A Haryana student can join residential NDA coaching at GS India Defence Academy in Dehradun, and for the north of the state the trip is short: Yamunanagar is about 98 km away, Ambala 139 km and Karnal 182 km. Hisar, Rewari and Bhiwani sit more than 300 km out and need a longer plan. Haryana has three UPSC exam centres, two Sainik Schools and one daily direct train on its north-eastern edge. The sections below set out each of those facts and the nearest option for every Haryana town in our city data.
Where in Haryana can a candidate write the NDA paper?
UPSC’s NDA and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026 notice names three Haryana centres: Faridabad, Gurugram and Hisar. Faridabad and Gurugram also appear in the CDS (II) 2026 notice, but Hisar does not. The NDA list has 86 centres and the CDS list 84, and Hisar and Kannur are the two that only the NDA has. A Haryana student who plans both papers should not assume Hisar will be available for the CDS. UPSC allots centres first-apply-first-allot up to a ceiling and will not change a centre on request, so the early applicant gets the choice.
| Haryana town | Is it a UPSC centre? | Nearest centre, straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Hisar | Yes, NDA only | Hisar |
| Bhiwani | No | Hisar, about 59 km |
| Jhajjar | No | Gurugram, about 40 km |
| Rewari | No | Gurugram, about 50 km |
| Rohtak | No | Gurugram, about 65 km |
| Yamunanagar | No | Dehradun, about 75 km |
| Panipat | No | Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), about 85 km |
| Kurukshetra | No | Chandigarh, about 85 km |
| Karnal | No | Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), about 105 km |
| Ambala | No | Chandigarh, about 39 km |
Which trains and buses connect Haryana to Dehradun?
Only the northern strip has a direct train. The 14632 Amritsar-Dehradun Express runs daily, leaving Ambala Cantt at 03:20 and Yamunanagar Jagadhri at 04:05 and reaching Dehradun at 09:45. From Rewari the only direct train in our data is the Saturday Okha-Dehradun Uttaranchal Express. Most of the rest of the state goes to Haridwar first and covers the last 60 km or so by road. These times come from the erail.in timetable read on 12 October 2026; confirm them on IRCTC or NTES.
| Town | Road to the academy | Rail in our timetable data |
|---|---|---|
| Yamunanagar | 98 km, about 1.4 h | 14632 Express to Dehradun, 04:05 to 09:45 (5h 40m, daily) |
| Ambala | 139 km, about 2.2 h | 14632 Express to Dehradun, 03:20 to 09:45 (6h 25m, daily) |
| Kurukshetra | 154 km, about 2.2 h | 14717 Bikaner-Haridwar Express, 10:22 to 15:00 (4h 38m, Tue, Thu, Sat) |
| Karnal | 182 km, about 2.5 h | 14717 to Haridwar, 09:57 to 15:00 (5h 03m, Tue, Thu, Sat) |
| Panipat | 217 km, about 2.9 h | 14717 to Haridwar, 09:32 to 15:00 (5h 28m, Tue, Thu, Sat) |
| Rohtak | 252 km, about 3.7 h | 14717 to Haridwar, 07:28 to 15:00 (7h 32m, Tue, Thu, Sat) |
| Jhajjar | 263 km, about 3.7 h | No train to Dehradun or Haridwar in the timetable |
| Bhiwani | 307 km, about 4.2 h | 14717 to Haridwar, 05:30 to 15:00 (9h 30m, Tue, Thu, Sat) |
| Rewari | 327 km, about 4.3 h | 19565 Okha-Dehradun Uttaranchal Express, 08:20 to 19:20 (11h 00m, Saturday) |
| Hisar | 345 km, about 4.3 h | 19271 Bhavnagar-Haridwar Express, 18:05 to 03:40 (9h 35m, Tue, Fri) |
For buses, UTC (Uttarakhand Transport Corporation) lists services from Dehradun ISBT to Delhi Kashmiri Gate via Karnal, a Karnal-Dehradun ISBT service, Haridwar-Rohtak via Muzaffarnagar, Tanakpur-Panipat via Bijnor and Haldwani-Kurukshetra via Saharanpur. It lists no Dehradun-Ambala route, and the list gives no class or timings, so check utconline.uk.gov.in. If you want to talk a route through, call or WhatsApp +91 70170 31757 and ask for free counselling; the team can explain how a hostel stay works for a student who lives far away.
Which Sainik Schools are in Haryana?
