Important Dates           

Date of Notification     :     December 22, 2012
Last Date for Receipt of Applications either by hand or by Post/Speed Post or by Courier :January 21, 2013
Date of Examination     :     April 14, 2013
  
An Examination will be conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of the NDA for the 131st Course, and for the 93rd Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC) commencing from January 2014. The candidates Joining Indian Naval Academy would undergo 4 years B.Tech Course and would be given an opportunity to join Executive and Technical Branches of the Navy subject to availability of vacancies.

Vacancies are provisional and may be changed depending on the availability of training capacity of National Defence Academy.

The approximate number of vacancies to be filled on the results of this examination will be 335 [(195 for the Army, 39 for Navy, 66 for the Air Force and 35 for Indian Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme)]. Vacancies are provisional and may be changed depending on the availability of training capacity of National Defence Academy.
Admission will be made on the results of the written examination to be conducted by the Commission followed by intelligence and personality test by the Services Selection Board of candidates who qualify in the written examination.

Centres of Examination :
The Examination will be held at the following Centres:

Candidates should note that no request for change of centre will normally be granted. When a candidate, however, desires a change in centre from the one he had indicated in his Application Form for the Examination, he must send a letter addressed to the Controller of Examinations, Union Public Service Commission, giving full justification as towhy he desires a change in centre. Such requests will be considered on merits but requests received after 29th February,2013 will not be entertained under anycircumstances.

Conditions of Eligibility :

(a) Nationality : A candidate must either be :
(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 and 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.
Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v) above shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India. Certificate of eligibility will not, however, be necessary in the case of candidates who are Gorkha subjects of Nepal.

Educational Qualifications :

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

Such candidates who qualify the SSB interview but could not produce Matriculation/10+2 or equivalent certificate in original at the time of SSB Interview should forward the certificates along with photocopies thereof to `Addl. Directorate General of Recruiting, Army HQ, West Block-III, R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066' and for Naval Academy candidates to 'Naval Headquarters, DMPR, OI&R Section, Room No. 204, `C' Wing, Sena Bhavan, New Delhi-110011' by 5th December, 2013 failing which theircandidature will be cancelled. All other candidates who have produced their matriculation and 10+2 pass or equivalent certificates in original at the time of attending the SSB interview and have got the same verified by the SSB authorities are not required to submit the same to Army HQ or Naval HQ as the case may be.

Certificates in original issued by the Principals of the institutions are also acceptable in cases where Boards/ Universities have not yet issued certificates.Certified true copies/photostat copies of such certificates will not be accepted. In exceptional cases the Commission may treat a candidate, who does not possess any of the qualifications prescribed in this rule as educationally qualified provided that he possesses qualifications, the standard of which in the opinion of the Commission, justifies his admission to the examination.

Age Limits, Sex and Marital Status : Only unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2nd January 1995 and not later than 1st July, 1997 are eligible.

Physical Standards : Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination. More details

A candidate who has resigned or withdrawn on disciplinary grounds from any of the training academics of Armed Forces is not eligible to apply.

How to Apply :

Candidates are required to apply online by using the website http://www.upsconline.nic.in/. Detailed instructions for filling up online applications are available on the above mentioned website.

The Online Applications can be filled upto 21st January 2013 till 11.59 PM

No other mode is allowed for submission of application.

Note : 1 - The applicants are advised to submit only single appliation; however, if due to any unavoidable situation, if he submits another/multiple applications, then he must ensure that application with the higher RID is complete in all respects like applicants' details, examination centre, photograph, signature, fee etc. The applicants who are submitting multiple applications should note that only the applications with higher RID (Registration ID) shall be entertained by the Commission and fee paid against one RID shall not be adjusted against any other RID.

Note -2 : All candidates whether already in Government Service including candidates serving in the Armed Forces, Sailors [including boys and artificers apprentices) of the Indian Navy, Cadets of Rashtriya Indian Military College [previously known as Sainik School, Dehradun), Students of Military Schools formerly known as King George's Schools) and Sainik Schools run by Sainik Schools Society, Government owned industrial undertakings or other similar organisations or in private employment should apply direct to the Commission.

