About NDA

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NDA provides the opportunity to young candidates to become a part of a very large family of Indian Defence forces ( the Indian Army, Air Force, or Navy) and serve the mother. NDA or National Defence Academy examination is conducted by UPSC twice a year, 1st in the month of April and 2nd in the month of September. To join NDA, candidates have to qualify NDA written exam.

At such a young age, NDA provides job security, Respect, purpose in life, chance to serve the mother India, formidable Glamour, International Postings & Facility for the families and the option to become a scholar as well as a warrior.

 

Why Lakshya Academy?

• Special Doubts classes for weak Students.

• Full Study Material.Highly Experienced, Dedicated & Permanent Faculty for each Subjects.

• Top NDA Caoching Delhi. 

• Maximum Batches of 40 Students with Individual attention to all students.

• Combined Package of NDA Written and SSB interview.

• Spoken English and Personality Development Classes.

• Crash Course Available for 12th Class appearing students.

NDA exam pattern for both the papers is given below:

Mathematics

Paper I- Mathematics
Subject	Code	Duration	Maximum Marks
Mathematics	01	2½ hours	300
General Ability Test	02	2½ hours	600
Total	-	-	900
SSB Test/Interview	-	-	900

General Ability

Paper II- General Ability
Total Marks	600 marks
Total No. of Questions	150
No. of questions in English Section	50
No. Of questions in General knowledge Section	100
Maximum Marks for English	200 marks
Maximum Marks for G.K.	400 marks
Marks for Correct Answer	4 marks in both sections
Marks for Incorrect Answer	-1.33 marks in both sections
Exam Duration	2.5 Hours

Eligibility criteria

Nationality

All the candidates need to meet the criteria with regard to nationality to be eligible for application. To be eligible for NDA 2020, a candidate must be either one of the following:

• A citizen of India

• A subject of Nepal

• A subject of Bhutan

• A Tibetan refugee who moved to India, before January 1, 1962 with the intention of settling here permanently

• A PIO (Person of Indian origin) is someone who has migrated from the countries specified below, with the intention of permanently settling in India. The nationals from the following countries would fall under this category.

• Pakistan

• Burma

• Sri Lanka

• East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania (Formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar ), Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia

• Vietnam

DO NOTE: It must be noted that all the foreign nationals are required to produce a certificate of NDA eligibility criteria that has been issued by the Government of India. This certificate will however not be needed in case of those candidates who are Gorkha subjects of Nepal.

AGE CRITERIA

• For NDA I, candidates must have born between 2^ndJuly 2001to1^stJuly 2004.

• For NDA II, candidates should have born between 2^ndJanuary 2002to1^stJuly 2005.

Educational Qualification

The academic qualifications vary slightly according to the post that the candidate has applied for. The details of educational qualification for different posts are specified below:

The details of educational qualification for different posts are specified below:

• For Army Wing of National Defence Academy: Pass certificate in 10+2 exams via recognized board or a University.

• For Air Force and Naval Wings of National Defence Academy and for the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme at the Indian Naval Academy: Candidates should have passed Class 12th exam in the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equivalent with Physics and Mathematics conducted by a State Education Board or a University.

• It must be noted that candidates studying in Class 11 are not eligible for appearing in NDA 2020 1 or 2.

• Those candidates who have failed INSB / PABT earlier will not be considered eligible for recruitment in the Air Force.

• Those candidates, who are currently studying in Class 12 at the time of application, must submit proof of passing the exam by the deadline. Requests for extending the due date would not be entertained on any grounds.

• It must also be noted that the candidates who have been debarred by the Ministry of Defence from holding any type of Commission in the Defence Services will be considered ineligible for admission to the exam.

Physical Eligibility

There are certain requirements pertaining to the physical fitness or features that must be fulfilled by the candidate at the time of submitting NDA Application forms.

• The NDA eligibility criteria would vary slightly according to the post for which the candidate is applying.

• It must be understood that if a candidate has resigned or withdrawn from any of the training academies of the Armed Forces, on disciplinary grounds, he will not be considered eligible to apply for NDA 2020.

The required physical criteria are listed below.

