefields during Chola-Chera war in 11th century AD. It is believed that Lord Buddha visited Ezhimala.

The name 'Ezhimala' is believed to have been derived from the seven hills (Ezhumeans seven and Mala means hill in Malayalam) that dominate the skyline of this area. The place was also known as 'Elimalai' meaning 'Rat Hill' ('Eli' in Malayalam means rat). Yet another legend has it that the name was derived from 'Ezhil Malai' meaning Land of Beauty (Ezhil means beauty). Folklore has it that the seven hills are parts of the 'Rishabadri' mountain that fell to earth when Lord Hanuman was carrying the mountain with Mrita Sanjivani and other herbs to Lanka for Lakshaman's treatment after he was critically injured and lying in coma during the epic battle of Ramayana. As though to substantiate this, the area has many rare medicinal herbs.

INS Zamorin, the base depot ship for Naval Academy is named after the Zamorins of Kozhikode who had a strong fleet of warships under the stewardship of the famous Kunjali Marakkars. The Navy has also constructed a memorial for Kunjali Marakkar on the premises of his ancestral house at Iringal near Vatakara.

History

Before the National Defence Academy(NDA) was set up in the early 1950s, 'Regular' entry officer cadets underwent four years training in the United Kingdom with the Royal Navy, and returned to India as Sub Lieutenants. During the early 1960s it was realised that the naval cadets coming out of National Defence Academy (NDA) would not meet the requirements of the expanding Indian Navy and hence it was decided to set up an Academy at Cochin. Accordingly a Naval Academy was commissioned at Cochin in January 1969 which was eventually shifted to INS Mandovi (Goa) in 1986. It was decided to obtain sanction for a new permanent Naval Academy to cope with increasing training load. Similarly, the coast guard too had to train with the navy.

Conceptual Requirements for the New Naval Academy The 'essential' requirement was for a site of 100 acres (0.40 km²), in the vicinity of the sea or a lake for seamanship and waterman ship training, near a railhead yet removed from the township. The 'desirable' requirements were that the location should be within a short distance of a naval port and have a bracing and moderate climate.

The Choice of Ezhimala The sites considered for the new Naval Academy were Aruvankadu in the Nilgiri Hills near Wellington and the Pykara Dam Lake, the Lloyds Dam (Bhatgarh) situated off the Poona-Kolhapur road, Hassergate Lake near Bangalore, Porbandar on the Saurashtra coast, Chingleput near Madras and Ezhimala on the Kerala coast. In 1979, the Government accepted the need for a permanent Naval Academy. The Kerala Government offered the Navy 960 hectares of land at Ezhimala, north of Kannur (Cannanore) in northern Kerala. All essential infrastructure facilities like drinking water, water for construction, electricity, approach roads and bridges, capital dredging of the Kavvayi backwaters (for basic waterman ship training), building of a seawall to prevent erosion, augmentation of the nearest railway station at Payyanur etc., would be provided by the Kerala Government at no cost to the Navy. In 1982, the Government approved the site at Ezhimala and gave the Kerala Government a soft, medium term loan for acquisition of land and rehabilitation of evacuees.

Mythological connection The topography of Ezhimala, with Mount Dilli abutting on the Arabian Sea has, since ancient times, inspired the local people to weave a number of legends. The most popular is the one connected with the Ramayana tradition. At one stage in the war between Rama and Ravana, many of Rama's forces, including his brother Lakshman, were killed. An anxious Rama consulted Jambavan, the senior most in the Vanara sena. It was decided to bring four medicinal herbs, shalya karani, vishalya karani, sandhana karani and mritha sanjivani from the Himalayas for removing the arrows, healing the wounds, stitching the cuts and finally bringing the dead to life. Hanuman was entrusted with the task of collecting these herbs and he at once set out for the Himalayas. On reaching the Himalayas, however, Hanuman realised that he was unable to recognise the ayurvedic herbs. So he did the next best thing - he plucked the entire Rishabadri Mountain itself and flew back. On his way southwards, a piece of the mountain fell down near the sea and that is Ezhimala. The local people believe that Ezhimala still possesses these rare ayurvedic herbs.

Commissioning of the Academy The foundation stone for the academy was laid by Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on January 17, 1987. INS Zamorin, which is the base depot for the Academy, was commissioned by the Chief Minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy on 06 Apr 2005 marking Phase I of the Ezhimala Naval Academy project. This base initially supported the construction of the academy and all aspects of its training and administrative functions. Almost 22 years after its foundation stone was laid, the Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala was ready for inauguration. The academy was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Jan 8, 2009. Defence Minister A.K. Antony - who had watched then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi lay the foundation stone on Jan 17, 1987 was also present.

