UPSC CDS I Exam 2025 Eligibility Criteria

UPSC CDS I Exam 2025 Eligibility Criteria

In addition to the official  Announcement, the Union Public Service Commission releases the CDS qualifications to be used in the Combined Defense Services Examination . When completing the CDS Application Form, those interested should carefully review the CDS qualifications since those that do not fit the requirements will not be allowed to sit for the examination. Applicants need to fulfill all CDS qualifying conditions, that include the ones that follow, in order to guarantee final selection refers to

• Indian residents who have a permanent residence are the only type of applicants accepted.
• Applicants need to have been either graduates or in the final year of educational opportunities.
• The examination includes a minimum age limit of 19 years of age.
• The applicants are required to be between the twenty to twenty-four age limit.
• The OTA is open to female applicants.
• In addition to having fulfilled specific physical criteria, including a minimum height, applicants are required to be in good medical condition.
• The official announcement of the open position specifies that applicants are required to be Indian citizens or meet specified nationality/citizenship qualifications.

Nationality

The applicant needs to have one or more of the qualifications that follow in order to be qualified for participation in the CDS examination:

• An Indian citizen, or
• A Nepali topic, or
• One of the Bhutan's topics or
• A Tibetan refugee who arrived in India before the start of the year 1962 alongside the aim of making their permanent residence there as well.
• Individuals of Indian descent who have made India their permanent place of residence can be found in Burma as well Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and the eastern part of Africa, that includes the nations of Uganda as well as Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zaire, Zambia, the nation of Ethiopia, or Vietnamese society.

Qualification

The educational qualifications necessary for a particular position is another significant aspect of CDS qualifications. In order to sit for the CDS the year 2025 examination, which is applicants need to either be completing their degree's final examination or have successfully finished their graduation requirements. It is important that you keep in mind that only those applicants who fulfill all qualifying requirements are going to get CDS admission card. To find out about the CDS Exam Qualification Force-wise, examine the details given here.

Armed Forces	CDS Education Qualification
Indian Military Academy	An undergraduate degree from a university with accreditation or its equivalent is necessary of applicants.
Indian Naval Academy	A bachelor's degree in the engineering profession from an officially recognized college or institution is required of applicants.
Air Force Academy	The applicants need to have a Bachelor of Engineering degree or an equivalent qualification from a university with accreditation with 10+2 examinations mathematics and physics.
Officer Training Academy	An undergraduate degree from a university with accreditation or its equivalent is necessary of applicants.

An Important Note: If they want to qualify for the UPSC CDS Qualification requirements, applicants need to make note of the following details about their CDS background in education.

• In order to be qualified to sit for the CDS examination, which is applicants in their final semester or year of degree courses must not have any outstanding debts from the previous semester or year. In addition, they must provide documentation that they passed the degree examination.
• In extraordinary circumstances, the Commission can consider an applicant who lacks one or more of the requirements as having qualifications for education, as long as the person in question has qualifications that, in the Commission's judgment, justify admittance.

 Age Limit

Male and female applicants need to satisfy different periods the CDS age minimums, that also depend on the applicants' relationship status. Female candidates can only submit applications for OTA (not technical in nature) positions, per CDS rules. The men who fulfill additional criteria requirements can submit applications for any the CDS examination position. The specifics of the applicants' relationship status and the minimum age limitation for qualification for the CDS examination have been given as follows.

Various Departments	Age Criteria in each case	Marital Status
Indian Military Academy	The only unmarried male applicants that have been born between the 2nd of January the year 2002, and the first of the year 2007 are qualified.	Unmarried
Indian Naval Academy
Indian Air Force Academy	The minimum age of twenty to twenty-four on the first of January, the year 2026, indicates that the individuals were born between January 2nd, 2002 and and the first of January the year 2006.	Married/Unmarried
Officers' Training Academy (SSC course) (Men)	The male applicants without spouses who were born between the 2nd of January the year 2001, and the first of January the year 2007	Unmarried
Officers' Training Academy(SSC Women Non-Technical Course)	The applicants is required to have been born between the 2nd of January the year 2001, and the first of January the same year.	Ineffective widows who haven't remarried, without issue divorcing individuals who haven't and unmarried women.

An Important Point: In order for applicants to be eligible for the CDS Qualification requirements, it is crucial that you keep in mind the following factors about their relationship status.

• It is required that applicants be under the age of 25 and only.
• You are not allowed to get married when you are in training.
• The applicants older than 25 who are married are welcome to apply, but they are not going to be given their spouse's accommodations all through their training time. In addition, they and their loved ones are not allowed to live outside Academy property.
• The Commission is going to accept the date of birth stated on the matriculation/secondary educational institutions certificate or an equivalent documentation.

Physical Eligibility

The applicants are required to satisfy the specified physical fitness norms, maintain excellent mental and physical condition, and be free from any illnesses or disabilities that could make it difficult for them to perform their responsibilities efficiently both ashore and alive, in both time of peace and the conflict situations, across the world. In addition, there ought to be no sign of underweight, physiological flaws, or a weak constitution. The person who applies ought not to be obese or overweight. Below are the minimum CDS height and weight specifications for all of them.

CDS Physical Eligibility
Gender	Minimum Height	Height Relaxation for Certain Groups
Male	157 cm	152 cm for Navy 162.5 cm for Air Force Flying Branch 157.5 cm for Air Force Ground Duty 152 cm for Gorkhas, Assamese, Garhwalis, etc. 5 cm shorter for people from the hills of India's north-eastern region such as Garhwali and Kumaon
Female	152 cm	147 cm for Gorkhas, Assamese, Garhwalis, etc. 5 cm shorter for people from the hills of India's north-eastern region such as Garhwali and Kumaon 2 cm shorter for candidates from Lakshadweep
All	148 cm	After all kinds of waivers/dispensations, the minimum height for all entries is 148 cm. If not, the candidate will be labelled a dwarf.