GS India Defence Academy is a coaching academy in Dehradun that prepares students for the entries that lead to a commission or a career in the armed forces. We teach the written examination, the SSB interview and the physical fitness that selection asks for, in one classroom programme, and we run separate hostels for boys and girls so that students from other states can study here.
This page explains who we are, how a student’s preparation is organised, why we chose Dehradun, and how we talk about our results and fees. We have tried to write it the way we would like a coaching academy to introduce itself to us as parents: plainly, with checkable facts and without borrowed glamour.
What we do
We coach students for the competitive entries into the Indian armed forces and the schools and colleges that feed them. That includes:
- the NDA and the NDA Foundation course for students who start after Class 10;
- the CDS and AFCAT for graduates, and the SSB interview as a course in its own right;
- the MNS, Army TES and Navy technical entries, and Agniveer, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard entries;
- the RIMC, RMS and Sainik School entrance for younger students;
- IMU CET and Merchant Navy for students who want a career at sea.
Every course is taught in a classroom in Dehradun. We do not run online classes. SSB preparation, fitness training and the hostel routine depend on students being present, and we would rather do fewer things in person than many things on a screen. The full list, with who each course suits, is on the Courses page.
Three tracks, one routine
Selection into the armed forces tests three things: what a candidate knows, how a candidate behaves under assessment, and whether a candidate is physically ready. Many students prepare only for the first and are surprised by the others. We organise the programme so that all three have a place in it: study, physical training and SSB practice form its core.
The written examination
Classes in Mathematics, General Ability, English and General Knowledge follow the syllabus set out in each official notification. Concepts come first, then timed problem sets and practice papers, with mistakes tracked so that a student does not repeat them. The aim is not to memorise questions but to build speed and accuracy under exam conditions.
The SSB interview
The Services Selection Board is a multi-day assessment of personality: screening, psychology tests, group tasks, a personal interview and a conference. We start this preparation in the first month, not after the written result, because the qualities a board looks for take months to build. Psychology tests such as TAT, WAT and SRT, lecturettes, group discussion and interview practice sit alongside the written-exam classes. Our SSB training page explains the batch for candidates who already hold a call letter.
Fitness and training
Physical training is a core part of the programme, with games and outdoor activity to build confidence and teamwork. Medical standards for the armed forces are strict, so we encourage students to learn them early and fix what can be fixed. Fitness is best built over months, not crammed before the board.
Why Dehradun
Dehradun has a long association with the armed forces. It is home to the Indian Military Academy, where Army officers are commissioned, and to 1 AFSB, an Air Force Selection Board. Several schools and military institutions are based here, and the city has the climate and the green space that suit early morning training.
For a student, studying in this city makes the goal visible. A visit to the IMA, or a morning run in the Doon valley, is a daily reminder of why the preparation is hard. For families, Dehradun is also well connected by road, rail and air to Delhi and the northern plains, which makes visiting practical. The Contact page gives directions from the ISBT, the railway station and Jolly Grant airport.
A common mix-up is worth clearing up: the National Defence Academy is at Khadakwasla near Pune, not in Dehradun. Dehradun is where students prepare for it, and where Army cadets later train at the IMA.
Separate hostels for boys and girls
Boys and girls live in separate hostels, and a mess is run for residents. We think that parents of girls deserve extra detail, which is why the Hostel and Mess page lists the questions we suggest you ask, and why we encourage a visit before admission. Girls can prepare with us for the NDA, CDS, AFCAT and the Military Nursing Service, and the NDA for girls page explains the route.
How we talk about results
Coaching advertising in India has often drawn criticism for inflated claims, and the Central Consumer Protection Authority issued guidelines on misleading coaching advertisements in 2024. We have set a strict rule for ourselves.
- We publish a result only when the candidate has agreed.
- Every entry shows the name, the exam, the year, the course the candidate took with us, and a link to the official merit list, so that anyone can check it.
- We do not publish running totals of selections, and we do not claim a share of a merit list that we cannot prove.
Until entries meet these conditions, our Results page will say so plainly instead of showing numbers. We would rather have a short page that is true than a long page that is not.
How we talk about fees
Fees are published. The Fee Structure page lists tuition for every course, the monthly hostel and mess charge, the one-time registration and the refundable security, and shows worked totals so that you can compare us with any other academy on equal terms. The exact fee, GST and instalment options are confirmed at counselling, and we encourage you to ask for them in writing.
The people who teach
An academy is only as good as the people in front of the class. We introduce faculty and mentors on the Faculty page with their role and background, but only once each person has approved their own profile, and we do not list anyone who has not. When you visit, ask to meet the teachers who would handle your child’s batch.
What we do not do
Trust is built as much by what an academy declines to say as by what it says.
- We do not promise selection. Selection depends on the candidate, the exam and the board, and no academy controls any of them.
- We do not name anyone as faculty or alumnus without their consent.
- We do not present stock imagery of the forces as our own. Where we use it, we credit it on the Image Credits page.
Where to find us
The academy is at Street 1, Subharti Road, Nanda Ki Chowki, Lower Kolhupani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, close to Prem Nagar. You can call or message us on +91 70170 31757, which is also our WhatsApp number. Directions and distances from the main arrival points are on the Contact page.
Prepare. Lead. Serve.
The line that sits at the foot of our website is also a fair summary of what we ask of students. Prepare properly, because the exams are competitive and the boards are thorough. Lead, because officer selection looks for people whom others follow. Serve, because the uniform is a responsibility before it is an honour.
If you would like to see how we work, the simplest step is a visit. Book free counselling and a counsellor will show you the classrooms, the hostel and the mess, and talk through the right course for your child.
Book free counselling
Leave your number and a counsellor will call you back.
Questions about the academy
FAQs
Questions parents ask us.
Can't find yours? Ask on WhatsApp; a counsellor usually replies within working hours.
Ask on WhatsAppWhere is GS India Defence Academy located?
Street 1, Subharti Road, Nanda Ki Chowki, Lower Kolhupani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, near Prem Nagar.
Which courses does the academy teach?
NDA and NDA Foundation, CDS, AFCAT, SSB interview training, MNS, Army TES and Navy technical entries, Agniveer, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard entries, RIMC, RMS, Sainik School, IMU CET and Merchant Navy.
Do you offer online classes?
No. All coaching is in the classroom in Dehradun.
Do you have hostels?
Yes. Boys and girls live in separate hostels, and a mess is run for residents.
Does the academy promise selection?
No. No academy can promise selection. We promise honest preparation, published fees and results that can be checked.
How can I contact the academy?
Call or message +91 70170 31757, or use the form on this page to request a call back.
Sources
Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisement in Coaching Sector, 2024, issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority under the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India. For current entry details, use the official portals: Join Indian Army and UPSC.