The National Defence Academy recruitment process is held by the UPSC twice each year (NDA 1 and NDA 2).
Candidates who qualify for the SSB after the UPSC NDA written exams (paper 1 - maths and paper 2 - General Ability Test or GAT) and clear the SSB undergo rigorous training.
During the entire duration of the training in the service academies such as the IMA, the Gentleman Cadets receive a monthly stipend of INR 56,100 (starting pay in level 10).