NDA 2026 Vacancy

Important information for candidates preparing for the National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy (NA) Examination 2026, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), is the number of vacancies.

The NDA examination offers the opportunity to pursue a career as an officer in the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. The notification for NDA & NA (I) 2026 will be released on December 10, 2025, the application deadline is December 30, 2025, and the examination will be held on April 12, 2026. Candidates can apply on the UPSC's official website, upsc.gov.in.

The NDA examination determines the number of seats for recruitment into the Army, Navy, and Air Force each year.

NDA 2026 Estimated Vacancy (Number of Vacancies)

Although the UPSC has not yet officially announced the NDA 2026 Vacancy, the estimated vacancies based on previous years' data may be as follows:

Service	Estimated Vacancies
Indian Army	200-250
Indian Navy	40-50
Indian Air Force	70-80
Total	Approximately 350-380

Service

Estimated Vacancies

Indian Army

200-250

Indian Navy

40-50

Indian Air Force

70-80

Total

Approximately 350-380

Note: The actual number of vacancies will be provided in the official notification released by UPSC.

Why are vacancies important in NDA 2026?

Candidates should know the number of seats available so they can prepare for the competition at the right level.
Based on the vacancy information, candidates can plan according to their category and reservation.
In addition to the syllabus and exam pattern, the number of vacancies also helps in deciding the strategy for exam preparation.

NDA Vacancy Trends – Previous Years’ Data

To provide better insight into NDA recruitment trends, here’s a look at the vacancy distribution from previous years.

NDA 1 Vacancy 2025

Department	Vacancies
National Defence Academy	**
Army	208 (including 10 for female candidates)
Navy	42 (including 06 for female candidates)
Air Force	(i) Flying – 92 (including 02 for female candidates) (ii) Ground Duties (Technical) – 18 (including 02 for female candidates) (iii) Ground Duties (Non-Technical) – 10 (including 02 for female candidates)


Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme)	36 (including 05 for female candidates)
Total	406

Department

Vacancies

National Defence Academy

Army

208 (including 10 for female candidates)

Navy

42 (including 06 for female candidates)

Air Force

(i) Flying – 92 (including 02 for female candidates)
(ii) Ground Duties (Technical) – 18 (including 02 for female candidates)
(iii) Ground Duties (Non-Technical) – 10 (including 02 for female candidates)

Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme)

36 (including 05 for female candidates)

Total

406

The NDA exam, conducted by the UPSC, is the gateway for candidates to join the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Naval Academy (INA). The selection process includes a written exam followed by an SSB Interview.

Academy	Wings	No. of Vacancies
NDA	Army	208 (including 10 for female candidates)
Navy	42 (including 05 for female candidates)
Air Force	(i) Flying: 92 (including 02 for female candidates) (ii) Ground Duties (Tech):18 (including 02 for female candidates) (iii) Ground Duties (Non Tech): 10 (including 02 for female candidates)
Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme)	-	36 (including 04 for female candidates)
Total		406

Academy

Wings

No. of Vacancies

NDA

Army

208 (including 10 for female candidates)

Navy

42 (including 05 for female candidates)

Air Force

(i) Flying: 92 (including 02 for female candidates)
(ii) Ground Duties (Tech):18 (including 02 for female candidates)
(iii) Ground Duties (Non Tech): 10 (including 02 for female candidates)

Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme)

36 (including 04 for female candidates)

Total

406

NDA Vacancies from Previous Years

Below is a five-year comparison of NDA 1 & NDA 2 vacancies.