Undesirable health issues

The candidate must not be suffering from any of these minor conditions at the time of medical examination

• >Wax (Ears)

• Deviated Nasal Septum

• Hydrocele / Phimosis

• Condition of Overweight / Underweight

• Under Sized Chest

• Piles

• Tonsillitis

• Gynaecomastia

• Varicocele

Case of Body Tattoos

• The candidate must ensure that any permanent body tattoos are present only on the inner side of the forearm.

• Under no circumstances will UPSC accept tattoos on the inside of the elbow to the wrist and on the reverse side of the palm/back (dorsal) side of the hand.

• Permanent body tattoos on any other part of the body are also not acceptable.

• In case the candidate happens to belong to a tribe where it is customary to have tattoo marks on the face or body, acceptance will be granted on a case to case basis, considering the traditions involved. The decision of authorities would be final in such instances.

Height and Weight Requirements

Army and Air Force

• Candidates must note that the minimum height measurement specified is 157 cms (162.5 cms for Air Force).

• For Gorkhas and those belonging to hills of the North-Eastern areas of India, Garhwal, and Kumaon, the minimum height will be 5 cms less than the usual figure.

• On the other hand, for candidates belonging to the Lakshadweep islands, the minimum height standard may be reduced by 2 cms.

The details in this regard are discussed below.

Height in cm	Weight in Kg
-	16-17 years	17-18 years	18-19 years
152	42.5	44.0	45.0
155	43.5	45.3	47.0
157	45.0	47.0	48.0
160	46.0	48.0	49.0
162	48.0	50.0	51.0
165	50.0	52.0	53.0
167	51.0	53.0	54.0
170	52.5	55.0	56.0
173	54.5	57.0	58.0
175	56.0	59.0	60.0
178	58.0	61.0	62.0
180	60.0	63.0	64.5
183	62.5	65	66

Navy

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The standards are different for Navy posts and the particulars are summarized below:

Height in cm	Weight in Kg
-	16 years	18 years	20 years
152	44	45	46
155	45	46	47
157	46	47	49
160	47	48	50
162	48	50	52
165	50	52	53
167	52	53	55
170	53	55	57
173	55	57	59
175	57	59	61
178	59	61	62
180	61	63	64
183	63	65	67

In case the candidate wishes to be pilot in the Air Force, the following requirements will have to be kept in mind, due to constraints of the flying vehicle:

• Leg Length: Minimum of 99 cms and Maximum of 120 cms

• Thigh Length: Minimum is not applicable while Maximum of 64 cms

• Sitting Height: Minimum of 81.50 cms and Maximum of 96 cms

Spinal Conditions:

Presence of any of these conditions will disqualify the candidate immediately:

• Granulomatous disease of the spine

• Arthritis/spondylosis (Rheumatoid arthritis and allied disorders / Ankylosing spondylitis / Osteoarthritis, spondylosis and degenerative joint disease / Non-articular rheumatism (e.g. lesions of the rotator cuff, tennis elbow, recurrent lumbago, etc.) & Miscellaneous disorders including SLE, polymyositis, vasculitis.

• Spondylolisthesis / spondylolysis.

• Compression fracture of vertebrae.

• SC Heuermans disease (Adolescent kyphosis)

• Loss of cervical lordosis when associated with clinically restricted movements of the cervical spine.

• Unilateral / Bilateral cervical ribs with demon stable neurological or circulatory deficit.

• Scoliosis is more than 15 degrees as measured by Cobbs method.

• Degenerative Disc. Disease.

• Presence of Schmorls nodes at more than one level.

• Atlanto-occipital and atlantoaxial anomalies.

• Hemi vertebrae and/or incomplete block (fused) vertebrae at any level in cervical, dorsal or lumbar spine and complete block (fused) vertebrae at more than one level in cervical or dorsal spine.

• Unilateral Sacralisation or lumbarisation (Complete or incomplete) at all levels and bilateral incomplete sacralisation or lumbarisation.

Any other abnormality if so considered by the specialist.

X-Ray Exam

There will be a separate presence of any of the following conditions will disqualify the applicant for posts of Armed Forces:

• Granulomatous disease of the spine.