The project was initially envisaged to cost Rs.166 crore (Rs.1.66 billion). After 22 years the project when completed would cost Rs.721 crore (Rs.7.21 billion).

Location

12°0′40″N 75°13′8″E

Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala is situated approximately 35 km North of Kannur (Cannanore) and 135 km South of Mangalore, on the West Coast of peninsular India. The nearest railway station is at Payyanur, a town located 10 km away. Payyanur is situated along NH 17 between Mangalore and Kannur.The nearest airport is located at Mangalore, about 145 km from Indian Naval Academy. An international airport is also situated at Kozhikode, 150 km south of the Academy.

Accessibility

Indian Naval Academy (INA) is well connected by rail and road. The nearest railway station is at Payyanur, a town located 12 km away from the Naval base. Payyanur is situated along NH 17 between Mangalore and Kannur. The broad gauge railway line links Payyanur to Mumbai and other major cities in Western, Central and Northern India via the Konkan Railway. The broad gauge rail network also links Payyanur to Chennai and other major cities in Eastern India (via Chennai) and Southern India (via Palakkad). The nearest airport is located at Mangalore, about 150 km from INS Zamorin. There is regular private bus service between INS Zamorin, Payyanur and Kannur. The nearest railway station from INA is Payyanur. Payyanur station can be reached as follows:-

(a) Rail- All trains on the Konkan Railway route except Rajdhani Express (plying between Delhi - Thiruvananthapuram), Sampark Kranti Express (plying between Chandigarh – Thiruvananthapuram), Jodhpur Express (plying between Jodhpur – Thiruvananthapuram) and Jaipur Maru Sagar Express (plying between Jaipur – Ernakulam) halt at Payyanur.

(b) Road - NH 17 connects Payyanur with Kannur and Mangalore. There are regular State Government and Private bus services connecting Payyanur to Kannur and Mangalore. On arrival by bus, disembark at Payyanur bus stand (located within Payyanur town, about four km from Railway station).

(c) Air - Payyanur does not have an airport. The nearest airport is located at Mangalore, 150 km from Payyanur. Indian Airlines and Jet Airways operate services to & from Mangalore. The other airport is at Kozhikode (Calicut), 145 km from Payyanur. Both, Mangalore and Kozhikode, are well connected to Payyanur by road and rail.

Overview

The Academy estate (over 2500 acres) is a vast area divisible into the coastal strip facing the Arabian Sea in the west, punctuated by the low undulating hills forming the middle strip, and the uplands forming a part of the Western Ghats in the east.

The INA is divided into three zones, Training zone, Administration zone and Accommodation zone. The training zone comprises Academy Main Building Complex, Physical Training and Extra Curricular Activities (ECA) Complex, Outdoor Training and Watermanship Complex, Firing Range, Cadets' Mess and Cadets' Accommodation. The administration zone consists of Administrative Complex, Hospital, Logistic Complex Motor Transport Complex and Fire Station.

The Academy Main Building Complex (AMBC) is the heart of the academy, which includes the Headquarters wing, Service and Technical Training wings, laboratories, workshops, a library and a 1,736- seater auditorium. The complex is located on a spur jutting out of the main ridge and forming the highest point of the academy.

The Academy trains approximately 1100 trainees every year. This would include officer-trainees from the Indian Coast Guard and friendly foreign countries.

The Academy has a mix of uniformed and civilian staff for the conduct of training and other administrative support functions. There are 161 officers, 47 professors/ lecturers, 502 sailors and 557 civilians. Along with the families of staff, the campus would have a population of about 4000.

Selection procedure

Selection for all Permanent Commission entries, except 10 + 2 (Tech) Cadet entry and NCC Special entry (Graduate) is through a written examination conducted by the UPSC, followed by an interview by the Service Selection Board (SSB). There is no written examination for the Short Service Commission(SSC) entries. Selection is through merit alone. SSC officers may opt for Permanent Commission depending on merit, and vacancy. For the Indian Coast Guard , the selection is done through PSB and FSB selection stages.

Services Selection Board /SSB The SSBs have at five days testing schedule, the candidates have to report one day earlier by afternoon. In the afternoon/evening they are briefed on detailed schedule of the next five days, code of conduct and are briefed on detailed schedule of the next five days, code of conduct and are required to complete documentation including verification of required certificates for age/educational qualification. Details of testing are as under:-

Day-I (Stage-I).

