The National Defence Academy (NDA) founded in 1957, is a premier Inter Service training institution where future cadets are trained. The training involves an exacting schedule of 3 years before the cadets join their respective Service Academies, viz. Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy and Air Force Academy.

The examination of the National Defence Academy is conducted by UPSC twice a year, after which the selected candidates are sent to National Defence Academy for training.

Courses and Wings:

• Army Training Team: The specialised service training for Army Cadets is imparted by this Team. The senior Army Battalion Commander is also the Senior Instructor for the Army Training Team. The cadets are taught section level tactics and basic operations of war, like patrolling, ambush and map reading.

• Naval Training Team: The specialised service training for Naval Cadets is imparted by this Team. The senior Naval Battalion Commander is the Senior Instructor for the Naval Training Team. All Naval cadets undergo practical training of sailing at Peacock Bay, which is fully equipped to train naval cadets on all the aspects of Boat handling, Wind Surfing, Rowing and other related areas.

• Air Force Training Team: The specialised service training for Air Force Cadets is imparted by this Team. The senior Air Force Battalion Commander is the Senior Instructor for the Air Force Training Team. All Air Force cadets undergo practical training of gliding. AFTT is fully equipped to provide about 12 launches to each Air force cadet before he joins the Air Force Academy.

Eligibility:

Age: 16½ to 19 years.

Marital Status and gender: Unmarried male candidates

Educational Qualification:

(i) For Army wing of National Defence Academy :- 12th Class pass of the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equivalent examination conducted by a State Education Board or a University.

(ii) For Air Force and Naval Wings of National Defence Academy and for the 10+2 (Executive Branch) Course at the Naval Academy :- 12th Class pass of the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equivalent with Physics and Mathematics conducted by a State Education Board or a University.

Candidates who are appearing in the 12th Class under the 10+2 pattern of School Education or equivalent examination can also apply for this examination.

Nationality - A candidate must be either

(i) a citizen of India, or
(ii) a subject of Bhutan, or
(iii) a subject of Nepal, or
(iv) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before the 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
(v) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika and Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently setting in India).

Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v) above shall be a person in whose favour a certificate ofeligibility has been issued by the Government of India. However, the certificate of eligibility will not be necessary in the case of Gorkha subjects of Nepal.

Physical Fitness: Candidates must be physically fit according to the prescribed physical standards. For more details, please refer to www.upsc.gov.in or the Entrance Notification.

Examination - Pattern :

An NDA aspirant would have to undergo the following three stages before getting admission at the National Defence Academy.

Stage I: Written Examination held by the UPSC

The subjects of the written examination, the time allowed and the maximum marks allotted to each subject will be as follows:–

Note: The papers in all the subjects will consist of objective type questions only. The
question papers (test booklets) of mathematics and part-B of General Ability Tests will be set bilingually in Hindi as well as English.

Stage II: An interview by the Service Selection Board to assess a candidate's officer potentialities (Intelligence and personality test). – 900 marks

Intelligence and Personality test : In addition to the interview the candidates will be put to Intelligence Tests both verbal and non-verbal, designed to assess their basic intelligence. They will also be put to Group Tests such as group discussions, group planning, outdoor group tasks, and asked to give brief lectures on specified subjects. All these tests are intended to judge the mental calibre of a candidate. In broad terms, this is really an assessment of not only his intellectual qualities but also his social traits and interests in current affairs.

Stage III: Medical Examination by the Service Medical Board

Syllabus:

(a) Paper I - Mathematics : (Maximum Marks 300)

Arithmetic, Mensuration, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Statistics.

(b) Paper II - General Ability

Part A - English (Maximum Marks 200)
Part B - General Knowledge (Maximum Marks 400)

Section A (Physics)
Section B (Chemistry)
Section C (General Science)
Section D (History, Freedom Movement etc)
Section E (Geography)
Section F (Current Event)

Note : Out of maximum marks assigned to part ‘B’ of this paper, questions on Sections Physics, Chemistry, General Science, Social Studies, Geography and Current Events will carry approximately 25%, 15%, 10%, 20%, 20% and 10% weightages respectively.

Paper-I > Mathematics

1. Algebra: Concept of a set, operations on sets, Venn diagrams. De Morgan laws. Cartesian product, relation, equivalence relation. Representation of real numbers on a line. Complex numbers - basic properties, modulus, argument, cube roots of unity. Binary system of numbers. Conversion of a number in decimal system to binary system and vice-versa. Arithmetic, Geometric and Harmonic progressions. Quadratic equations with real coefficients. Solution of linear inequations of two variables by graphs. Permutation and Combination. Binomial theorem and its application. Logarithms and their applications.

2. Matrices and Determinants: Types of matrices, operations on matrices Determinant of a matrix, basic properties of determinant. Adjoint and inverse of a square matrix, Applications - Solution of a system of linear equations in two or three unknowns by Cramer's rule and by Matrix Method.

