Last verified: 14 October 2026 (Wednesday, morning). The figures below are as reported by NEWire.in (published 13 October 2026, page opened and verified by us today), based on the school’s announcement from Peren on 2 October. This is a single Tier-2 source — the school has not published the numbers on its own website yet — so treat exact details as reported, not officially confirmed. Anything marked EXPECTED is our interpretation, not an official claim.
Nine cadets of Sainik School Punglwa, Nagaland, have cleared the written stage of the UPSC National Defence Academy examination — seven from the school’s current batch and two senior cadets. The school’s announcement came from Peren on 2 October and was reported on 13 October.
The current-batch qualifiers are Machitube Ndang, Aditya Kumar, Abhishek Kr. Singh, Adarsh Sen, Pranav Kumar, Rishab Mishra, and Roshan Kumar. The two senior cadets are Dev Dagar and Rishabh Raj. Officiating Principal Lt Col Amit Chaudhury congratulated the cadets alongside the staff, calling the result “highly encouraging and a source of inspiration for the school fraternity and the state.” The school also thanked its Local Board of Administration for steady guidance and acknowledged the support of parents.
This result belongs to the same examination cycle as the other Sainik School successes reported this month: the written stage of the NDA & NA Examination (II) 2026, conducted by the UPSC on 13 September 2026 (EXPECTED — inferred from the timing of the school’s announcement and the parallel results reported for other schools; the UPSC has not been separately verified for this school).
Consider the company Punglwa is in this month alone: 50 cadets from Sainik School Kalikiri (including three girls from its first-ever girls’ batch), 23 from Sainik School Nalanda, 44 from Sainik School Ghorakhal, and 17 girls from Punjab’s Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute all cleared the same written stage. Nine more from a smaller Northeastern school fits the pattern — and the pattern is the story.
Clearing the written paper is only the first filter. The qualifiers now face the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview, run under the Ministry of Defence — five days of psychology tests, group tasks and the personal interview, where most written-stage qualifiers fall out. After the SSB come medical tests and the final merit list for the NDA’s 158th Course (CONFIRMED for the other schools’ qualifiers per earlier reports; EXPECTED to apply here).
Punglwa has been here before. The school previously recorded 11 written-stage clears (its highest at the time), and four of its cadets went on to secure SSB recommendations in an earlier cycle. Nine clears with SSB still to come keeps the school firmly on its upward curve.
If your child is preparing for AISSEE 2027 (exam tentatively 31 January 2027 per the NTA calendar — CONFIRMED as tentative), results like this are the entire reason the preparation exists. Sainik Schools were built for one job: turning Class 6 entrants into NDA-ready young men and women. Every written-stage clear is proof the machine works — including at smaller schools far from the spotlight.
One practical takeaway: when you shortlist schools during e-counselling next year, look at each school’s NDA selection track record alongside cutoffs and fees. A school that consistently produces SSB-ready cadets is doing something the syllabus alone cannot explain.
Photo: Pexels
How many Sainik School Punglwa cadets cleared the NDA written exam?
Nine cadets — seven from the current batch and two senior cadets — as reported by NEWire.in on 13 October 2026, based on the school’s announcement from Peren on 2 October.
Which NDA exam did the Punglwa cadets clear?
The written stage of the NDA & NA Examination (II) 2026, conducted by the UPSC (inferred from timing; the exam was held on 13 September 2026). The qualifiers now become eligible for the SSB interview stage.
Who is the principal of Sainik School Punglwa?
Lt Col Amit Chaudhury is the officiating principal. He congratulated the cadets and staff and said the result is highly encouraging and a source of inspiration for the school fraternity and the state of Nagaland.
What comes next for the nine qualifiers?
The Services Selection Board (SSB) interview — a five-day assessment of personality, leadership and aptitude run under the Ministry of Defence — followed by medical tests and the final NDA merit list.
How helpful was this article?
