NDA physical requirements are not printed in the latest UPSC notice. The NDA and NA Examination (II) 2026 notice says medical standards are governed by the Joint Order Manual of Medical Standards for Entry into Armed Forces (1st Edition), which is published on the Army recruiting website. The earlier NDA and NA (I) 2026 notice of 10 December 2025 did print the Army, Navy and Air Force standards, and the Navy and Air Force still publish theirs. This page collects those figures, dates them and shows where they disagree. In them, the minimum height for women in the Army wing is 152 cm, and 152 cm is the Navy and Air Force ground duty figure for women too.
Last verified: 12 October 2026. The standards are guidelines that the services can revise. The medical board decides each case, and nothing on this page replaces a medical examination. We are a coaching academy, not a medical authority.
Where do the NDA medical standards come from?
UPSC runs the written exam, but it does not set medical standards. For the NDA, the services do. The latest notice (NDA II 2026, issued 20 May 2026) lists only the commonly found minor defects that candidates should rectify early, the rule on tattoos, the medical procedure and a pointer to the Joint Order Manual. The previous notice (NDA I 2026, issued 10 December 2025) carried full annexures, one each for the Army, Navy and Air Force. The tables below use the annexures, and they are labelled by date for that reason.
If you can open the Joint Order Manual on joinindianarmy.nic.in, treat it as the governing text. We could not retrieve it ourselves because that site asks visitors to type a captcha, which we do not bypass, so every figure here comes from a document we could read.
Sources for the medical standards
- UPSC: NDA and NA Examination (II) 2026 notice, Appendix III
- UPSC: NDA and NA Examination (I) 2026 notice, Appendix III and Annexures A to C (10 December 2025)
- Indian Navy: medical and physical standards for officers
- Indian Navy: height and weight chart (PDF)
- Indian Air Force: AFCAT 02/2026 notification, Appendix A (medical standards)
What is the minimum height, and why do sites say 152 or 157 for girls?
Coaching websites disagree on the minimum height for girls, and the documents explain why. The Army annexure in the NDA (I) 2026 notice gives 152 cm for female candidates in its female section, and then a general line for male and female candidates of 157 cm ‘or as decided by the respective recruiting agency’. Sites that quote one line and ignore the other get a different answer.
| Source and date | Men | Women | Relaxations named | Flying branch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDA (I) 2026 notice, Army annexure (10 Dec 2025) | 157 cm general line, or as decided by the recruiting agency | 152 cm in the female section | Gorkhas and candidates from the hills of the North-East, Garhwal and Kumaon: 152 cm general line and 148 cm for women. A 2 cm growth allowance applies to candidates under 18 | 163 cm |
| Indian Navy chart (current Navy page) | 157 cm | 152 cm | Reduced for listed domiciles, including Garhwal, Kumaon and Uttarakhand, the North-East, Ladakh and the island territories. Not applicable to pilots and observers | Not applicable |
| IAF AFCAT 02/2026 notification (ground duty) | 157 cm | 152 cm | 2 cm less for Lakshadweep; 5 cm less for Gorkhas and the North-East and hilly Uttarakhand, with a domicile certificate | 162 cm for pilots, flight test engineers and Su-30 weapon systems operators; 157 cm for other aircrew |
In short, 152 cm is the figure for women in all three services’ tables, and 157 cm is the figure for men. The Army annexure’s flying height of 163 cm and the IAF’s 162 cm differ by a centimetre, and the IAF annexure printed in the NDA (I) 2026 notice has a separate paragraph giving 162.5 cm for men, so ask the board for the figure that applies to you. For candidates from the hills of Garhwal and Kumaon, each service names a lower minimum, and the Air Force asks you to carry a domicile certificate to the board.
How is weight judged?
Weight is judged against height and age on a chart based on body mass index. The Army chart in the NDA (I) 2026 notice gives a minimum weight for each height that applies at every age, and a maximum weight in age bands (17 to 20 years, 20 years and a day to 30, 30 years and a day to 40, and above 40). The Navy’s chart works in the same way, with its own age bands, and states that a candidate below the minimum weight is not accepted. We do not reproduce the numbers here, because a chart of this size is easy to misread when copied, and the originals are linked above.
The Army chart allows an exception for heavier candidates only where there is documented evidence of body building, wrestling or boxing at the national level. In those cases the body mass index must be below 25, the waist-hip ratio below 0.9 for men and 0.8 for women, the waist circumference under 90 cm for men and 80 cm for women, and the biochemical parameters must be normal. The notice also lists overweight and underweight among the common defects to correct before the medical.
What are the eyesight and colour vision limits?
