Lakshya NDA

Physical Standards

Eligibility differs across Army, Navy and Air Force - know the bar for your service.

Where the services differ most

Metric	Army	Navy	Air Force
Min Height (Male)	157 cm	157 cm	162.5 cm (Flying)
Vision (Uncorrected)	6/6 + 6/9	6/6 + 6/9	6/6 each eye
Colour Perception	CP-III	CP-II	CP-I
Refractive Surgery	Case-by-case	Generally not accepted	Not accepted (Flying)

Indian Army

Ground combat readiness - balanced height, vision and endurance standards.

Height (Male)

157 cm minimum (155 cm for Gorkhas/hill regions)

Height (Female)

152 cm minimum

Weight

Proportionate to height and age (per BMI chart)

Chest

Min 81 cm, expansion 5 cm

Vision (Distant)

6/6 (better eye), 6/9 (worse eye), correctable to 6/6

Vision (Near)

J1 / J2 with or without correction

Colour Perception

CP-III acceptable

Hearing

Normal hearing in both ears

Dental

14 dental points minimum

Tattoo Policy

Permitted only on inner forearm and back of hand; no offensive content

Common Disqualifiers

Wax in ears, deviated nasal septum, hydrocele/varicocele
Knock knees, flat feet, hammer toes
Past history of mental illness, fits or epilepsy

Indicative summary - always refer to the latest UPSC notification and service-specific medical guidelines for final eligibility.

Common rejection causes (UPSC notice)

Recommended candidates are often rejected at the Military Hospital stage for fixable issues — sort these out before applying.

Wax in the ears
Deviated nasal septum
Hydrocele / Phimosis
Overweight or underweight
Under-sized chest
Piles
Gynaecomastia
Tonsillitis
Varicocele

Tattoo policy

Permanent body tattoos are permitted only on the inner face of the forearm (inside of elbow to wrist) and on the back (dorsal) side of the hand/palm. Tattoos on any other part of the body are not acceptable and the candidate will be barred from further selection. Tribes with customary tattoo marks may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Commandant, Selection Centre.

Medical procedure

A candidate recommended by the SSB undergoes a medical examination by a Board of Service Medical Officers. Only those declared fit are admitted to the Academy. Proceedings of the Medical Board are confidential. Candidates declared unfit are informed by the President of the Medical Board and the procedure for an Appeal Medical Board is intimated. Candidates declared unfit during the Appeal Medical Board are then informed about the provision of a Review Medical Board.

Medical standards and procedures are governed by the "Joint Order Manual of Medical Standards for Entry into Armed Forces (1st Edition)" available at www.joinindianarmy.nic.in → Policies → Officer Selection.