Last verified: 15 October 2026 (Thursday, ~11 AM IST). Every number below is CONFIRMED from published sources: the first batch of 17 women cadets graduated from the NDA on 30 May 2025 (reported by All India Radio, PTI and The Hindu); the NDA (I) & (II) 2026 vacancy split — 394 total, 24 for women — is confirmed by UPSC’s notifications as reported independently by NDTV and JagranJosh; Sainik School girls’ quota figures come from the official AISSAC counselling norms. Figures labelled EXPECTED are projections from established patterns, not announcements.
On 30 May 2025, at the Khetarpal Parade Ground in Pune, 17 women cadets crossed the ‘Antim Pag’ alongside over 300 male counterparts — the first co-ed Passing Out Parade in the National Defence Academy’s history. In one morning, the question parents had been asking since 2021 — “is NDA really open for girls, or only on paper?” — got its answer: it is real, it has happened, and those cadets are now proceeding to their service academies.
If your daughter is in Class 6 to 10 right now and dreams of the uniform, this guide is her complete 2027 roadmap: how the door opened, how many seats exist, who is eligible, what the exam looks like, and the honest path from a Sainik School classroom to that parade ground.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Supreme Court direction — UPSC must allow women to apply for the NDA |
| 2022 | First cohort of women cadets joins the NDA’s 148th course |
| 2025 | First batch of 17 women cadets graduates (30 May 2025); 339 cadets conferred degrees in the 148th course |
| 2026 | Women compete for 24 reserved vacancies in each NDA notification; girl cadets clear the written stage in growing numbers |
Before 2021, NDA entry was male-only. Women joined the forces through other routes — OTA, CDS, AFCAT — but the Academy itself was closed. The court’s intervention didn’t just open admissions; it created a permanent, notification-by-notification vacancy stream for women.
The NDA exam runs twice a year through UPSC. The (I) 2026 and (II) 2026 notifications each announced 394 total vacancies, with 24 reserved for women. The wing-wise split for women candidates:
| Wing / entry | Women vacancies (of total) |
|---|---|
| NDA — Army | 10 (of 208) |
| NDA — Navy | 5 (of 42) |
| NDA — Air Force (Flying) | 2 (of 92) |
| NDA — Air Force (Ground Duties, Tech) | 2 (of 18) |
| NDA — Air Force (Ground Duties, Non-Tech) | 2 (of 10) |
| Naval Academy (10+2 Cadet Entry) | 3 (of 24) |
| Total | 24 (of 394) |
Two honest observations. First, 24 out of 394 is about 6% — small in absolute terms, which is exactly why preparation must be serious: every reserved vacancy attracts intense competition. Second, these figures are provisional in every notification; UPSC can revise them. Always verify the current count in the latest UPSC notification, not in last year’s article.
For the next cycle: the NDA (I) 2027 notification is EXPECTED around December 2026 (the (I) 2026 notification came in December 2025), and NDA (II) 2027 is EXPECTED around May 2027 — both following the established UPSC rhythm.
Here’s where this gets directly relevant to our readers. Sainik Schools now admit girls under a 10% quota — 10% of vacancies or 10 seats, whichever is more — so a girl entering Class 6 in 2027 can plausibly ride the full Sainik School → PCM → NDA pipeline. And it’s already working: 17 girls from Mai Bhago AFPI cleared the NDA (II) 2026 written exam this October, reportedly the institute’s highest-ever tally — proof that the written stage is very much within reach.
The honest version of the pipeline looks like this:
Note the important nuance: clearing the written exam is not selection. The written is 900 marks (Mathematics 300 + General Ability Test 600) and the SSB is another 900 — and merit lists for men and women are prepared separately.
For parents of girls in Class 5–8:
For girls in Class 9–12:
For everyone:
Can girls join the NDA? Yes. Since the Supreme Court’s 2021 direction, women candidates apply through the same UPSC NDA examination. The first batch of 17 women cadets graduated from the NDA on 30 May 2025, completing the 148th course.
How many NDA vacancies are reserved for women? In the NDA (I) and (II) 2026 notifications, UPSC announced 394 total vacancies with 24 for women: Army 10, Navy 5, Air Force flying 2, Air Force ground duties technical 2, Air Force ground duties non-technical 2, and the Naval Academy’s 10+2 entry 3.
What is the eligibility for girls in NDA? Unmarried female candidates aged 16.5 to 19.5 years. The Army wing needs a Class 12 pass; the Air Force and Navy wings (and the Naval Academy 10+2 entry) need Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
How many marks is the NDA written exam, and is there a separate merit list for women? The written exam is 900 marks (Mathematics 300 plus General Ability Test 600), followed by a 900-mark SSB interview. Merit lists for men and women are prepared separately.
How can a girl from a Sainik School reach the NDA? Through the 10% girls’ quota for Class 6 admission in Sainik Schools, then Class 11-12 with PCM, then the UPSC NDA exam at 16.5 to 19.5 years. Several girl cadets are already clearing the NDA written stage — 17 girls from Mai Bhago AFPI cleared the NDA (II) 2026 written exam.
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