The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the Joint Services academy of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the three services, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force train together before they go on to respective service academies for further pre-commissioning training. The NDA is located in Khadakwasla, Pune, Maharashtra. It is the first tri-service academy in the world.Applicants to the NDA are selected via a written exam conducted by the UPSC, followed by extensive interviews by the SSB covering general aptitude, psychological testing, team skills as well as physical and social skills, along with medical tests. Incoming classes are accepted twice a year for semesters starting in July and January. About 4,50,000 applicants sit for each written exam every year. Typically, about 6,300 of these are invited to interview. Only unmarried male candidates are eligible for NDA & NA Examination. The minimum age should be 16 and half years and maximum age should be 19 and half years. Applicants to join the Air Force also go through a Pilot Aptitude Battery Test. About 320 cadets are accepted to the academy each semester. About 70 cadets are accepted for the Air Force, 42 for the Navy and 208 for the Army.
Cadets who are accepted and successfully complete the program are sent to their respective training academies for one year of training before granting of commission: army cadets go to Indian Military Academy (IMA) at Dehradun, air force cadets to Air Force Academy (AFA) at Dundigal, Hyderabad, and naval cadets to Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhimala, Kerala.
NDA Eligibility :
(a) Nationality :
A candidate must either be :
(i). a citizen of India, or
(ii). a subject of Bhutan, or
(iii). a subject of Nepal, or
(iv). a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before the 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
(v). a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v) above shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.
Certificate of eligibility will not, however, be necessary in the case of candidates who are Gorkha subjects of Nepal.
(b) Age Limits, Sex and Marital Status :
A candidate must be an unmarried male and have born not earlier than 2nd January 2001 and not later than 1st January 2004
Candidates must not marry until they complete their full training. A candidate who marries subsequent to the date of his application, though successful will not be selected for training.
A candidate who marries during training shall be discharged and will be liable to refund all expenditure incurred on him by the Government.
(c) UPSC NDA Educational Qualifications :
1. For Army wing of National Defence Academy :- 12th Class pass of the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equivalent examination conducted by a State Education Board or a 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 :- 12th Class pass of the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equilvalent with Physics and Mathematics conducted by a State Education Board or a University.
Candidates who are appearing in the 12th Class under the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equivalent examination can also apply.
Candidates appearing in the 11th class exam are not eligible for this examination.
Those candidates who have yet to qualify in the 12th class or equivalent examination and are allowed to appear in the UPSC Examination should note that this is only a special concession given to them. They are required to submit proof of passing the 12th class or equivalent examination by the prescribed date (i.e.24th December, 2019) and no request for extending this date will be entertained on the grounds of late conduct of Board/University Examination, delay in declaration of results or any other ground whatsoever
(d) UPSC NDA Physical Standards : Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination as per guidelines given :
Candidates are advised to rectify minor defects/ailments in order to speed up finalisation of medical examination conducted at the Military Hospital after being recommended at the SSB. The undermentioned ailments are considered, common minor ailments :
Wax (Ears), Deviated Nasal Septum, Hydrocele/Phimosis, Overweight/Underweight, Under sized Chest, Piles, Gynaecomastia, Tonsillitis, Varicocele
A candidate recommended by the Services Selection Board will undergo a medical examination by a Board of Service Medical Officers. Only those candidates will be admitted to the academy who are declared fit by the Medical Board. The proceedings of the Medical Board are confidential and will not be divulged to anyone. However the candidates declared unfit will be intimated by the President of the Medical Board and the procedure for request for an Appeal Medical Board will also be intimated to the candidate.
Candidates declared unfit during Appeal Medical Board will be intimated about the provision of Review Medical Board.
(1) The candidate must be in good physical and mental health and free from any disease/disability which is likely in interfere with the efficient performance of military duties.
(2) There should be no evidence of weak constitution, bodily defects or under weight. The candidate should not be overweight or obese.
(3) The minimum acceptable height is 157.5 cms. (162.5 cms for Air Force)
Please refer to brochure for further details on height and weight standards (e) How To Apply UPSC NDA Application Form :
Candidates are required to apply Online by using the website www.upsconline.nic.in
(f) FEE : Candidates (excepting SC/ST candidates/Sons of JCOs/NCOs/ORs who are exempted from payment of fee) are required to pay a fee of Rs. 100/- (Rupees one hundred only) either by depositing the money in any Branch of SBI by cash, or by using net banking facility of State Bank of India or by using Visa/MasterCard/Rupay Credit/Debit Card.
UPSC NDA Exam Dates and Schedule
Tentative Schedule (Examination held twice a year) (i) Notification of Examination Sept. - Oct. & May - June (ii) Conduct of Examination March - April & Aug. - Sept. UPSC NDA Examination Centres
The list is not exhaustive. Please refer to brochure
Agartala Delhi Kohima Sambalpur Ahmedabad Dharwar Kolkata Shillong Aizwal Dispur Lucknow Shimla Allahabad Gangtok Madurai Srinagar Bangalore Hyderabad Mumbai Thiruvanathapuram Bareilly Imphal Nagpur Tirupati Bhopal Itanagar Panaji (Goa) Udaipur Chandigarh Jaipur Patna Vishakhapatnam Chennai Jammu Port Blair Cuttack Jorhat Raipur Dehradun Kochi Ranchi
The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the Joint Services academy of the Indian A...Read More