NDA Eligibility Criteria 2023- Age Limit, Qualification & Physical Standards

NDA Eligibility 2022-23  

The NDA eligibility metrics are decided by the Union Public Service Commission UPSC NDA . Aspirants willing to appear for NDA exams should fulfill the specified NDA Eligibility Criteria. Female candidates are also priveliged to apply for the NDA 2023 exam.

The eligibility benchmark of NDA is made up of four main aspects that are imperative for applicants to fulfill. The four major aspects of NDA eligibility are:

1. Age Limit, Marital Status & Gender

2. Citizenship/Nationality

3. Educational Qualification

4. Physical/ Medical Qualification

NDA Eligibility criteria includes a variation of guidelines. Eligible and interested candidates who meet the NDA exam eligibility criteria 2023 can fill the NDA application form 2023 online. According to the UPSC notification 2023, candidates between the age group of 16.5 to 19.5 years must have passed class 12th on or before December 21st, 2022 . To dive deep into relevant details, candidates can check the official NDA Notification. 

NDA Eligibility

UPSC releases a detailed description of the Naval Academy eligibility condition imperative for the exam in the official notice. In the notice they have highlighted the detailed eligibility conditions.

Aspirants must go through NDA eligibility conditions 

• Mere issue of an Admission Certificate to the candidate will not intimate that his candidature has been finally cleared by the Commission.

• UPSC conducts verification of eligibility benchmark with reference to original documents.

• Verification is done after  the candidate qualifies for the interview and Personality Test.

• The conducting body has the right to withhold the candidature of the applicant at any stage of recruitment in case he/she is found to be not fulfilling the required benchmark  and,

• If the candidate is appointed, in such a case he/she is legally responsible  to be removed from service.

• A candidate on the off- chance a certificate of eligibility is necessary may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been posed  to him by the Government of India.

One of the indispensable considerations when registering for the NDA exam is the qualifying requirements for the NDA. The applicant must meet all qualifying benchmarks  in order to advance in the hiring process. After examining the openings and determining if they comply with all eligibility requirements, both male and female candidates may produce applications for the exam. According to a recent NDA notification, candidates who were not born earlier than 02 January 2004 or later than 01 January 2007 are eligible to apply for the exam.

To continue with the exam selection procedure, candidates must first satisfy all of the given NDA qualifying requirements. Be aware that the eligibility requirements for applicants to the Navy and Air Force may differ from those for the Army.

Previously , the NDA was open only to male candidates for various services but eventually  since 2021 UPSC has made openings for female candidates eligible for the NDA examination.  A Candidate  will be called for SSB Interview only if he/she qualifies the written test.

NDA Eligibility for Female Candidates

The Supreme Court of India issued a short term judgment allowing female candidates to register for the exam.

• The NDA eligibility for female candidates is the same as for male candidates, according to UPSC.

• For female applicants to the NDA Exam, the height, weight, and vision benchmark  are the same as for male applicants.

• Female candidates must comply with the same NDA requirements as male candidates, including marital status.

• Male and female candidates’ physical requirements must be equivalent.

Detailed NDA Eligibility is as mentioned below:

NDA Eligibility- Age Limit

NDA I Age Limit – Only unmarried male and female candidates born not earlier than 2nd July 2003 and not later than 1st July 2006 fulfill the eligibility for the NDA exam.

NDA II Age Limit – Only unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2nd January 2003 and not later than 1st January 2006 are eligible for the NDA exam.

Candidates should be between the age of 15.5 years and 19 years to be eligible for the exam.

NDA Age Limit for Girls

To join NDA the eligibility of female & male is the same age. According to the official NDA 2 2022 notification, which was published on May 18, 2022, both male and female aspirants  who are single and were born between January 2, 2004, and January 1, 2007, are eligible to sit for the exam.

Important Note – 

• Married females and male candidates are not eligible to apply for the NDA Exam.

• The date of birth mentioned in the application must be the same as that is mentioned  in the Matriculation/ 10th/ Secondary School Leaving Certificate.

• Candidates need to submit certificates for proof of age after the announcement of the result of the written exam.

• Candidates must stick up for  not to marry until they complete their full training.A candidate who would marries during training shall be discharged and will be legally responsible 

•  to refund all expenditures acquired by him by the Government.

Candidates of a mind  to appear for the NDA examination must go through the detailed NDA Syllabus and exam pattern to kickstart their preparation. 

NDA Eligibility – Nationality / Citizenship

Candidates of a mind to appear for the National Defence Academy or Naval Academy exam are required to fulfill the NDA eligibility condition in terms of Nationality Or Citizenship.

Only the aspirants who fulfill the following conditions of benchmark  will be allowed to appear for the examination. 

