Indian Military Academy / Chetwode Hall, Dehradun - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 7 km from Dehradun Railway Station, Indian Military Academy is located on NH-72 in Dehradun.

The Indian Military Academy (IMA) is a training academy setup in 1932 to train officers of the Indian Army. In order to establish Indian Military Academy, the government acquired the former Railway College of Dehradun. The beautiful main building of IMA is called Chetwode Building. The academy was named after Field Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode. He was the Commander-in-Chief of India at the time of establishment of the IMA and had also inaugurated the new academy.

The academy is renowned for producing brave army officers who have shown valour in several wards. Initially, it started with a batch of 40 Cadets. The first commandant of this academy was Brigadier L.P. Collins. The first course had great soldiers like Sam Manekshaw, Smith Dun and Mohammad Musa, all of whom went on to become chiefs of armies of different countries - India, Burma and Pakistan.

The campus of the IMA is spread over an area of 1400 acres. The IMA is fully equipped with lecture halls, computer labs, a library with over 100,000 books and periodicals from around the world, a cafe and an auditorium with a seating capacity of 2000 people. Museum, War Memorial, Shooting Demonstration Room and 18-holes Golf Course are some of the attractions located within the Academy.

Visitors need special permission to enter the campus. However, the academy is open to general public on the GC day which is the graduation day of their cadets.