CDS Salary 2023 - Training Stipend, Allowances & Perks After 7th Pay Commission

CDS Salary 2023 – Candidates on clearing the CDS exam undergo Cadet training during which the officers in Army, Navy or equivalent posts get fixed stipend which is the base salary in Level 10. The starting salary of CDS i.e. the training stipend is 56,100/ per month.

Combined Defense Service exam is a Defense entrance exam through which eligible candidates are inducted in various Defense training academies to serve the nation. Further information on the CDS exam is available on the link provided here.

Besides, candidates must be aware of the promotions, basic pay, in-hand salary, various perks and benefits, etc. they are entitled to on joining the CDS. Thus, the article collates relevant information on CDS salary and related aspects.

Aspirants of other Government exams can get the relevant information about other upcoming exams on the given link.

CDS Salary

As mentioned earlier, the stipend given to the gentlemen or lady cadets during the training in the respective academies is Rs 56,100 per month. The training period is not treated as the commissioned service. Once the candidates are commissioned successfully, the CDS salary of officers will be in the pay matrix of level 10 and will be liable to get all the arrears remaining on the basis of their pay matrix with effect from their training period.

The table below highlights the CDS Salary based on different Ranks –

Note* The Military Service Pay (MSP) to the officers from the rank of Lieutenant to Brigadier is a fixed amount of Rs 15,500 per month.

Candidates willing to join defense academy through the National Defense Academy examination can check the NDA Salary in detail in the given link.

Aspirants of other government exams can check the linked article for post-wise salary structure

CDS Allowances & Perks To INA/IMA/OTA/AFA Officers

Officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force are given attractive CDS Salary. Apart from the salary, they are entitled to various allowances and perks as well. Dearness Allowance, Flying Allowance, Uniform Allowance, High Altitude allowance are a few allowances that officers get besides the CDS salary. All these allowances are mentioned in detail below –

• Qualification Grant

Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed Higher Qualification Incentive (HQI). Order for HQI is yet to be issued by MoD.

• Flying allowance: The Army Aviators (Pilots) serving in the Army Aviation Corps are entitled to flying allowance. The lieutenant and above rank in level 10 get Rs 25,000 per month (R1H1 of Risk and Hardship Matrix) fixed as flying allowance.
• Dearness Allowance and Kit Allowance –

• Field Area Allowance – Depending upon rank and area of posting, officers posted to Field Areas are entitled to Field Area Allces. Lieutenant and above ranks with level 10 and above are eligible for field area allce as mentioned below:

• Siachen Allowance & High Altitude allowances – Candidates posted to Siachen are entitled to Siachen Allowance of Rs 42,500/- per month. Similarly, officers recruited through CDS and posted to high altitude region are benefited with the following allowances –

• Other Allowances-

• Travel Allowance – Travel Allce (TPTA) for pay level 9 and above is as follows –

Important points related to Travel allowance –

1. Higher TPTA Cities (UA) are Patna, Lucknow, Kolkata, Delhi, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad, Surat, Kochi, Bengaluru, Kozhikode, Indore, Nagpur, Pune, Greater Mumbai, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Ghaziabad, Chennai.
2. The TPTA allowance is admissible to those service personnel of NDA who have been provided with the facility of Government transport.
3. Officers of NDA in Pay Level 14 and above, who are entitled to use an official car, have the option to avail official car facility or to draw the TPTA of Rs 15,750/ +Dearness Allowance thereon.
4. The allowance is admissible for the calendar months wholly covered by leave.
5. The physically disabled service personnel will continue to be paid at double rate, subject to a minimum of Rs 2,250/ + Dearness Allowances.

• Children Education Allowance –

Promotion – CDS Career Growth

The avenues for CDS promotion are different for all the armed forces. Below mentioned are the CDS promotion policies under the respective academies –

CDS Career growth in IMA and INA –

Note* Selected candidates may be appointed as cadets on reporting at the Indian Naval Academy. The cadets shall be commissioned in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant after successful completion of approximately 18 months of training.

CDS Career Growth – Air Force Academy

Grant of Group Captain (select) and higher ranks is only by selections. Promising officers have a fair chance of getting higher promotions to the air ranks of Air Commodore, Air Vice Marshal, Air Marshal and Air Chief marshal.

CDS Promotion Policy in OTA – Officers Training Academy

Candidates selected in OTA are enrolled as Gentleman/Lady Cadets and will undergo a course of training for a period of 49 weeks approximately. On successful completion of training Gentleman/Lady Cadets are granted Short Service Commission in the rank of Lieutenant (SSCOs). Candidates in OTA are eligible for CDS promotion in the following ranks-

1. Captain – On completion of 2 years of reckonable commissioned service
2. Major – On completion of 6 years of reckonable commissioned service
3. Lieutenant Colonel – On completion of 13 years of reckonable commissioned service

Aspirants can go through the CDS examination related information on the following links:

• CDS Notification
• CDS Result

CDS Perks & Other Benefits

1. Leave and Leave Travel Concession: officers in the Army, Navy and Air Force are entitled to Annual Leave of 60 days a year and Casual Leave of 20 days a year. Officers of CDS are authorized encashment of Annual Leave up to 10 days along with Leave Travel Concession to the extent of a total of 60 days in a career span to cover incidental expenses on travel.
2. Other Privileges: The officers and their families are entitled to free medical aid, accommodation on concessional rent, group insurance scheme, group housing scheme, family assistance scheme, canteen facilities, etc.

Candidates willing to apply for the Combined defense services can go through CDS Eligibility in detail.

Aspirants of CDS exam and other government examination can check the given links for assistance –

• Government Exam Free Online Mock Tests
• Government exam Previous Year Question Papers

Check details related to Government exams after 12th in the given link.

For further assistance on preparation, strategy and tips, important books, etc. look no further than BYJU’S.