1. A citizen of India, or

2. A subject of Nepal, or

3. A subject of Bhutan, or

4. A Tibetan refugee permanently settled in India from and before January 1, 1962.

5. A person of Indian origin migrated from Pakistan, the United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Zaire Sri Lanka, Burma, East African countries of Uganda, Kenya,, Zambia, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the aspiration of permanently settling in India

6. If and only if a candidate belonging to categories (2), (3), (4) and (5) presents a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India to the recruiting body.

The Certificate of eligibility will not be necessary in the case of candidates who are Gorkha subjects of Nepal.

Eligibility for NDA – Education Qualification 

The  Union Public Service Commission has laid down  a minimum level of education qualification that a candidate must possess to be eligible for the NDA examination.

Aspirants must have passed at least the 12th Board exam from any board  to appear for NDA/NA examination. The detailed NDA education Qualification required is highlighted below:

Important pointers –

• Aspirants appearing in Class 12th or equivalent examination are entitled to apply

• Aspirants who are appearing in the 11th class exam are not entitled for this examination

• Candidates appearing in the 11th class exam are not entitled for this examination.

• Those candidates who have yet to certify in the 12th class or equivalent examination and are allowed to appear provided they submit proof of passing the 12th class or equivalent examination by the stupilate  date (i.e. 24th June 2023) and no request for extending this date will be entertained by virtue of of late conduct of Board/University Examination, delayed in declaration of results or any other ground whatsoever.

NDA Eligibility – Physical Standards

To fulfill the NDA Eligibility, expectant must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination as per instructions mentioned in the notification.

The NDA eligibility requirements for physical fitness change a little depending on the position for which a candidate is applying.

It must be noted that a candidate will be disqualified to register for the NDA exam in 2023 if he or she has left or pulled out from any of the training academies of the Armed Forces due to disciplinary reasons.

Below is a list of the essential NDA physical requirements.

NDA Eligibility: Height and Weight Requirement:

Indian Army: Height and Weight Requirements for Female NDA (Army) Candidates:

Height and Weight Standards for Male Candidates joining NDA (Army)

Under no means candidates weights below the minimum allowed to be accepted. In age-specific categories, the maximum permissible  weight for height has been set. Only candidates with substantiate evidence of body building, wrestling, or boxing at the national level will have weights over the permitted limit. In such circumstances, the following requirements must be satisfied.

• The BMI should not be more than 25.

• For men, the optimal waist circumference is 90 cm, and for women, 80 cm.

• The range of all biochemical metabolic counts should be normal.Male and female waist-hip ratios should be less than 0.9 and 0.8, respectively.

Note – 

• 10% varying  on the higher side of average is acceptable.

• Height is non-restricted up to 2 cm where the Medical Board certifies that the candidate is likely to grow and develop to the required standard on completion of his training.

• Relaxation of 2 cm in minimum height standard is given to candidates of Lakshadweep region.

• The minimum height requirement for female candidates to join the armed forces is 152 cm and for male candidates is 157cm. 

• Candidates from the Garhwal and Kumaon regions, as well as Gorkhas and the North Eastern Hills of India, are  allowed with a minimum height of 148 cm for females and 152 cm for male candidates. 

• A grant  for growth of 02 cm will be made for candidates below 18 yrs at the time of examination. 

• The Flying Branch demands  a minimum height of 163 cm. Other anthropometric requirements laid  forth by Flying Branch comprise  sitting height, leg length and thigh length.

Indian Navy: Height and Weight Standards for Male and Female candidates in Indian Navy

Aspirants who wish to join the Navy are required to fulfill the following requirements –

• Sitting Height: The minimum of 81.50 cm and the maximum is 96 cm

• Leg Length: The minimum of 99 cms and maximum of 120 cms

• Thigh Length: Maximum of 64 cms

Only candidates validating evidence of bodybuilding, wrestling, or boxing at the national level will have weights over the said  limit. In such circumstances, the following requirements must be satisfied.

• The BMI should be less than 25.

• Males should have a waist-to-hip ratio that is less than 0.9 and females less than 0.8.

• Males  waist circumference under 90 cm, and ladies should have one under 80 cm.

• The range of all biochemical metabolic measures should be normal.

Indian Air Force:  Height and Weight Standards for Male candidates in Indian Air Force

Flying Branch demands a minimum height of 162.5 cm. For such aircrew, the following measures for, thigh length,leg and length sitting height are acceptable:

• Minimum sitting height is  81.5 cm 96.0 cm is the maximum

• Minimum Leg Length is 99.0 cm No more than 120.0 cm

• Maximum Thigh Length is  64.0 cm. 

• Entry into Ground Duty branches is a minimum height of 157.5 cm.

