CDS Eligibility 2023: Union Public Service Commission conducts Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination twice a year, in the month of April and September. The selected candidates will get recruitment under the Officers Training Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military Academy, and Indian Air Force Academy. The selection of candidates will be based on the written test followed by an interview. The candidates who will qualify for the interview will be placed at the respective academies based on merit and choice of preference. The UPSC has set some eligibility criteria for the CDS exam, the interested candidates must read the whole article to know the age limit and eligibility criteria prescribed by the UPSC to be eligible for the CDS Exam.
CDS Eligibility 2023
The Union Public Service Commission will be mentioning the detailed eligibility criteria in the CDS 2 Notification 2023 which has been released on 17th May 2023 as notified in UPSC Calendar 2023. In this article, we have covered the detailed eligibility criteria required to apply for CDS. The candidates must check the important guidelines given below:
- If candidates aren’t fulfilling the eligibility criteria prescribed by the commission, the candidature of such candidates will be declared null or void at any stage of recruitment.
- If the candidate is found guilty after the appointment, in such cases the candidates will be terminated from the services.
- UPSC will conduct document verification after the personality test of candidates, the candidates have to produce valid documents at the time of documents verification.
- Male divorcee applicants will not be considered unmarried. Thus, they will not be eligible for the CDS exam.
- Change in date of birth will not be allowed at any stage of recruitment.
- The candidates aged below 25 years must be unmarried. The marriage will not be permitted during the training period.
- Candidates above 25 years of age will be eligible to apply for their respective academy but during the training period they will not be provided the married accommodation and they won’t be allowed to live with family outside the premises.
CDS 2 Notification 2023 Out for 349 Vacancies- Click to Check
CDS Age Limit 2023
- Only unmarried male candidates will be eligible for the Indian Military Academy, the candidates must be born between 2nd January 2000 to 1st January 2005 to get eligible.
- Indian Naval Academy(INA): Only unmarried male candidates will be eligible, who are born between 2nd January 2000 to 1st January 2005.
- Air Force Academy- The candidates whose age lies between 20 to 24 years, who are born between 2nd January 2000 to 1st January 2004 will be eligible and those who have a valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by the DGCA(India) will get an age relaxation of up to 26 years.
- Officers Training Academy (SSC Course for Men): Only unmarried males are eligible who were born between 2nd January 1999 and 1st January 2005.
- For Officers’ Training Academy—(SSC Women Non-Technical Course) Unmarried women, issueless widows who have not remarried and issueless divorcees (in possession of divorce documents) who have not remarried are eligible. They should have been born not earlier than 2nd January 1999 and not later than 1st January 2005.
The details about age limit and marital status are given below in the table:
| Academy | Age Limit | Marital Status |
| Indian Military Academy (IMA) | 19 – 24 Years | Unmarried |
| Indian Naval Academy (INA) | 19 – 22 Years | Unmarried |
| Air Force Academy | 19 – 23 Years | <25 years unmarried or >25 years both married and unmarried. |
| Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical Course) | 19 – 25 Years | Unmarried females, issueless widows who haven’t remarried, and issueless divorcees who have not remarried are eligible. |
| Officers’ Training Academy (SSC Course for Men) | 19 – 25 Years | Unmarried |
CDS Previous Year Question Paper PDFs
CDS Educational Qualifications 2023
UPSC has set a minimum education qualification for CDS, the candidates should meet the education qualification criteria prescribed by the UPSC to get eligible for the CDS. The candidates must be graduates from a recognized university to fulfill the educational requirement. The candidates must note the instructions given below:
- Candidates who have filled the first choice as Army/Navy/Air Force must carry the graduation certificate in the SSB interview.
- The candidates who are in the final year of graduation can also apply provided they do not have any backlog, such candidates have to submit the passing degree certificate at the time of commencement of course.
The detailed education qualification for CDS is given below in the table:
| Academy | Education Qualification |
| Indian Military Academy (IMA) and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) | Bachelor’s Degree from a recognised university |
| Indian Naval Academy (INA) | Bachelors in Engineering from a recognised University |
| Air Force Academy (AFA) |
Graduated with Physics and Mathematics in Class 12th or Bachelor of Engineering |
CDS Nationality /Citizenship 2023
To be eligible for the CDS exam candidates have to meet the criteria for nationality and citizenship. Candidates who want to apply for the CDS exam must be –
- A citizen of India, or
- A subject of Nepal, or
- A subject of Bhutan, or
- Refugees from Tibet who are permanently settled in India before January 1, 1962.
- An Indian origin migrated from nations like Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Zaire, Zambia, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, East African countries of Uganda, and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
The candidates who belong to categories 2, 3, 4, and 5 have to present a valid eligibility certificate issued by the Government of India to the recruiting body. For Gorkhas subjected to Nepal don’t require to present the eligibility certificate.
CDS 2023 Exam Syllabus- Click Here
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