Seven Officers Training Schools were established to meet the escalated demand for officers during the turbulent years of World War II. The Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai was established in January 1963 as the Officers Training School (OTS) in the wake of the Chinese aggression to respond to the National Emergency declared during the period. The sudden growth in the demand for officers at the time, in fact, gave birth simultaneously to two Officers Training Schools, one each at Pune and Madras. While the school at Pune was closed down in 1964, the one in Madras continued to function. It evolved into a modern institution to become a premier precommission training academy in the country today.

Although the setting up process began in September 1962, the Officers Training School, Madras was formally inaugurated with Brig Ram Singh as its founder Commandant on January 15, 1963 by Mr C Subramanian, the then Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries.

On being granted a permanent status in 1985, the OTS was re-christened as the Officers Training Academy on January 1, 1988 placing it on a par with IMA and NDA.

The academy is located in a sprawling estate of 650 acres about 15 km south of the Chennai city.

To begin with, the OTS imparted training only to the cadets of Emergency Commission (EC) Courses. A formal government sanction was accorded for its new role on February 2, 1965 to train officers for the Short Service Regular Commission (non-tech) and the Short Service Regular Commission (compulsory service liability).

The Short Service Regular Commission (compulsory service liability) Course - 1 passed out of the OTS on Novermber 21, 1965 and the Short Service Regular Commission (non-tech) Course -1 passed out with a strength of 413 cadets on April 24,1966. The Short Service Regular Commission (compulsory service liability) was discontinued in May 1967 and the Short Service Commission for Technical Arms and Services was introduced on November 3, 1969 which lasted till March 1982. By then, the training of the Special List (SL) Officers and Regimental Commissioned Officers (RCOs) had also become a charter of the OTS on required basis and the first Special List Officers Course was conducted from October 12 to December 10 , 1970.

On the grant of government approval for the induction of women into the officer cadre, the onerous task of imparting them pre-commission training on behalf of the Army fell on OTA. The first Women’s Special Entry Scheme (officers) Course with 25 lady cadets got underway on September 21, 1992 after the specially customised infrastructure had been created. The syllabus helped them imbibe the essentials in a short span of 24 weeks as against 44 weeks for their male counterparts. The lady cadets formed a part of other companies till March 1998, when they were organised into a separate (Zojila) company.

With its growing reputation for excellence and professional commitment, the OTA has had the distinction to train cadets from foreign armies since 1980. A total of 74 cadets were commissioned into the Sri Lankan army after being put through an exclusive pre-commission course in 1980-81, and another 10 were commissioned into the Ugandan army after a training with SSC-67 in the year 1998.

The motto of the academy is ‘Serve with Honour’. It is depicted on the emblem with crossed swords which represent the profession of arms, and the Ashok Chakra representing honour.

By virtue of the short nature of their commission, a large number of the alumni of this academy have bright chances for a second career in the central services or the corporate sector. Several of them have joined the central and allied services under the facilitated scheme offered in 1960s to Emergency and Short Service Commissioned Officers. The scheme required the aspirants to take only three compulsory subjects in the entrance examination.

Since the capacity of NDA could not keep pace with the planned expansion, an NDA Wing was set up at the OTS in 1975-76 to train 50 cadets per term for the three-year degree course. Prior to this, an experts committee from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) visited the OTS to assess its suitability for running the course. Fiftyfive Regular Course was started in conformity with the recommendations of the JNU expert committee. Once established, the NDA Wing continued to function within the OTS till July 1977 when it was shifted to Ghorpadi in Pune.

The coveted President’s Colours were presented to the OTA on August 18, 1990 by Mr R Venkataraman, the then President of India.

The OTA moulds young men and women into dynamic and capable officers. The officers are trained to perform effectively while guarding national frontiers, quelling internal disturbances, assisting civil administration during natural calamities, countering low intensity conflicts and participating in peacekeeping missions.

The training at the OTA aims at inculcating moral values, leadership traits, mental and physical robustness, a spirit of adventure and a will to win. The training emphasises the need of camaraderie and a commitment to excellence based on the four pillars of duty, honour, integrity and self-esteem.

