Academy: Bonded For Life

by Rohit Agarwal, Anshuman Chatterjee (Illustrator)

A light hearted account of times and travails of an NDA Cadet. How young boys, barely out of school, learn to cope with a grueling military routine, gradually transforming into young military leaders. The junior terms, where every aspect of life is under supervision. Where the slightest of transgressions result in hours of misery. Where every senior seems to be eight feet tall, with only one purpose in life- to make yours miserable. Where bicycles ride you more often than you ride them, and horses take a perverse pleasure inn throwing you off. Bonds of friendship are forged on the hot furnace of concrete floors in the battalion area, cemented over Swiss rolls in the cafe.
Time passes, you start taking the rough with the smooth in your stride. Then the ascent up the ladder of seniority. Growing swagger, confidence and fitness with each passing term. Camps that stretch your endurance to its limits. Fun and games punctuated with occasional interventions by the officialdom resulting in Sunday trips to Sinhgarh. PT Tests, Swimming Tests, Academic Tests, Liberties and passing out parade. Stronger, wiser and a couple of inches taller you pass out under the quarterdeck and move on to the next stage in your service.
But you leave a piece of you behind. And you take away a bit of the Academy with you, deeply embedded in your psyche. It reflects in everything you do, and remains with you for the rest of your life.

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 31, 2020

About the author

A post-graduate in Strategy from Chennai University, and MBA in International Marketing from IIFT, New Delhi, Rohit Agarwal is a certified Master Trainer for International Finance Corporation (IFC - World Bank Group), assessor for Learning & Performance Institute, UK, and a certified trainer for Franklin Covey’s ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ program. He has 33 years of professional consulting and training experience, including 20 years in Indian Army. He writes on History, Military History and has also dabbled in Fiction.

Reviews

[Akshaya Handa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for the alumni to relive their youth. Hilarious and yet touching, truthful and yet maybe unbelievable to those who have not experienced NDA. Must read for those who want to understand us, especially the families

[Anubhav Shrivastava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book is amazing. Needs a review from editor and publisher's part as it has lots of spelling and printing mistakes.

[Deepti Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply awesome! Almost Wodehousian in places. I laughed out loud many a time and read out several passages to hubby, who's an army kid. But it isn't just a laugh riot. It makes your chest swell in pride for these young boys who would go on to risk their lives, losing them or losing their limbs, for something often derided by some of the worthless as mere patriotism....

[Rhea Manocha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the book. Worth reading

[Ronald Mate · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading this book, it made me feel like I was right there in NDA, experiencing the rigours of the academy and the hellbent desire of the seniors to make life hell for the cadets. This is the type of life that you wouldn't get anywhere, and the bonds and camaraderie that you form here last for life...
From the first term at the Academy wing to the last term at the POP, this was an amazing journey. Loved every bit of it.

[Rupin Chaudhry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A laugh riot bordering sadism and ridiculous adherence to uniformity and adherence to rules and traditions. On a serious note the author, by depicting the trials and travails of an NDA cadet, goes own to show how the academy life destroys a boy and constructs a man out of him with the qualities befitting the ones desired by the defence forces.

Highly recommend for everyone.

[Tarunkanti Sia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good insight into what life in NDA is like