Stage one selection system includes the following:- (i) Intelligence Test (ii) Picture Perception and Description Test (PDPT): Picture is flashed for 30 Seconds. The candidate have to broadly note down seven basic parameters viz number of characters, age, sex, mood, action relating to past, present and future for each character in one minute. (iii) Discussion of the Picture – 30 Minutes. In this phase batch is divided into different groups. Strength of group is around 15 candidates. Each candidate narrates his individual written story verbatim. Subsequently, in Part –II all the candidates have to come to discuss amongst themselves and achieve a common consensus about the characters and theme of the story. Once all candidates have undergone this stage the results for stage one testing are declared. Successful candidates are retained for stage – II testing and the balance are asked to leave after a short brief on general shortcomings.

Day -2 (Stage-II).

Psychological Tests include the following:- (i) Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). 12 Pictures including one blank are shown for 30 sec each. Candidates are asked to write a story around what led to the situation? What is going on and what would be the outcome? Picture is shown for 30 seconds and they are asked to write it in 4 minutes. In the blank slide, they have to think a picture of their own choice and to write a story around that. (ii) Word Association Test (WAT).In this test, a series of 60 words are shown to the candidates one after another for 15 seconds each. The candidate is required to write down the first thought or idea comes to his mind. (iii) Situation Reaction Test (SRT).This test consists of 60 routine life situations regarding day to day activities. The situations are printed in a booklet and the candidate is asked to write his reactions by completing the sentences, as to how they would feel, think and act up these situations. (iv) Self Description-15 Mins.Candidate is asked to write five separate paragraphs on each context about the opinion of his parents/guardian, friends, teachers/ superiors.

Day -3(GTO-Day 1)

This includes the following:- (i) Group Discussion. Two topics of common interest (social issues and current events) are discussed. It is an informal discussion and not a debate. Each topic is allotted 20 minutes each. No definite conclusion is required to be deduced. (ii)Group Planning Exercise(GPE). It comprises five stages viz, explanation of the model, reading of the narrative by GTO, five minutes for self reading by candidates, 10 minutes for individual written solutions and 20 minutes for group discussion. Narration of the group solution and definite conclusion is required. (iii)Progressive Group Tasks(PGT). It is the first outdoor task. A set of four obstacles with progressively increasing level of difficulties are to be completed in 40 to 50 minutes. Structures, helping material and load are provided to the group. (iv) Group Obstacle Race(GOR). In this task the group is pitched against each other over a set of six obstacles with a snake like load to carry. (v) Half Group Task (HGT). It has one obstacle similar to progressive group task with helping material and load to be carried. Group is divided into two Sub Groups and assigned the same obstacle in turn in such a way that when one group is working, the other is not allowed to watch it. Time allotted to each sub group is 15 minutes. (vi) Lecturette. It is an individual task and the candidate is required to give a short talk to the group. Three minutes are allowed to prepare any chosen topic from the four given in the Lecturette Cards for the talk.

Day – 4(GTO –Day 2)

(i) Individual Obstacles. A Set of 10 obstacles is set to be tackled individually. Obstacles are numbered from one to ten, denoting the points each one carries. Each individual will be given three minutes. (ii) Command Task. Each individual is nominated as commander for one task consisting of one obstacle similar to the Progressive Group Task Time given is 15 minutes. (iii) Final Group Task. Task consisting of one obstacle similar to the progressive group task. Time given to complete this task is 15–20 minutes.

Day 3 & 4 Interviews - Personal interview conducted by Interviewing Officer (IO)

Day -5

This includes the following:- (i) Closing address by Deputy President of the Board. (ii) Conference. (iii) Announcement of results. (iv) Dispersal.

Modes of Entry

10+2 EXECUTIVE ENTRY / NDA ENTRY Selected candidates of 10+2(Executive) will be inducted directly to the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala as Cadets for four-year BTech course. On completion of the course, BTech Degree will be awarded by Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU). Selected naval candidates of NDA entry will after two years of joint training with the army and air force cadets at the National Defence Academy shift to Indian Naval Academy,Ezhimala for further training. After spending further two years at the Indian Naval Academy, all the cadets will be awarded a B.Tech degree by Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU).

