UPSC NDA

The notice lists 394 vacancies. The Army wing of NDA has the largest share (208), followed by the Air Force wing (Flying 92, Ground Duties Tech 18 and Ground Duties Non-Tech 10), the Navy wing (42) and the Naval Academy's 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme (24). All Navy and Naval Academy vacancies are in the Executive branch.

Women can apply to every wing: 24 of the 394 vacancies are for female candidates. The notice says the vacancies are provisional and may change depending on the training capacity of the academies.

Only unmarried male and female candidates born not earlier than 1 January 2008 and not later than 1 January 2011 are eligible. The Commission accepts only the date of birth recorded in your Matriculation / Secondary School certificate (or equivalent) available on the date you apply.

You must undertake not to marry until you complete your full training. A candidate who marries after applying will not be selected for training, and a candidate who marries during training will be discharged and must refund all expenditure the Government has incurred on them.

For the Army wing of NDA you need a Class 12 pass of the 10+2 pattern, or an equivalent examination, from a State Education Board or University. For the Air Force and Navy wings of NDA and for the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme at the Naval Academy, the Class 12 pass must be with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

Candidates appearing in Class 12 can also apply, but must submit proof of passing by 10 June 2027 or their candidature will be cancelled. Candidates appearing in Class 11 are not eligible.

On nationality, you must be a citizen of India; a subject of Nepal; or a person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia, or Vietnam to settle permanently in India. Candidates in the last two groups need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India; Gorkha subjects of Nepal do not.

The written examination has two papers of 2½ hours each: Mathematics (code 01) for 300 marks and the General Ability Test (code 02) for 600 marks, a written total of 900. The General Ability Test has Part A, English (200 marks), and Part B, General Knowledge (400 marks).

All questions are objective. The Mathematics paper and Part B of the General Ability Test are set in both Hindi and English; Part A is the English paper. You mark answers on an answer sheet with a black ball pen only.

One third (0.33) of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for every wrong answer. There is no penalty for a question left unanswered.

The Commission may fix qualifying marks in any or all subjects. You must reach the minimum qualifying marks separately in the written examination (fixed by the Commission) and in the SSB tests (fixed by the SSB).

The English part tests your understanding of English and workmanlike use of words, covering grammar and usage, vocabulary, comprehension and cohesion in extended text. The General Knowledge part is divided into six sections; the notice gives an approximate weightage for each.

Candidates who qualify in the written examination are called before a Services Selection Board for an Intelligence and Personality Test, which carries 900 marks.

The SSB follows a two-stage procedure. Stage I, held on the first day of reporting, comprises Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and the Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT); candidates are shortlisted on their combined performance. Only those who clear Stage I go on to Stage II: an interview, Group Testing Officer tasks, psychology tests and a conference, conducted over 4 days.

Candidates are assessed by an Interviewing Officer, a Group Testing Officer and a Psychologist.

Air Force candidates must also qualify the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS). Candidates who fail CPSS may still be considered for Air Force Ground Duties if they are willing.

You must be physically and mentally fit according to the prescribed physical standards for admission to the National Defence Academy. Recommended candidates are examined by a Board of Service Medical Officers. Medical standards are governed by the Joint Order Manual of Medical Standards for Entry into Armed Forces (1st Edition), available on joinindianarmy.nic.in.

Selected candidates train for 3 years at the National Defence Academy, academically and physically. Army cadets then go to the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun; Naval cadets to the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala; and Air Force cadets, including the Ground Duty Non-Tech stream, to the Air Force Academy, Hyderabad.

Male and female cadets receive a stipend of ₹56,100 per month (starting pay of Level 10) for the entire duration of training in the service academies. On commissioning, a Lieutenant is in Level 10 (₹56,100 – ₹1,77,500), with Military Service Pay of ₹15,500 per month fixed for officers from Lieutenant to Brigadier. Allowances are paid as per rules; the notice does not print an in-hand figure, so none is shown here.