NDA Eligibility

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the National Defence Academy (NDA) exam. The exam is conducted to recruit cadets and train them in three services, namely the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF).

Nationality

• The candidate must be an unmarried Indian citizen or a subject of Nepal, provided the candidate possesses a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India

• Candidate can be an Indian origin migrated person, migrated from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Zambia, Zaire, Vietnam, Burma, East African countries of Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, or Ethiopia, with the intention of being permanently settled in India

Note: Candidates who belong to the Gorkha subjects of Nepal are not bound to display the certificate of eligibility.

Age Limit

• Applicants who want to apply for NDA should be born  between July 2, 2003 and July 1, 2006

NOTE: The date of birth that will be considered is the one entered in Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) certificate or in a certificate that fulfils the following conditions-

• It is recognised by an Indian University as equivalent to Matriculation

• It should be in an extract from the Register of Matriculates that is maintained by an institution that must be certified by the authorities of the university, or in the SSLC level of exam or an equivalent type of examination certificates

The above listed certificates need to be submitted after the release of the result of the written part of the exam. Any certificate such as affidavits, horoscopes, birth extracts from Municipal corporation, etc, other than the SSLC certificate, pertaining to age limit is not acceptable.

NOTE: Candidates should keep the following things in mind while fulfilling the eligibility criteria regarding age limit-

• No changes will be allowed once the date of birth, as per the Matriculation certificate, has been entered into the records of the commission in order to complete the admission process

• Candidates will be liable to face disciplinary action under the rules of commission, if variation of any kind is found at any stage of the exam pertaining to their age limit

• Thus, candidates are required to be careful while filling in the application form

• Once the application form is submitted, no further changes can be made by the applicant under any circumstances

Educational Qualifications

The following conditions regarding educational qualifications must be fulfilled by candidates-

1. For the Army Wing of NDA – Candidates should have qualified 12th standard of the 10+2 pattern of school or equivalent exam that is conducted by a State Board or University.

2. For Air force and Naval Wings of National Defence Academy and for the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme at the Indian Naval Academy- Applicants must have passed 10+2 with Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry from a 10+2 pattern of school or equivalent that is conducted either by a State Board of Education or University.

Applicants who are appearing in the 12th class are eligible to apply for the exam as well.

Candidates who have qualified for the SSB interview but have not produced SSLC/10+2/ or any equivalent certificate in its original form at the time of the SSB interview have to forward the duly self-attested photocopies. The copies need to be submitted within stipulated time. Failing to submit the document by the specified dates will lead to the cancellation of their candidature.

Candidates who are able to produce/have produced their required documents in original, at the time of SSB interview, and have got it verified by the authorities of the SSB, do not require to submit the self attested photocopies of the required documents to the Army HQ or Naval HQ.

In case the certificate has not been issued by the university or institution, candidates are allowed to submit a certificate that is issued by the Principal of the institution. However, the certificate should be submitted in its original form and photocopies will not be accepted.

In exceptional cases, the commission may treat a candidate as qualified, even though he/she does not possess any prescribed educational qualifications, provided his qualifications justify his admission to the examination in the opinion of the commission.

NOTE 1: Candidates who are pursuing class 11th or appearing for the same exam are not eligible to apply for this examination.

NOTE 2: Candidates who have not yet cleared their 12th exam are allowed to appear in the UPSC exam must know that it’s a special concession provided to them. Those candidates need to submit the proof of qualifying the 12th exam or equivalent by the specified date i.e. 24th December, 2022 at any condition. No extension of the date will be entertained on any ground such as late conduct of the Board/University, delay in declaration of results, or any other reason whatsoever.

NOTE 3: Candidates who have been debarred by the Ministry of Defence from holding any type of Commission pertaining to Defence Services will not be considered eligible for admission to the exam. If they get admitted, their candidature will be cancelled after taking the notice of the same.

NOTE 4: Applicants who failed PABT/CPSS earlier will be eligible for Air force in  Ground duty branches, if they display their willingness in the online application form that is available on the official website of the commission.

Applicants who were withdrawn or resigned on disciplinary grounds from any of the Armed Forces training academies will not be eligible to apply for the same.

Marital Status

• Candidates, male or female, who want to appear for the NDA exam should be unmarried

• Candidates must keep in mind that they are not allowed to marry until the completion of their training. Any participant who gets married subsequent to any level of examination, even if successful, will not be selected for his training or any participant who gets married in the middle of his training will be discharged from the same and liable to refund all expenses spent on him by the Government of India.