3. Trigonometry: Angles and their measures in degrees and in radians. Trigonometrical ratios. Trigonometric identities Sum and difference formulae. Multiple and Sub-multiple angles.Inverse trigonometric functions. Applications - Height and distance, properties of triangles.

4. Analytical Geometry of two and three dimensions: Rectangular Cartesian Coordinate system. Distance formula. Equation of a line in various forms. Angle between two lines. Distance of a point from a line. Equation of a circle in standard and in general form. Standard forms of parabola, ellipse and hyperbola. Eccentricity and axis of a conic.

Point in a three dimensional space, distance between two points. Direction Cosines and direction ratios. Equation of a plane and a line in various forms. Angle between two lines and angle between two planes. Equation of a sphere.

5.Differential Calculus: Concept of a real valued function - domain, range and graph of a function. Composite functions, one to one, onto and inverse functions. Notion of limit, Standard limits - examples. Continuity of functions - examples, algebraic operations on continuous functions. Derivative of a function at a point, geometrical and physical interpreatation of a derivative - applications. Derivatives of sum, product and quotient of functions, derivative of a function with respect of another function, derivative of a composite function. Second order derivatives. Increasing and decreasing functions. Application of derivatives in problems of maxima and minima.

6.Integral Calculus and Differential equations: Integration as inverse of differentiation, integration by substitution and by parts, standard integrals involving algebraic expressions, trigonometric, exponential and hyperbolicfunctions . Evaluation of definite integrals - determination of areas of plane regions bounded by curves - applications. Definition of order and degree of a differential equation, formation of a differential equation by examples. General and particular solution of a differential equation, solution of first order and first degree differential equations of various types - examples. Application in problems of growth and decay.

7. Vector Algebra: Vectors in two and three dimensions, magnitude and direction of a vector. Unit and null vectors, addition of vectors, scalar multiplication of vector, scalar product or dot product of two-vectors. Vector product and cross product of two vectors. Applications-work done by a force and moment of a force, and in geometrical problems.

8. Statistics and Probability:

Statistics: Classification of data, Frequency distribution, cumulative frequency distribution - examples Graphical representation - Histogram, Pie Chart, Frequency Polygon - examples. Measures of Central tendency - mean, median and mode. Variance and standard deviation - determination and comparison. Correlation and regression.

Probability : Random experiment, outcomes and associated sample space, events, mutually exclusive and exhaustive events, impossible and certain events. Union and Intersection of events. Complementary, elementary and composite events. Definition of probability - classical and statistical - examples. Elementary theorems on probability - simple problems. Conditional probability, Bayes' theorem - simple problems. Random variable as function on a sample space. Binomial distribution, examples of random experiments giving rise to Binominal distribution.

Paper-II > General Ability Test

Part ‘A’ - ENGLISH (Maximum Marks 200). The question paper in English will be designed to test the candidate’s understanding of English and workman like use of words. The syllabus covers various aspects like Grammar and usage, vocabulary, comprehension and cohesion in extended text to test the candidate’s proficiency in English.

Part ‘B’ - GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

The question paper on General Knowledge will broadly cover the subjects: Physics, Chemistry, General Science, Social Studies, Geography and Current Events.

The syllabus given below is designed to indicate the scope of these subjects included in this paper. The topics mentioned are not to be regarded as exhaustive and questions on topics of similar nature not specifically mentioned in the syllabus may also be asked. Candidate’s answers are expected to show their knowledge and intelligent understanding of the subject.

Section ‘A’ (Physics)

• Physical Properties and States of Matter, Mass, Weight, Volume, Density and Specific Gravity, Principle of Archimedes, Pressure Barometer.
• Motion of objects, Velocity and Acceleration, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Force and Momentum, Parallelogram of Forces, Stability and Equilibrium of bodies, Gravitation, elementary ideas of work, Power and Energy.
• Effects of Heat, Measurement of temperature and heat, change of State and Latent Heat, Modes of transference of Heat.
• Sound waves and their properties, Simple musical instruments.
• Rectilinear propagation of Light, Reflection and refraction. Spherical mirrors and Lenses. Human Eye.
• Natural and Artificial Magnets, Properties of a Magnet, Earth as a Magnet.
• Static and Current Electricity, conductors and Non-conductors, Ohm’s Law, Simple Electrical Circuits, Heating, Lighting and Magnetic effects of Current, Measurement of Electrical Power, Primary and Secondary Cells, Use of X-Rays.

General Principles in the working of the following :

Simple Pendulum, Simple Pulleys, Siphon, Levers, Balloon, Pumps, Hydrometer, Pressure Cooker, Thermos Flask, Gramophone, Telegraphs, Telephone, Periscope, Telescope, Microscope, Mariner’s Compass; Lightening Conductors, Safety Fuses.