Eyesight limits are the most common reason for rejection, and they differ by wing. The table gives each service’s figure for 10+2 entry.
| Wing | Unaided vision | Vision with correction | Refractive error | Colour perception |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army wing (NDA I 2026 notice, 10+2 entries) | 6/36 in each eye at most | 6/6 in both eyes | Myopia less than -2.5 D and hypermetropia less than +2.5 D, including astigmatism up to 2.0 D. LASIK and similar surgery not permitted for 10+2 entries | CP-II |
| Naval wing (current Navy page, category V2) | 6/12 in each eye at most | 6/6 in both eyes | Myopia up to -1.0 D, hypermetropia up to +2.0 D, astigmatism up to +1.0 D | CP-I; binocular vision grade III |
| Air Force flying branch (AFCAT 02/2026, which covers flying cadets at the NDA) | 6/6 in one eye and 6/9 in the other | Correctable to 6/6 in both eyes only for hypermetropia | No myopia, hypermetropia up to +1.5 D, astigmatism up to +0.75 D | See Annexure 4 of the notification |
Colour blindness therefore matters differently by service: the Navy asks for the highest colour perception category (CP-I) for 10+2 entries, while the Army wing’s table lists CP-II. The Navy also says refractive surgery can be acceptable for its officers, with conditions such as the operation not being done before age 20 and at least 12 months before the examination, while the Army annexure for 10+2 entries says it is not permitted. Do not rely on a friend’s experience; ask for the standard for your chosen wing.
What else is checked?
- Hearing. The candidate should hear a forced whisper at 610 cm with each ear separately, according to the Army and Navy texts.
- Teeth. The Navy requires at least 14 dental points. The Army annexure treats more than two loose teeth as unfit.
- Chest and heart. The Navy rejects chest expansion under 5 cm and blood pressure consistently above 140/90 mm Hg, with a 24-hour check offered to separate white-coat readings. The IAF asks for a minimum male chest circumference of 77 cm with at least 5 cm expansion.
- Tattoos. Permanent tattoos are allowed only on the inner face of the forearm, from the inside of the elbow to the wrist, and on the back of the hand. Tribal candidates with customary tattoos are considered case by case.
- Minor defects. UPSC lists ear wax, deviated nasal septum, hydrocele or phimosis, overweight or underweight, an undersized chest, piles, gynaecomastia, tonsillitis and varicocele as common defects to correct before the medical.
Free counselling is available by phone or WhatsApp on +91 70170 31757 if you want to talk about preparation around these standards, though only a doctor can tell you your own fitness.
Is the medical different for girls?
The principles are the same. The Army annexure says female candidates are examined by female medical officers and specialists, and by a gynaecology specialist as well, and that an ultrasound of the abdomen and pelvis is mandatory for all female candidates. It also states that pregnancy is a cause of rejection for NDA entry. The height minimum for women is 152 cm in the tables above. Our NDA for girls guide covers the rest of the conditions.
How does the medical board work, and can you appeal?
Candidates recommended by the Services Selection Board are examined by a board of service medical officers. Only those declared fit are admitted. The president of the board tells a candidate declared unfit the result and how to ask for an Appeal Medical Board. A candidate declared unfit at the Appeal Medical Board is told about the Review Medical Board. The Navy adds details: the Appeal Medical Board must be completed within 42 days of the first board, a Review Medical Board must be requested within one day of the Appeal Medical Board’s completion, and it is granted at the discretion of the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services and is not a matter of right.
UPSC advises candidates to get themselves examined before applying, since a number of qualified candidates are rejected on medical grounds at the final stage. For the eligibility rules that sit around this, see our NDA eligibility criteria guide.
NDA physical requirements: common questions
FAQs
Questions parents ask us.
Can't find yours? Ask on WhatsApp; a counsellor usually replies within working hours.
Ask on WhatsAppWhat is the minimum height for NDA?
In the NDA (I) 2026 notice the Army annexure gives 157 cm as a general line (or as decided by the recruiting agency) and 152 cm for women, with lower figures for Gorkhas and the hills of the North-East, Garhwal and Kumaon. The Navy and Air Force ground duty tables give 157 cm for men and 152 cm for women.
Why do websites give 152 and 157 cm for girls?
Both figures appear in the Army annexure: 152 cm in the female section and 157 cm in a general line for men and women. For women, 152 cm is the figure in the Army, Navy and Air Force ground duty tables.
Is colour blindness a disqualification for NDA?
Colour perception standards are set by wing. The Army wing table lists CP-II and the Navy lists CP-I for 10+2 entries. The medical board decides.
What BMI is required for NDA?
The Army and Navy charts are based on body mass index and give a minimum and maximum weight for height and age. Heavier candidates are accepted only with national-level body building, wrestling or boxing evidence and a BMI below 25.
Can I appeal if I am declared medically unfit?
Yes. You can ask for an Appeal Medical Board, and if you are declared unfit again, a Review Medical Board may be granted at the discretion of the medical directorate.
Are tattoos allowed for NDA candidates?
Only on the inner face of the forearm and the back of the hand. Tribal candidates with customary tattoos are considered case by case.
If you are preparing for the NDA and want to see how our classroom programme and hostels work, visit our NDA coaching in Dehradun page, or call or message us on WhatsApp at +91 70170 31757.
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