CDS Eligibility 2024, Age Limit for Man and Women

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination twice a year, in April and September. This exam is a gateway for recruitment into the Officers Training Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military Academy, and Indian Air Force Academy. Candidates go through a written test and an interview to be selected for the Indian Armed Forces through CDS.

Candidates who qualify in the CDS Selection Process will be invited to join the appropriate academies based on their merit and preference. The UPSC has specified specific eligibility criteria for CDS 2024. Interested applicants should read this article to understand the age limit and other important eligibility requirements set by the UPSC for the CDS Exam, including nationality, educational qualifications, age, marital status, and physical standards.

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CDS Eligibility Criteria 2024: Nationality

To be eligible for CDS Exam 2024, a candidate must be unmarried and must either be:

• a Citizen of India, or
• a Subject of Bhutan, or
• a Subject of Nepal, or
• a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before the 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
• a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and the East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

CDS Eligibility 2024: Educational Qualifications

Candidates should be well-known with the education qualifications before applying for the examination. Here we have provided the complete details of the educational qualifications required for the CDS 1 2024 Examination.

Candidates who are studying in the final year/semester Degree course and have yet to pass the final year degree examination can also apply provided the candidate should not have any present backlog upto the last semester/year for which results have been declared up to the time of submission of application and they will be required to submit proof of passing the degree examination at the time of commencement of the course.Candidates possessing professional and technical qualifications which are recognized by the government as equivalent to professional and technical degrees would also be eligible for admission to the examination.

Note: Candidates below 25 years of age must be unmarried. Marriage is not permitted during training. Married candidates above 25 years of age are eligible to apply but during the training period they will neither be provided married accommodation nor can they live with family out of the premises.

(iv) For Officers’ Training Academy—(SSC Course for men) unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2nd January, 2000 and not later than 1st January, 2006 only are eligible.

(v) 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 2000 and not later than 1st January 2006.

NOTE: Male divorcee/widower candidates cannot be treated as unmarried males for the purpose of their admission in IMA/INA/AFA/OTA, Chennai courses, and accordingly they are not eligible for these courses.