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CDS Eligibility Criteria: UPSC CDS Nationality, Age Limit, Qualification For OTA, IMA, INA and AFA

upsc cds eligibility criteria

CDS Eligibility Criteria: Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam is organized by the Union Public Sevice Commission (UPSC) to screen eligible young men and women for admission to Indian Naval Academy (INA), Indian Military Academy (IMA), Air Force Academy (AFA)and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA).  The UPSC CDS exam is conducted twice a year, usually in the months of February and September as CDS 1 and CDS 2. Candidates must ensure they fulfil the CDS eligibility criteria before filling the CDS application form.

Eligible candidates can apply for the exam from the official website of UPSC – upsc.gov.in. As per UPSC guidelines, failing to meet the UPSC CDS eligibility criteria will lead to cancellation of candidature since the admission is provisional at all stages of the examination. So, in this article, we will provide you with detailed information on UPSC CDS eligibility criteria. Read on to find more.

CDS Eligibility Criteria 2019

Before getting into the detailed CDS eligibility criteria, let’s have an overview of the exam:

Name of the Exam Combined Defence Services (CDS) I 2019
Conducting Body Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Purpose Admission to Indian Naval Academy (INA), Indian Military Academy (IMA), Air Force Academy (AFA)and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA)
Application Mode Online
Application Fee INR 200
Selection Process 2 Phases – Written + SSB interview
Mode of Written Exam Offline
Type of Questions Objective Type
Negative Marking Yes
Subjects in Written Exam a. English, Elementary Maths and General Knowledge for Army Jobs.

b. English and General Knowledge for Officer’s Training.
Interview Stages Two
Official Website www.upsc.gov.in

It is very essential for a candidate to check the CDS eligibility criteria before registering. There are certain factors that each and every aspirant of CDS must fulfil such as age, marital status, nationality and educational qualification.

CDS Eligibility Criteria: Nationality

Candidates must be a:

  • a. Indian citizen, or
  • b. Nepal, Bhutan, Refugee of Tibet, who migrated to India before 1962, or
  • c. Person of Indian Origin (PIO) who migrated from Sri Lanka, Burma, Pakistan, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, East African countries of Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, and Ethiopia or Vietnam with an intention of permanent settlement in India.

Candidates belonging to (b) and (c) must provide a certificate of eligibility issued by the Indian government with an exception for Gorkha subjects of Nepal.

CDS Eligibility Criteria: Educational qualification:

The educational qualification required for UPSC CDS are tabulated below:

Job Type Educational Qualification
Indian Military Academy (IMA) Graduate Degree (Recognised University)
Indian Naval Academy (INA) B. Tech or B. E Degree (Engineering from recognized University)
Air Force Academy (AFA) – B. Tech or B.E degree

– or Degree (with Physics and Maths in 10+2 level)

CDS Eligibility Criteria For Educational Qualification Highlights:

  • – Final year candidates from the above-mentioned courses are also eligible to apply provided they do not have backlogs. Later the candidate must provide a passing certificate within the prescribed time set by UPSC.
  • – Candidates opting Army/Navy/Air Force as their first choice must submit a graduation/provisional certificate as proof at the time of SSB Interview at SSB.
  • – Candidates who are suspended from holding any type of commission in the Defence Services by the Ministry of Defence are not eligible.
  • – Candidates who fail to learn flying during the training in the Air Force will be absorbed in Navigation/Ground Duty (Non-Tech) Branches of the IAF (subjected to the vacancy availability).

CDS Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit & Sex

Defense Academy Born Not Earlier Than Born Not Later Than Sex
Indian Military Academy (IMA) 2nd July 1996 1st July 2001 Male
Indian Naval Academy (INA) 2nd July 1996 1st July 2001 Male
Air Force Academy (AFA) 2nd July 1996 1st July 2000 –
Officers Training Academy (OTA)- SSC Men 2nd July 1995 1st July 2001 Male
Officers Training Academy (OTA)- SSC Women 2nd July 1995 1st July 2001 Female

CDS Eligibility Criteria: Age and Sex-related Highlights:

  • – The birth certificate provided must be a Matriculation/Secondary School Examination Certificate or a certificate recognized by an Indian University as equivalent to Matriculation or an extract from a Registrar of Matriculates maintained by a University.
  • – Candidates must submit the above-mentioned certificates proving their date of births only after the CDS result declaration of written examination.
  • – Candidate’s date of birth mentioned while applying must match the date of birth on their Matriculation/Secondary School Examination Certificate or an equivalent certificate.
  • – No changes concerning the date of birth will be entertained at later stages of the application process.
  • – Any variance in the date of the birth of the candidate will lead to disciplinary action by the UPSC.
  • – In case the date of birth is not mentioned in the above documents, candidates must submit an additional document that is either a self-attested/certified copy of Matriculation/Secondary School Examination Certificate or a self-attested/certified copy of a certificate from the Headmaster/Principal of the Institution from where the candidate has passed the Matriculation/Secondary School Examination with record of their admission.

CDS Eligibility Criteria: Marital Status

Type of Job Eligibility
Eligibility for Indian Military Academy Unmarried male candidates
Eligibility for Naval Force Academy Unmarried male candidates
Eligibility for Air Force Academy
  • a. Below 25 years of age, male candidates must be unmarried.
  • b. And, married candidates above 25 years are also eligible, but they are not allowed to live with their family beyond the premises.
  • c. During the training period, it is mandatory for the candidates not to marry.
Eligibility for Officers Training Academy (SSC for Men)
  • Unmarried male candidates are eligible to apply.
Eligibility for Officers Training Academy (SSC for Women)
  • Unmarried women,
  • issueless widows who have not remarried
  • issueless divorcees with divorce documents who have not remarried

CDS Eligibility Criteria Marital Status Highlights:

  • – Male divorcee or widower is not eligible for the Combined Defence Services exam because they do not come under the unmarried male category.

CDS Eligibility Criteria: Physical Standards

Medical Board of UPSC will examine the entire body of all candidates to check if they are oriented to work under military deployment. So it is mandatory for the candidates to check if they comply with all physical standard guidelines set by UPSC.

  1. Only those who are physically and mentally fit as per UPSC guidelines will be eligible for the CDS examination.
  2. Candidates with permanent body tattoos on their inner side of the elbow to the wrist and on the reverse side of palm/back (dorsal) side of the hand will only be eligible. Tattoos on any other part of the body will lead to disqualification.
  3. Candidate must be free from any disease or disability for the efficient performance of CDS duties.
  4. Candidates must meet visual and hearing standards set by UPSC. The standards might vary depending on the role you are applying for.
  5. Male candidates with a minimum height of 157.5 cms (157 cms for Navy and 162.5 cms for Air Force) and women with 152 cms will be eligible for CDS 2 examination.
  6. Mal-development or impairment of bone and joint functions will lead to disqualification of the candidate.
  7. The previous history of mental breakdowns will also lead to candidature failure.
  8. Candidates must be medically capable of undergoing training and military duties of Armed Forces.
  9. Any deformities or abnormalities in the body will lead to the ineligibility of the candidate.

Refer to the physical standards set by UPSC in detail here!!

CDS Eligibility Criteria: CDS Application Fee

Payment of CDS application fee can be made in the offline mode or using Net Banking, Debit Card, and Credit Card in the online mode. Either way, candidates are advised to keep the payment details safely. Note that the amount will not be refunded. The amount to be paid by different categories is tabulated below:

Category Fees
General and OBC candidates 200
Female/SC/ST Candidates Nil

Now you are provided with all necessary details regarding CDS eligibility criteria. Make sure you apply for the exam only if you meet all these CDS 1 eligibility criteria.

Between now and CDS examination, we advise candidates to go through the CDS exam pattern and syllabus thoroughly and start their preparation so that they are able to crack the exam in their first attempt. Cracking CDS needs a lot of dedication and practice. So, commit to CDS preparation seriously and go ahead with the right knowledge. CDS has English, Maths, and General Knowledge sections. Make sure you give equal importance to all the three sections. You can follow daily GK and Current Affairs on Embibe which are compiled by teachers with years of experience.

ATTEMPT UPSC CDS MOCK TEST HERE

We hope that the information on CDS eligibility criteria provided in this article helps you. If you have any query regarding CDS eligibility criteria or the CDS 2019 exam itself, feel free to drop a comment below. We will get back to you as early as possible.

Also, stay tuned to Embibe.com for more important updates on CDS eligibility criteria!!