Physical Standards

Candidates are required to be physically fit as per the physical standards to get admitted to the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination.

Physical fitness eligibility criteria-

Candidates must rectify the minor ailments listed below. It will help expedite the process of the medical examination conducted at the Military hospital,

• Hydrocele/Phimosis

• Wax (Ears)

• Under sized chest

• Gynaecomastia

• Varicocele

• Deviated Nasal septum

• Overweight/underweight

• Piles

• Tonsillitis

NOTE: Permanent tattoos are allowed only when it’s on the inner part of the forearm or if it’s from the inside of the elbow to the wrist and on the back side of the palm/dorsal side of the hand. Permanent tattoos on parts other than the mentioned ones are not acceptable. Candidates who belong to any tribe and have tattoo marks on body or face pertaining to their traditions may be eligible on a case to case basis. The Comdt. the selection Centre will be the competent authority for considering such cases.

Medical Examination of Female Candidates

• 9. Candidates need to fill in the questionnaire that will ask questions regarding their gynaecological, menstrual, and Obstetric history.

  10. Candidates will have to go through a detailed physical and systemic examination.She would be examined by a lady Gynaecologist or female medical officer only.

  11. The detailed physical examination will include the following inspections –

• External genitalia

• Evidence of lump breast and galactorrhoea

• Hernial orifices and the perineum

• Any evidence of stress urinary incontinence or genital prolapsed outside introitus

  9. Unmarried female candidates will not be eligible for the speculum or per vaginal examination.

  10. Female candidates will have to go through ultrasound scans of the abdomen and pelvis during the initial medical examination.

  11.  Following conditions in female candidates may lead to them being declared unfit as per the physical standards set by the authorities-

      • Primary or secondary amenorrhea

      • Stress urinary incontinence

      • Congenital elongation of cervix or prolapse coming out of the introitus even after corrective surgery

      • Submucous fibroid of any size

      • Congenital uterine anomalies except for arcuate uterus

      • Pregnancy. Pregnancy will be a cause of rejection

      • Simple ovarian cyst more than six cm

      • Single fibroid uterus more than three cm in diameter; fibroids more than two in number (each fibroid not more than fifteen mm in diameter) or fibroids causing distortion of the endometrial cavity.

      • Complex ovarian cyst of any size

      • Broad ligament or cervical fibroid of any size causing pressure over the ureter

      • Endometriosis and Adenomyosis

      • Disorders of sexual differentiation

      • Acute or chronic pelvic infection

      • Severe Menorrhagia or/ and severe dysmenorrhea

      • Any other condition will be considered on the merits of each case by the Gynaecologist

  12. The following conditions are considered as FIT for female candidates-a)Minimal fluid in the pouch of Douglas.b)Unilocular clear ovarian cyst up to 6 cm.

  13. Laparoscopic surgery or laparotomy- Candidates will be considered fit if they have gone through cystectomy or myomectomy, provided the candidate is asymptomatic, ultrasound pelvis is normal, histopathology of tissues that have been removed is benign and operative findings do not indicate towards endometriosis. The fitness will be taken into consideration after 12 weeks of the surgery and when the wound has completely healed. Candidates will be declared fit after one year of laparotomy surgery.

  14. If any oddity related to external genitalia is found in female candidates, it will be considered as per the merits of each case. Significant hirsutism, or growth of hair on body and face, especially with a male pattern of hair growth, in addition to radiological evidence of PCOS, may warrant rejection of the application.

NOTE: To be considered medically fit, candidates must be in good physical as well as mental health. He/she should be free from any syndrome/disease/disability that could interfere with the efficiency of the candidate and hinder his/her performance of military duties in any climate, terrain, or season including air and sea, in austere conditions with no medical facilities, or in remote areas. Applicants should also not be afflicted with any medical condition that necessitates frequent visits to the doctor or require him/her to take medicine.

Medical Standards

The following things should be considered by candidates pertaining to medical standards-

• • 1. Candidates should not have any evidence of weakness, any congenital deformities/syndrome/diseases/malformation, imperfect development of any system.

    2. Candidates must not have any swelling that includes tumours/swollen lymph nodes/cyst/ on any part of the body. In addition to that, they should also not have any sinus or fistula on the body.

    3. No hypo or hyper pigmentation or any other disability/syndrome/disease of skin is acceptable.

    4. Should not have hernia on the body.

    5. Should not have any scars that can hamper the functioning and may lead to disfigurement.

    6. No arteriovenous malformation is acceptable anywhere in the body.

    7. There should be no deformation on the face or head including asymmetry, scars indicating old operative interference, deformity from fractures or depression of the bones of the skull, and malformation like fistulae and sinuses, etc.

