The eligibility criteria for the UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination are as follows:
UPSC CDS Eligibility Criteria – Age Limit for Combined Defence Services
Nationality:
- A candidate must be one of the following:
- A citizen of India.
- A subject of Nepal or Bhutan.
- A Tibetan refugee who came to India before January 1, 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India.
- A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Age Limit for UPSC CDS – Combined Defence Services
- The age limits for different academies and services are as follows:
- For Indian Military Academy (IMA): Candidates must be between 19 and 24 years old.
- For Indian Naval Academy (INA): Candidates must be between 19 and 24 years old.
- For Air Force Academy (AFA): Candidates must be between 19 and 24 years old.
- For Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) for Men: Candidates must be between 19 and 25 years old.
- For Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) for Women: Candidates must be between 19 and 25 years old.
- The age is calculated as of the date mentioned in the official CDS notification for the respective examination year.
Educational Qualifications:
- The educational qualifications vary based on the academy and service for which a candidate is applying. Generally, candidates should have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university or institution.
- For INA, candidates should have a degree in Engineering.
- For AFA, candidates should have a degree with Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level or a Bachelor of Engineering.
- There is no specific subject requirement for OTA, and candidates should have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university.
Marital Status:
- For OTA, both men and women can apply, but candidates should be unmarried at the time of application.
Physical and Medical Standards:
- Candidates should be in good physical and medical health as per the standards prescribed by the respective services. Detailed physical and medical standards are mentioned in the official UPSC CDS notification.
Candidates should carefully check the official UPSC CDS notification for the specific examination year they plan to apply for to confirm the eligibility criteria and any other requirements or conditions. Meeting the eligibility criteria is essential for candidates to apply for and appear in the CDS examination.