N.B. (a) Persons already in Government service, whether in permanent or temporary capacity or as work charged employees other than casual or daily rated employees or those serving under the Public Enterprises; (b) Candidates serving in the Armed Forces, Sailors [including boys and artificers apprentices] of the Indian Navy; and (c) Cadets of Rashtriya Indian Military College [previously known as Sainik School, Dehradun), Students of Military Schools formerly known as King George's Schools) and Sainik Schools run by Sainik School Society are required to inform their Head of Office//Department, Commanding Officer, Principals of College/School concerned, as the case may be, in writing that they have applied for this examination.

Selection :

The Union Public Service Commission shall prepare a list of candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the written examination as fixed by the Commission at their discretion. Such candidates shall appear before a Services Selection Board for Intelligence and Personality Test where candidates for the Army/Navy wings of the NDA and 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme of Indian Naval Academy will be assessed on Officers Potentiality and those for the Air Force in Pilot Aptitude Test and for Officers Potentiality. PABT applicable to candidates with Air Force as First choice would also be conducted for all SSB qualified candidates with one of the choice as Air Force subject to their eligibility and if they are so willing.

Two Stage Selection Procedure

Two-stage selection procedure based on Psychological Aptitude Test and Intelligence Test has been introduced at Selection Centers/Air Force Selection Boards. All the candidates will be put to stage one test on first day of reporting at Selection Centers/Air Force Selection Boards. Only those candidates who qualify at stage one will be admitted to the second stage/remaining tests. Those candidates who qualify stage II will be required to submit the original Certificates along with one photocopy each of : (I) original Matriculation pass certificate or equivalent in support of date of birth, (ii) Original 10+2 pass certificate or equivalent in support of educational qualification.

Candidates who appear before the Services Selection Board and undergo the test there, will do so at their own risk and will not be entitled to claim any compensation or other relief from Government in respect of any injury which they may sustain in the course of or as a result of any of the tests given to them at the Services Selection Board whether due to the negligence of any person or otherwise. Parents or guardians of the candidates will be required to sign a certificate to this effect.

To be acceptable, candidates for the Army/ Navy/Naval Academy and Air Force should secure the minimum qualifying marks separately in (i) Written examination as fixed by the Commission at their discretion and (ii) Officer potentiality Test as fixed by the Services Selection Board at their discretion. Over and above candidates for the Air Force, and all the SSB qualified candidates as per their willingness, eligibility and preference for Air Force, should separately qualify the PABT. Subject to these conditions the qualified candidates will then be placed in a single combined list on the basis of total marks secured by them in the Written Examination and the Services Selection Board Tests.

The final allocation/selection for admission to the Army, Navy, Air Force of the National Defence Academy and 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme of Indian Naval Academy will be made upto the number of vacancies available subject to eligibility, medical fitness and merit-cum-preference of the candidates. The candidates who are eligible to be admitted to multiple Services/ Courses will be considered for allocation/ selection with reference to their order of preferences and in the event of their final allocation/selection to one Service/ Course, they will not be considered for admission to other remaining Services/ Courses.

The details regarding (a) the schemeand syllabus of the examination, (b) guidelines for filling up the online Application Form, (c) Special Instructions to candidates for objective type tests, (d) Physical standards for admission to the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy and (e) Brief particulars of the service etc., for candidates joining the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy can be obtained by the upsc website. 

This time UPSC is trying to make the playing field for everyone. There will be backlashes from the people who have written the exam under old pattern because of their difficulty to adjust. On the whole, the change is going to bring more equality, rationality and simplicity to the Civil Services(UPSC) Exams.

Why in 2013 only and not 2012?

Two successive committees (Alagh committee and 2nd ARC) have recommended the pattern change in clear terms. These reports are already out in public. Since there is very small time gap for the 2012 exam.Moreover, a high level panel has been set-up to finalize the details of new syllabus and pattern in December, 2012.

What will be the magnitude of change?

The details of the subjects have not been finalized yet. The suggestion about removing of optional subjects date back to 2008 when second Administrative Reforms Committee presented its report. Second ARC had suggested that UPSC should only keep two compulsory GS papers and an essay paper for Mains Examination.

Current Mains pattern consists of 2 General Studies Papers and 4 optional subjects Papers (2 each). These 6 papers constitute 1800 marks (300 by 6). there is an Essay Paper and Personal Interview as well of 200 and 300 marks each. These all constitute 2300 Marks. There is also a qualifying paper in an Indian Language.

The estimates say that the pattern will be similar to the General Studies but the number of papers will be increased and every subject of GS will form a separate paper in new format. The table below will give you an idea of the new and old pattern of Mains Exam.