10+2 TECHNICAL ENTRY Selected candidates will be inducted as Cadets for four-year BTech course in Electronics & Communication and Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala Kerala. During the course cadets will be allotted Engineering or Electrical branch. On completion of the course, BTech Degree will be awarded by Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU). Few cadets after first term may be nominated for BTech in Naval Architecture from Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT). They will have to appear for Common Admission Test of CUSAT. The successful candidates after first term will undergo four years BTech in Naval Architecture and Ship Building at CUSAT. Thereafter, the cadets will be deputed for a six-months course in warship design at Visakhapatnam, followed by 18 months Post Graduate Diploma in Naval Architecture (DIIT-NC) at IIT Delhi.NAVAC will also conduct B.Tech in Naval Architecture courses for 750 cadets and commissioned officers. The engineering programmes have been drawn up by the Indian Navy in conjunction with Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

SHORT SERVICE COMMISSION(SSC) The tenure of SSC officers will be for a period of 10 yrs, extendable by a further period of 04 yrs subject to service requirements and performance/willingness of the candidates.The period of initial training is 20 weeks for Sub Lieutenants of Education, Logistics, Engineering, Electrical, Submarine (Technical), Air Traffic Control and Law branches/cadres. Branch specific training is subsequently imparted at other naval establishments.The women are granted Short Service Commission (SSC) in Naval Architect, Law, Logistics, ATC, Observer & Education Branches.

ICG ASSISTANT COMMANDANTS COURSE (GD/TECH/PILOT-NAVIGATOR/LAW/CPL*) Assistant commandants ( equivalent to lieutenant rank) are permanent commissioned officers who train at the naval academy but join the Indian coast guard. CPL holders are granted short service commissions while others are permanent.

Training

On reporting, trainees will get accommodated in one of the squadrons at the INA. Each squadron can consist of up to four divisions with approximately 40 trainees in each division. The squadron is headed by a Squadron Commander who is of the rank of Commander/ Lieutenant Commander and assisted by Divisional Officers of the rank of Lieutenant. Each Division comprises a mix of trainees from various courses and is controlled and monitored, by the Divisional Officer assisted by Trainee Appointments in the Squadron/Division. The divisional system thus provides for close monitoring, guidance and counselling of trainees in all their activities. The squadrons form the living areas for trainees, whilst the classroom instructions and outdoor training are conducted in separately designated training areas.The training would be covered in eight semesters of 22 weeks each with leave of four weeks in between semesters.

INHS Navjivani

INHS Navjivani 64-bed naval hospital foundation stone was laid by Union Defense Minister A.K Antony, will cater the health-care needs of cadets undergoing training in the academy, personnel posted here and also ex-servicemen.

Indian Navy Gallery

• Indian Navy
• 
  Indian Navy Sea Harriers, US Super Hornet Strike Fighter and Indian Air Force Jaguars over Indian aircraft carrier INS Viraat
• 
  An US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet left, flies alongside Indian Navy Sea Harriers during joint exercise in the Bay of Bengal
• 
  Indian Navy Aircraft Carrier INS Viraat with Sea Harriers
• Indian Navy guided-missile destroyer INS Mysore
  Indian Navy guided-missile destroyer INS Mysore
• 
  Indian nucleur submarine INS Arihant
• 
  Indian Navy ASW frigate INS Talwar

See also

• Indian Armed Forces
• Indian Navy
• Indian Naval Air Arm
• Naval ranks and insignia of India
• Indian Ancient Maritime History
• Kanhoji Angre - Notable Maratha Admiral
• Kunjali Marakkar - Navy Chief of the Zamorin
• Naval academy
• Military academies in India
• Sainik School
• Naval ranks and insignia of India

External links

• CAREER IN INDIAN NAVY
• OFFICER ENTRY INTO NAVAL ACADEMY
• Photos of Indian Naval Academy
• The History of Indian Naval Academy
• Prime Minister of India inaugural speech at Indian Naval Academy Ezhimala
• Prime Minister of India inaugural speech at Indian Naval Academy Ezhimala
• Indian Naval Academy is the largest Naval Academy in Asia
• Indian Armed Forces - Indian military's official website
• The Indian Navy's official Web site
• Official web site
• Bharat Rakshak - Informative web site
• Images @ Bharat-rakshak.com
• Military academies in India
• Indian Jawan - A Tribute To The Indian Soldier
• Indian Navy @ Globalsecurity
• Indian Submariner
• Indian Navy @ India Defence
• Indian Navy @ Defence India
• Indian maritime doctrine revisited
• Frontier India Journal - Indian Navy Section