Although the duration of training used to be changed to meet the emerging exigencies from time to time, it was reverted to 44 weeks in 1972 and this has remained unchanged so far. The training includes service training with camps, TEWTs and outdoor exercises, and General Awareness Training. While the first prepares the cadets for the command of an infantry platoon in war and during peace, the second provides the essential orientation towards technological advancement and the power of reasoning and expression.

Speech training to help the gentlemen cadets overcome glaring regional angularities and develop communication skills as well as leadership and management traits are accorded due importance in the curriculum. Traditional methods of ‘chalk and talk’ have given way to the extensive use of audio and visual aids. These include an audio-visual feedback system incorporating the best of micro-teaching and educational technology for generating an interest in multimedia research.

The extensive deployment of the Indian Army for counter-insurgency operations (CI operations) necessitated some restructuring of the curriculum at OTA. A CI operation capsule incorporating jungle lane shooting as well as the creation of a mock tribal village to impart training in cordon and search operations and house clearance drills was introduced. Talks and discussions on CI-operations related case studies are held with experienced service officers.

Lectures form a part of an ongoing series by experts in diverse fields who are invited to improve cadets’ awareness on various subjects.

The OTA entered the age of information technology with the inauguration of a state-of-the-art computer centre in February last year. The centre is equipped with pentium computers along with necessary peripherals. The centre has the capacity to train 70 cadets at a time. The work has also been completed on the Local Area Network (LAN) comprising 27 nodes for automation of the entire campus which became functional in April last year. The requisite software for the automation of cadets dossiers is at an advanced stage of preparation. This stride in information technology is bound to revolutionise all facets of functioning at OTA. An additional sum of Rs 50 lakh has already been allotted for further development in the field. Another multimedia computer lab along with a state-of-the-art language lab incorporating the latest language teaching software is now in the offing.

Competition is of paramount importance in a training programme in order to draw the best from the trainees. Numerous prizes and awards instituted include the Sword of Honour for the overall best Gentleman Cadet and the gold medal for the overall best lady cadet. Collective excellence and team spirit are fostered by the Chief of the Army Staff Banner and the Commandant’s Banner awarded to the companies declared all-round-best in a term in various events.

The OTA alumni have also made an enduring mark in the sports field. In 1973, the Battalion Under Officer Harcharan Singh was one of the star performers of the Indian hockey team in the World Cup Hocky Championship held at Amsterdam. Later, he also represented India at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and was conferred the Arjuna Award in 1981. Capt Romeo James, another alumnus, was the goalkeeper for the Indian hockey team at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

The academy’s Riding and Polo Club has taken part in national level tournaments and has distinguished itself. Its imperssive array of achievements includes the Madras Gold Polo Vase won in 1983 by defeating 61 Cavalry. The club has the distinction of having won the Kolanka Cup, entered in the Guinness Book as the world’s tallest cup, more than once.

The officers of the OTA have distinguished themselves in combat with a series of heroic actions that are outstanding and worthy of the highest accolades. The academy’s Roll of Honour includes 152 alumni who have sacrificed in the service of their motherland. Emblazoned in gold in the Hut of Remembrance, their names live forever and so does their saga of courage.

A large number of OTA’s alumni have been decorated for gallantry. In Kargil operations four OTA alumni who were awarded Mahavir Chakra included Maj Padmapani Acharya (posthumous), Lt Balwan Singh, Maj Sonam Wang Chuk and Lt Keishing Clifford Nongrum (posthumous). The special Kargil Corner in the Cadets Mess ante-room commemorates their heroism and houses their personal relics.

The present tally of gallantry awards won by the alumin of OTA is one Param Vir Chakra, four Ashok Chakra, nine Mahavir Chakra, four Kirti Chakra, forty Vir Chakra, sixteen Shaurya Chakra and one hundred twenty Sena Medals.

All these years the OTA has been housed in a temporary accommodation. In 1999, a decision was taken to locate the academy permanently in Chennai and to finalise its key location plan with an enhanced capacity of 750 cadets as against the existing 500.