Section ‘B’ (Chemistry)

• Physical and Chemical changes. Elements, Mixtures and Compounds, Symbols, Formulae and simple Chemical Equations, Law of Chemical Combination (excluding problems). Properties of Air and Water.
• Preparation and Properties of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and Carbondioxide, Oxidation and Reduction.
• Acids, bases and salts.
• Carbon - different forms.
• Fertilizers - Natural and Artificial
• Material used in the preparation of substances like soap, Glass, Ink, Paper, Cement, Paints, Safety Matches, and Gun-Powder.
• Elementary ideas about the Structure of Atom, Atomic, Equivalent and Molecular Weights, Valency.

Section ‘C’ (General Science)

• Difference between the living and non- living.
• Basis of Life - Cells, Protoplasms and Tissues.
• Growth and Reproduction in Plants and Animals.
• Elementary knowledge of human Body and its important organs.
• Common Epidemics, their causes and prevention.
• Food - Source of Energy for man. Constituents of food, Balanced Diet.
• The Solar System - Meteors and Comets, Eclipses.
• Achievements of Eminent Scientists.

Section ‘D’ (History, Freedom Movement etc.)

• A broad survey of Indian History, with emphasis on Culture and Civilisation.
• Freedom Movement in India.
• Elementary study of Indian Constitution and Administration.
• Elementary knowledge of Five Year Plans of India.
• Panchayati Raj, Co-operatives and Community Development.
• Bhoodan, Sarvodaya, National Integration and Welfare State, Basic Teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.

Forces shaping the modern world; Renaissance, Exploration and Discovery; War of American Independence. French Revolution, Industrial Revolution and Russian Revolution. Impact of Science and Technology on Society. Concept of one World, United Nations, Panchsheel, Democracy. Socialism and Communism. Role of India in the present world.

Section ‘E’ (Geography)

• The Earth, its shape and size. Lattitudes and Longitudes, Concept of time. International Date Line. Movements of Earth and their effects.
• Origin of Earth. Rocks and their classification; Weathering - Mechanical and Chemical, Earthquakes and volcanoes.
• Ocean Currents and Tides
• Atmosphere and its composition; Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure, Planetary Winds, cyclones and Anti-cyclones; Humidity; Condensation and Precipitation; Types of Climate. Major Natural regions of the World.
• Regional Geography of India - Climate, Natural vegetation. Mineral and Power resources; location and distribution of agricultural and industrial activities.
• Important Sea ports and main sea, land and air routes of India. Main items of Imports and Exports of India.

Section ‘F’ (Current Events)

• Knowledge of Important events that have happened in India in the recent years.
• Current important world events.
• Prominent personalities - both Indian and International including those connected with cultural activities and sports.

Training:

The selected candidates for the three services, viz., Army, navy and Air Force are given preliminary training both academic and physical for a period of 3 years at the National Defence Academy which is an Inter-Service Institution. The training during the first two and half years is common to the cadets of three wings. The cadets on passing out will be awarded B.Sc./B.A. degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. On passing out from the National Defence Academy, Army Cadets go to the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun, Naval Cadets to the Cadets Trainingship and Air Force cadets to AFA, HYDERABAD/BFTS, ALLAHABAD.

At the I.M.A. Army Cadets are known as Gentlemen Cadets and are given strenuous military training for a period of one year aimed at turning officer capable to leading infantry Sub-units. On successful completion of training Gentlemen Cadets are granted Permanent Commission in the rank of Lt. subject to being medically fit in “SHAPE” one. The Naval cadets are selected for the Executive, Engineering and Electrical Branches of the Navy, on passing out from the National Defence Academy and are given sea training on the Cadet Trainingship for a period of six months on successful completion of which they are promoted to the rank of Midshipmen. After a further training of 6 months in the respective branches to which they are allocated they are promoted to the rank of acting Lieutenants. Air Force Cadets receive flying training for a period of 1½ years. However, at the end of 1 year of training they are given provisional commission in the rank of Flying Officer after successful completion of further training of six months they are absorbed as permanent commissioned officers on probation for a period of one year.

Tentative Schedule:

About a year before the commencement of a Course, a brief notice appears in the leading daily newspapers and a detailed notification in the Government of India Gazette, offering about the entrance examination to be held by the UPSC six months later.

Date of Notification: October - November & April – May

Conduct of Examination: April - May & Sept. - Oct

Application Form :

The Candidates seeking admission to the NDA must apply to the “Secretary, Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, Shahjan Road, New Delhi-110069” in the application form, which can be purchased from the designated Head post Offices/Post Offices throughout the country. In case of difficulty in  obtaining Application Forms, the candidates should immediately contact the concerned post Master or UPSC's "FORMS SUPPLY MONITORING CELL" over Telephone No. 011-23389366/FAX No. 011-23387310.

Examination - Centres :

Contact:

Under Secretary (CSP),
Union Public Service Commission,
Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road,
New Delhi-110 011.

For more details, please visit the official website of UPSC: http://www.upsc.gov.in or www.nda.nic.in