    8. Impairment of vision such as field of vision and colour perception is not acceptable.

    9. Hearing impairment, deformities in ears vestibulocochlear system is not permissible.

    10. Should not have impediment of speech because of any aetiology.

    11. Should not have any disease/congenital anomaly/disability/syndrome of the bones or cartilages of the nose, or palate, nasal polyps or disease of the naso-Pharynx, accessory sinuses, and uvula. Should also not have any nasal deformity and features of chronic tonsillitis.

    12. Any disability/disease/syndrome related to throat, gums, palate tonsils, or any disease that affects the normal function of either mandibular joint is not acceptable.

    13. Any disease or syndrome related to heart and blood vessels that may include congenital, organic, genetic including hypertension and conduction disorders is not acceptable.

    14. Should not have anything related to pulmonary tuberculosis or a history of this or any other disease or disability/chronic diseases of lungs and chest that includes immunological conditions, musculoskeletal deformities of chest, connective tissues disorder.

    15. Any disability regarding digestive system including abnormalities of liver, pancreas including endocrine, hereditary or genetic disease, congenital syndromes are not acceptable.

    16. Should not have any disease of any reticuloendothelial system, endocrine system.

    17. Any disease related to the genito-urinary system including atrophy/hypertrophy of any gland or organ, malformation is unacceptable.

    18. Should not have any active, congenital, or latent venereal disease.

    19. Should not be a patient of any mental disease, incontinence of urine or enuresis, or epilepsy.

    20. Should not have any syndrome related to musculoskeletal system and joints including spine, limbs, and skull.

    21. Should not have any history of congenital or hereditary disease or syndrome.

There are a few medical conditions that may lead to rejection. Those conditions are listed below-

• • 1. Musculoskeletal deformities of spine, chest and pelvis, limbs, for eg. torticollis, scoliosis, kyphosis, deformities of ribs, clavicle, vertebrae, sternum, and other bones of skeleton, malunited fractures, deformed fingers, limbs, toes, and congenital deformities of spine.

    2. Deformities of limbs – Deformed toes, limbs, and fingers, deformed joints like cubitus varus, cubitus valgus, bow legs, knock knees, hyper mobile joints, amputated fingers or toes, and shortened limbs.

    3. Vision and eye- Hypermetropia, myopia, astigmatism, lens, lesions of cornea, retina, ptosis, and squint.

    4. Hearing ears, nose and throat- Substandard hearing capability, tympanic membranes, deviated Nasal septum, lesions of pinna, middle ear, and congenital abnormalities of lips, preauricular sinuses, palate, and lymphadenitis/ adenopathy of neck. The hearing capacity should be 610 cm for the conversational voice and forced whispering for each other.

    5. Dental conditions –

       • Incipient pathological conditions of jaws that are known to be recurrent or progressive.

       • Jaw discrepancies between upper and lower jaw that may hamper efficient mastication or/and speech can lead to rejection.

       • Symptomatic temporo- Mandibular joint clicking and tenderness. Dislocation of the TMJ on wide opening, and mouth opening of less than 30 mm measured at the incisal edges.

       • Potentially cancerous conditions

       • Clinical diagnosis for sub mucous fibrosis with/without restrictions on mouth opening

       • Poor oral health status in the form of visible and gross calculus, periodontal pockets or/and gum bleedings

       • Loose teeth- No more than two mobile teeth are acceptable

       •  Cosmetic or post traumatic maxillofacial surgery/trauma is considered unfit for a minimum of 24 weeks from the date of surgery or injury whichever is later

       • Malocclusion of teeth that hampers efficient mastication, general nutrition,  maintenance of oral hygiene, or performance of duties efficiently

    6. Chest – Evidence of tuberculosis, or tuberculosis itself, lesions of heart, lungs, musculoskeletal lesions of the chest wall.

    7. Abdomen and genito-urinary system- Undescended testis, hernia, varicocele, solitary kidney, organomegaly, horseshoe kidney, and cysts in the liver/kidney, gallbladder stones, ureteric and renal stones, lesions/deformities of urogenital organs, sinuses, piles, and lymphadenitis/pathy.

    8. Nervous system- Tremors, speech impediment, and imbalance.

    9. Skin- Vitiligo, warts, haemangiomas, corns, dermatitis, hyperhidrosis, and skin infection growth.