The minimum permissible height is 5 cm less for Gorkhas and people from Uttarakhand’s hilly regions and North-Eastern India (152.5 cm). The minimum  height for candidates from Lakshadweep might be lowered by 2 centimeters (155.5 cm).

Height and Weight Standards for Female candidates in Indian Air Force

The minimum height  requirement of the Flying Branch is 162.5 cm.

• Minimum sitting height is 81.5 cm 96.0 cm is the maximum.

• Minimum Leg Length is  99.0 cm No more than 120.0 cm

• Maximum Thigh Length is 64.0 cm

• Ground Duty branches will require  you to be 152 cm tall minimum. 

• The minimum required  height is 5 cm less for Gorkhas and people from Uttarakhand’s hilly regions and North-Eastern India (147 cm). The minimum height for candidates from Lakshadweep might be lowered by 2 centimeters (150 cm).

Only under extraordinary conditions  the  weights above the maximum be permitted for candidates (both men and women) who can provide evidence of their participation in bodybuilding, boxing, and wrestling. However, in certain circumstances, the following requirements must be satisfied:

• BMI needs to be under 27.

• Waist Hip Ratios of male and  female should be less than 0.9 and 0.8, respectively.

• For males, the optimal  waist circumference is 94 cm, and for females, 89 cm.

• Every biochemical metabolic metric needs to fall within the normal range.

NDA Eligibility – Visual Standards

The following visual standards must be met to be eligible for NDA exam:

NDA Physical Fitness: 

Aspirants must get themselves medically scrutinized to make sure that they do not suffer from any of the following minor conditions as well-

• Wax (Ears)

• Piles

• Deviated Nasal Septum

• Condition of Overweight / Underweight

• Under Sized Chest

• Tonsillitis

• Gynaecomastia

• VaricoceleHydrocele / Phimosis

Following conditions will entail female candidates being declared unfit:

• Primary or secondary amenorrhoea

•  Pregnancy 

• Stress urinary incontinence

• Endometriosis and Adenomyosis.

• Submucous fibroid of any size.

• 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

• Congenital elongation of cervix or prolapse which comes outside the introitus even after corrective surgery.

• Complex ovarian cyst of any size.

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

• Simple ovarian cyst more than six cm.Any other condition will be considered on the merits of each case by the Gynaecologist. 

• Acute or chronic pelvic infection.

• Disorders of sexual differentiation.

• Congenital uterine anomalies except for the arcuate uterus.

• Severe Menorrhagia or/ and severe dysmenorrhea.

NDA Physical Fitness: Case of Body Tattoos

• The candidates must make sure that any permanent body tattoos (if any) are limited to the forearm’s inner side.

• Tattoos on the inside of the elbow to the wrist, as well as on the rear (dorsal) side of the hand, will never be accepted by UPSC.

• Any other body part with a permanent tattoo is also unacceptable.

• Acceptance will be determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the traditions involved, in the event that the applicant happens to be a member of a tribe where having tattoos on the face or body is traditional. In such cases, the decision of the authorities shall be final.

NDA Eligibility- Miscellaneous

The NDA exam has a number of eligibility requirements, and candidates are shortlisted based on their physical fitness. It is recommended that they go for a complete medical examination before submitting their application. According to NDA eligibility, the following are the guidelines for the physical test requirements:

• The candidate must be in good physical and mental health, free from all the  illness, and without any disabilities.

• The candidate should not have any history of mental breakdowns or fits

• Bones/Joints should not be impaired in any function and should work appropriately

• Untreated hernias will result in disqualification. An operation on a hernia should be performed one year prior to the last medical examination.

• Any disease affecting the abdominal internal organs will result in disqualification.

• USG abdomen examination will be performed and any congenital structural anomaly will lead to disqualification.

• NDA eligibility states that the candidate should not be of weak constitution, or overweight/underweight.

• After full extension, the chest should not measure less than 81 cm. After full inspiration, the chest should expand by at least 5 cm. To check for any disease, a chest X-ray will be taken.

• The candidates are advised to impair minor defects/ailments.

• The candidate’s liver and spleen have to be of average size.

• The heart and blood vessels shouldn’t have any biological or functional diseases.

• The hearing should be normal. The candidate should be able to hear a whisper with each ear at a distance of 610 cm. There should not be any disease of the ear, nose, and throat.

• There should be no piles, hydrocele, varicocele, or other skin conditions.

• The applicant should have a sufficient number of natural and sound teeth. There should be a minimum of 14 dental points.

• Blood Pressure should be normal.

The NDA eligibility in terms of physical and medical standards is much more than mentioned above. Hence, candidates are advised to go through the official notification for further clarification on National Defence Academy Eligibility Criteria.