What Are The Joining Physical Standards For NDA Cadets?

The National Defence Academy is an Indian Military Institution that trains cadets and transforms them into officers who then join the Army, Navy or Air Force. Clearing the entrance exam...

Alyssa Sarup
June 5, 2022
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The National Defence Academy is an Indian Military Institution that trains cadets and transforms them into officers who then join the Army, Navy or Air Force.

What Are The Joining Physical Standards for NDA Cadet

Clearing the entrance exam and passing the SSB Interview are just two aspects of getting recommended for the NDA. The third aspect is clearing your medicals.

Before joining the military, there are some physical parameters that you will have to meet to prove your level of fitness of becoming an officer. No doubt, you will be trained at the National Defence Academy, but before joining you need to fulfil certain physical and medical criterions.

Also Check: NDA 2 2022 Notification And Exam Date

In this article we have given a detailed account of the physical and medical eligibility of joining the NDA:

Height and Weight Parameters:

Height to Weight ratio is a very important aspect. It shows whether or not you are overweight or underweight and helps calculating the BMI or Body Mass Index.

Height-Weight Parameters for Males

Height in cm.	Weight in kg.
	15-16 years	16-17 years	17-18 years	18-19 years
152	41	42.5	44	45
155	42	43.5	45.3	47
157	43	45	47	48
160	45	46.5	48	49
162	46	48	50	51
165	48	50	52	53
167	49	51	53	54
170	51	52.5	55	56
173	52.5	54.5	57	58
175	54.5	56	59	60
178	56	58	61	62
180	58.5	60	63	64.5
183	61	62.5	65	66.5

Height-Weight Parameters for Females

Height in cm.	Weight in kg.
	15-16 years	16-17 years	17-18 years	18-19 years
147	38	40	41	42
148	39	40	42	43
149	39	41	42	43
150	40	41	43	44
152	41	42.5	44	45
155	42	43.5	45.3	47
157	43	45	47	48
160	45	46.5	48	49
162	46	48	50	51
165	48	50	52	53
167	49	51	53	54
170	51	52.5	55	56
173	52.5	54.5	57	58
175	54.5	56	59	60
178	56	58	61	62
180	58.5	60	63	64.5
183	61	62.5	65	66.5

Height and Leg Length for Flying Branch

The minimum height required to qualify for the flying branch is 162.5 cm.

Body Part	Minimum length	Maximum length
Sitting Height	81.5 cm	96 cm
Leg Length	99 cm	120 cm
Thigh Length	64 cm

NDA Body Weight Parameters

Majority of the criterion are similar for flying and ground duty. There are some body weight parameters that should be given attention to:

(a) BMI should be below 27.

(b) The waist-hip ratio must be below 0.9 for males and 0.8 for females.

Other Medical Parameters

NDA Cardiovascular Parameters

History of chest pain, breathlessness, palpitation, fainting attacks, giddiness, rheumatic fever, ankle swelling, and chorea should be given great consideration in the assessment of the cardiovascular system. These are symptoms that can cause rejection.

An individual with blood pressure consistently greater than or equal to 140/90 mm Hg, shall be rejected. A candidate having gone any cardiac surgery will be deemed unfit and hence, rejected.

Respiratory System Requirements

Candidates must be aware of some conditions of the respiratory system. History of pulmonary tuberculosis, pleurisy with effusion, frequent expectorant coughs, haemoptysis, bronchitis, asthma, spontaneous pneumothorax, and injuries to the chest should be elicited.

Any trace of residual pleural thickening will cause rejection. An individual could face rejection in case of bronchial asthma/ wheezing/ allergic rhinitis that they have had prior to their medicals.

Required Spinal Conditions

Medical history of disease or injury of the spine or sacroiliac joints, which has prevented the candidate from following a physically fit life, will cause rejection.

History of recurrent lumbar/ spinal fracture/ prolapsed intervertebral disc and surgical treatment for these conditions will cause rejection.

Conditions Affecting Upper & Lower Limbs

Any deformities of the upper limbs or any of their parts will cause rejection. Candidates with an amputated limb will be rejected. Amputation of the terminal phalanx of the little finger on both sides is acceptable.

Healed Fractures

In the following conditions, healed fractures of the upper limb will not be accepted:

(i) Fractures involving articular surfaces: Fractures associated with neuro-vascular deficit will not be accepted.

(ii) Malunited fractures: Fracture causing impairment of function

(iii) Fractures with an implant in-situ: Fracture of the upper limb, presenting six months after the injury, with none of the aspects as mentioned in the first two points, are acceptable after being assessed by an orthopaedic surgeon.

Fingers and Hands

Syndactyly and polydactyly will be assessed as unfit except when polydactyly is excised. Limitations to movements will lead to rejection. Painless limitation of movement of the wrist will be tested according to the level of stiffness. Loss of dorsiflexion is considered more worrisome than the loss of palmar flexion.

Central Nervous System Acceptable/Not Acceptable Conditions

A candidate with a history of mental illness or psychological afflictions requires a detailed investigation and psychiatric referral. Such cases would normally be rejected. Most often the history is not volunteered.
Every examiner should form a general impression of the candidate’s personality as a whole and may enquire into an individual’s stability and habitual reactions to difficult and stressful situations. Family history and prior use of medication is also taken into account.
History of insomnia, phobias, nightmares, or frequent sleepwalking or bedwetting, when recurrent or persistent, will be a cause for rejection.

Given below is a list of more criteria that a candidate should fulfil:

No symptoms of a weak constitution or bodily defects.
A well-developed chest; a fully expanded chest should not be less than 81cm.
The minimum range of expansion after full inspiration should be 5 cm.
No maldevelopment or impairment of the function of the bones or joints.
No past history of mental breakdown or fits. Normal hearing capabilities. The individual should be able to hear a forced whisper with both ears at a distance of 610 cm. in a quiet room.
No impediment of speech.
Normal Blood Pressure with no signs of functional or organic diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
No enlargement of liver or spleen.
No abnormality in urine examination
No presence of any kind of skin disease, likely to cause disability or disfigurement
No abnormalities in USG abdomen examination
A sufficient number of natural and sound teeth.
A minimum of 14 dental points will be accepted.
Routine ECG for Air Force candidates must fall within normal limits.

As seen, we have discussed the physical and medical parameters for being recommended into the National Defence Academy.

Every aspirant is thoroughly checked for any deformities or abnormalities that can hinder in their training and cause a comparatively less physical fit life than the others.

Being physically and mentally fit is a very important aspect of eligibility. Clearing the medicals is not an easy task as every small aspect is crucially examined. One should start leading a physically fit life much prior to when he or she has to write the exam.

I hope this article was helpful and insightful.

Keep reading SSBCrackExams blog post for more such informative articles!

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