The Sainik Schools Society’s list of existing schools includes two in Haryana. Sainik School Kunjpura stands off the G.T. Road, about 8 km from Karnal town, and is one of the first five Sainik Schools, founded in 1961. Sainik School Rewari is in the village of Gothra Tappa Khori in Rewari district and was inaugurated in August 2008, according to its own website. By straight line Kunjpura is 9 km from Karnal, 37 km from Kurukshetra, 38 km from Panipat, 50 km from Yamunanagar and 79 km from Ambala. Rewari is 48 km from Jhajjar, 79 km from Rohtak and 82 km from Bhiwani, and 75 km from Delhi.
Entry to either school is by the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination, conducted by NTA, into Class VI or Class IX. A Ministry of Defence list of 23 partnership approvals from September 2023 names one in the state: Smt. Kesari Devi Lohia Jairam Public School in Kurukshetra. Whether a partnership school is operating and admitting is a separate question, so confirm it on the Society’s New Schools page. Start with our AISSEE admission guide and the Sainik School coaching page.
Is there a Haryana quota at RIMC?
RIMC does not publish one. Its admission page says generally one vacancy per State is allotted, some States with larger population get up to two, and seats may vary every year. A figure for Haryana does not appear in that text. For the July 2027 term the process moves fully online through NTA, from the December 2026 examination; the age window is 12½ to 14 years, the test is at NTA centres, and RIMC will not issue forms itself or through State Government offices. The college is in Dehradun, so a Haryana family that reaches the academy is already in the same city. See the RIMC admission guide for the steps.
What defence landmarks sit in Haryana?
Ambala is the headquarters of II Corps, known as Kharga Corps. Hisar Military Station is the base headquarters of 33 Armoured Division. Rewari is known for sending a high proportion of soldiers and officers into the forces, and is linked with the 1962 stand of C Company, 13 Kumaon, at Rezang La. Sarsawa Air Force Station is about 17 km from Yamunanagar. These are places a child may have heard of, not partners of the academy.
Which of our pages cover Haryana towns?
The Ambala page is live and covers the daily Dehradun train and II Corps. Chandigarh, 39 km from Ambala and a UPSC centre, has its own Chandigarh page. Gurugram and Faridabad are covered on the Delhi NCR page. The northern towns are the closest to Dehradun: Yamunanagar, Karnal, Kurukshetra and Panipat. The south and west are covered by Hisar, Rewari, Rohtak, Bhiwani and Jhajjar.
Questions from Haryana families
FAQs
Questions parents ask us.
Can't find yours? Ask on WhatsApp; a counsellor usually replies within working hours.
Ask on WhatsAppWhich Haryana cities are UPSC centres for the NDA?
UPSC's NDA (II) 2026 notice lists Faridabad, Gurugram and Hisar. The CDS (II) 2026 notice lists Faridabad and Gurugram but not Hisar.
Is there a direct train from Ambala or Yamunanagar to Dehradun?
Yes. Our timetable data shows the 14632 Amritsar-Dehradun Express daily, leaving Ambala Cantt at 03:20 and Yamunanagar Jagadhri at 04:05 and reaching Dehradun at 09:45. Confirm on IRCTC before booking.
How can a student from Rewari or Hisar reach Dehradun?
Rewari has a Saturday direct train, the 19565 Okha-Dehradun Uttaranchal Express, which takes about 11 hours. Hisar has trains to Haridwar on Tuesday and Friday, then about 60 km by road. Road distance is 327 km from Rewari and 345 km from Hisar.
How many Sainik Schools does Haryana have?
The Sainik Schools Society lists two in Haryana, Sainik School Kunjpura and Sainik School Rewari. Both admit through the AISSEE for Class VI or Class IX.
Does RIMC reserve seats for Haryana?
RIMC's admission page says one vacancy per State is generally allotted, up to two for larger States, and that seats may vary every year. It names no Haryana number.
Is there a girls' hostel for Haryana students?
Yes. The academy has separate hostels for boys and girls, with a mess. Call or WhatsApp +91 70170 31757 to plan a visit.
Sources
UPSC notices: NDA and NA (II) 2026 and CDS (II) 2026, dated 20 May 2026. RIMC: admission page. Sainik Schools Society: existing schools and new schools; school locations from the school websites (sskunjpura.org, ssrw.org). Partnership approvals: Ministry of Defence list of 23 schools, September 2023. Buses: UTC route list. Trains: erail.in, to be re-checked on IRCTC or NTES. Road distances and drive times: OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap, approximate. Corps and station notes: Wikipedia pages for Ambala, Hisar, Rewari and Yamunanagar, as listed in our city research. Facts verified on 12 October 2026.
Haryana students who have passed Class 12 can begin with our NDA coaching in Dehradun; it is classroom teaching at the academy only, and the fee structure page shows how fees are confirmed.
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