35 NDA Cadets Hospitalised After Cross-Country

As many as 35 cadets of the National Defence Academy (NDA) were admitted to the Military Hospital in Khadakwasla after participating in the inter squadron cross-country conducted on February 20.

Most of the cadets had suffered from dehydration and muscular spasms after completing the distance of 12.5 km. Out of the 35 cadets, eight were kept under observation for a few hours at the hospital, of which two cadets are still recuperating from fractures at the hospital, NDA sources said.

Confirming the development, NDA officials said that except two cadets, all other cadets were discharged on that day itself. “The nature of the injuries was not serious and hence, they were discharged. Two cadets are still to recover as they suffered fractures,” said an official from NDA.

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According to officials, this trend of a growing number of cadets seeking medical assistance after the cross-country has been observed over the last few years. A total of 1,432 cadets of 18 squadrons had participated in the competition.

Poor physical fitness of the cadets has become a matter of concern for the academy since the last few years. The previous Commandant of NDA, Air Marshal RKS Bhaduria, had openly expressed his discontent over the fitness of cadets.

He had said, “Due to the present lifestyle, the cadets are not paying much heed to their physical fitness. As a result, the academy’s instructors have to take extra efforts to mould them to bring them on par with the requirements of the academy.”

Col (Retd) Vinay Dalvi, who has done extensive research on NDA and also penned ‘Victory India’, a book on the selection and training system of the Indian armed forces, added, “During the Services Selection Board (SSB), the physical fitness of aspirants should also be checked so that he does not face any issue after joining the academy. Sadly, this criteria has been ignored for years.”

To tackle this issue, the academy has decreed that cadets optimise their fitness level before joining, for which it has laid down a specific fitness regime.