• Arthritis / spondylosis

• Scoliosis is more than 15 degrees as measured by Cobbs Method (10 degrees for Army and Navy).

• More than mild Kyphosis/Lordosis

• Spondylolisthesis / Spondylosis / Spondylolysis

• Herniated nucleus pulposus.

• Compression fracture of Vertebra.

• Sacralisation Disease

• Cervical ribs with demonstrable neurological or Circulatory deficit.

• Presence of Schmorls node at more than one level.

• Atlanto-occipital and atlanto-axial anomalies.

• Incomplete Sacralisation Unilateral or Bilateral

• Spina Bifida other than SV 1 and LV 5 if completely Sacralised

• Any other abnormality, if so considered by specialist

Visual Standards

• The distance vision (corrected) of the candidate should be 6/6 in the better eye and 6/9 in the worse eye.

• Myopia should not be more than 2.5 D and hypermetropia not more than 3.5 D, including Astigmatism.

• It must be remembered that an internal examination of the eye will be done by means of an ophthalmoscope to rule out any possibility of eye diseases.

• Candidates must possess good binocular vision. The colour vision standard for the Army is (CP-III).

• The ability to recognize red and green colours is vital.

• Certificate that neither the candidate nor any member of his family has suffered from congenital night blindness, will have to be produced.

• Another noteworthy point is that candidates who have undergone Radial Keratotomy, to improve their visual acuity, or Laser Surgery, will be permanently rejected for all Services.

The details of eyesight levels for different posts are provided below:

Condition	Naval	Air Force
Uncorrected without glass	6/6	6/6, 6/9
Corrected with glass	6/6	6/6 (only for Hypermetropia)
Limits of Myopia	-0.75	Nil
Limits of Hypermetropia	+1.5	+2.00 D Sph
Limits of Colour Perception	I	Nil
Binocular Vision	III	Nil
Manifest Myopia	N.A.	Nil Re
Retinoscopic Myopia	N.A.	0.5
Colour Vision	N.A.	CP-I (MLT)
Astigmatism	N.A.	+0.75 Cyl (within + 2.0 D.Max)
Near Vision	N.A.	N-5 each eye

NDA miscellaneous conditions

Vision standard for Army candidates
Distance Vision (Corrected)	Better Eye 6/6; Worse Eye 6/9
Colour vision	CP-III (Defective Safe).
Myopia should be less than -2.5D including astigmatism and manifest hypermetropia should be less than +3.5D including Astigmatism.

 

Other miscellaneous conditions

There are a few other physical conditions besides the above-mentioned criteria that candidates should fulfill. These criteria are specific to specific wings of defence forces.

• No symptoms of a weak constitution or bodily defects.

• A well-developed chest; fully expanded chest should not be less than 81cms. The minimum range of expansion after full inspiration should be 5 cms.

• No mal-development or impairment of the function of the bones or joints.

• No past history of mental breakdown or fits.

• Normal hearing capabilities - Candidate should be able to hear a forced whisper with each ear at a distance of 610 cms. in a quiet room.

• No impediment of speech.

• Normal Blood Pressure with no signs of functional or organic disease of the heart and blood vessels.

• No enlargement of liver or spleen.

• No abnormality in urine examination

• No presence of any kind of skin disease, likely to cause disability or disfigurement

• No abnormalities in USG abdomen examination

• A sufficient number of natural and sound teeth. A minimum of 14 dental points will be accepted.

• Routine ECG for Air Force candidates must fall within normal limits.

NDA Eligibility FAQs

Who are Not Eligible For Applying NDA 2020?

• If the aspirants are married, are not eligible to apply for the exam.

• If the candidates have withdrawn or resigned from the disciplinary grounds of training academies of armed forces, cannot apply for NDA 2020 exam.

• The aspirants, who have not cleared their PABT/CPSS exam, can't apply for the Air Force exam.

• If the aspirants are debarred by the Defence Ministry, then the NDA exam is not for them

• Lastly, the 11^th standard pursuing students cannot apply for NDA 2020 exam.