Eligibility for National Defence Academy

Your interest in knowing about eligibility for the National Defence Academy is reflecting your inner zeal to join NDA. National Defense Academy, of course, is considered to be a very honorable career option among youth today. A career in NDA offers a very bright future for students who have completed their schooling and are passionate about it.

NDA needs people who are dedicated to the nation without bothering about themselves. For this, one needs to be passionate enough about the post. The best thing about  NDA is that the government takes good care of professional development and provides handsome monetary compensation to the officers in Indian defense services, who join after selection through the NDA exam process.

Here in this article complete information about eligibility for the National Defence Academy is shared. Before getting into the details, let’s have an overview of the UPSC NDA exam from the table below. 

Particulars	Details
Name of the Exam	NDA
NDA Full Form	National Defence Academy
Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission
Exam Level	National
Post	Lieutenant
Gender and Marital Requirement	Unmarried Female and Male
NDA Age Limit	Upper Age – 18.7 years Lower Age – 15.7 years
NDA Educational Qualifications	Army Wing – Pass certificate in 10+2 exam For Air Force and Naval Wings – Passing Certification of Class 12th exam with Physics and Mathematics
Selection Process	Written Test  SSB Interview

Criteria of Eligibility for National Defence Academy Exam:

NDA eligibility criteria are set up by UPSC. The male and female eligibility criteria include Nationality, Age limit,  Educational qualification, and medical & physical standard requirements. Let’s start with the latest change in the criteria of eligibility for the National Defence Academy.

Now women candidates can also take admission to the NDA after completing class 12 for the first-ever time. A writ petition was filed by Kush Kalra in the Supreme Court to allow women to appear for the prestigious NDA exam. The petition raised an objection against the issue of violation of Articles 14, 15, 16, and 19 of the Constitution of India by not allowing the desired female candidates in the NDA exam. In response to the same on 18 Aug 2021, The Supreme Court has asked the center to allow women candidates to participate in the NDA exam. It can be said a big change in the criteria of eligibility for the National Defence Academy.  The entry of women into the NDA is a gateway to permanent commission in the armed forces.

Eligibility for National Defence Academy for Women :

Preparations are underway at the NDA,  Khadakwasla (Pune) for the induction of women cadets. The Ministry of Defense will formulate age, nature of training, intake strength, training standards, medical and physical standards for women candidates. Women candidates would be allotted  separate physical infrastructure and residential quarters including separate bathrooms, swimming pools, equitation, games and sports facilities.

Standard requirements and eligibility for National Defence Academy :  Nationality

To be eligible for NDA, a candidate must be either one of the following-

1. A citizen of India or 

2. A subject of Nepal or

3. A subject of Bhutan

4. A tibetan refugee who came over to India before January 1,1962 with the intention of permanently setting in India or 

5. A PIO (the persona of Indian origin) who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, and East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, and Ethiopia or Vietnam With the intention of permanently settling in India.

Candidates belonging to categories 2, 3,4, and 5 must be a person in whose favor a certificate of eligibility for National Defence Academy has been issued by the Indian government. 

Eligibility Criteria : Age Limit

 Age: 16.5-18 Years

Educational Qualification Criteria:

The educational qualification essential for admission to the different academies is given below.

Posts	Required Educational Criteria
Army Wing of NDA Exam	Pass certificate in 10+2 exam via recognized board or a University.
Air Force and Naval Wings of National Defence Academy	Candidates should have passed their 10+2 or equivalent from State Education Board or University with Physics and Mathematics.
10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme at the Indian Naval Academy	Candidates should have passed their 10+2 or equivalent from State Education Board or University with Physics and Mathematics.

Physical Fitness and Medical Standards:

There are certain requirements pertaining to the NDA physical fitness that must be fulfilled by the aspiring candidates. The criteria of fitness eligibility for national defence academy vary slightly according to the different posts. Required Physical Criteria are listed below.

Unacceptable Health Issues: 

Candidates must not be suffering from any of these at the time of NDA medical exam –

• Wax (Ears) 
• Deviated Nasal Septum
• Hydrocele / Phimosis
• Condition of Overweight / Underweight 
• Under Sized Chest 
• Piles 
• Tonsillitis
• Gynaecomastia 
• Varicocele

Guidelines regarding Tattoos : 

• The candidates must ensure that any permanent body tattoos are present only on the inner side of the forearm. 
• UPSC doesn’t accept tattoos on the inside of the elbow to the wrist and on the reverse side of the palm/backside of the hand. 
• In case a candidate belongs to a tribe where it is tradition to have a tattoo, acceptance will be granted considering the traditions involved

X-Ray Exam

Any of the following conditions may disqualify the candidature of candidates. 

• The granulomatous disease of the spine. 
• Arthritis / Spondylosis
• Scoliosis is more than 15 degrees as measured by the cobb’s method. 
• Compression fracture of Vertebra
• Sacralisation Disease 
• Atlanto- occipital and atlanto-axial anomalies
• Spina Bifida other than SV 1 and LV 5 if completely sacralized

Eligibility for National Defence Academy : Height and Weight 

Requirements for Army Officers:

Candidates need to follow the guidelines laid down by the recruitment body. 

• Body Mass Index should be below 25.
• waist Hip Ratio should be below 0.9 for males and 0.8 for females. 
• Waist Circumference should be less than 90 cm for males and 80 cm for females. 
• All biochemical metabolic parameters should be within normal limits. 
• The details in this regard are discussed below. 

Height & Weight for Army and Air Force:

Height (in cms)

Weight (in kgs)