UPSC declares NDA and NA I 2026 final result; 617 candidates qualify, Ishan Pachauri tops men

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has declared the final result of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy (NA) Examination (I), 2026. A total of 617 candidates have qualified, of whom 551 are men and 66 are women. Along with the result, the commission has also released the merit list of the selected candidates.

Ishan Pachauri secured the first rank among men, while Shreya N Gowda took the first rank among women.

The top five among men are: Ishan Pachauri (roll number 7943704) at rank 1, Arash Kukreja (roll number 6440787) at rank 2, Kaustav Bounthiyal (roll number 1449019) at rank 3, Ish Phogat (roll number 1450377) at rank 4 and Mithilesh Yadav (roll number 7741064) at rank 5.

Among women, Shreya N Gowda (roll number 0344615) is at rank 1, Avika Sharma (roll number 3440950) at rank 2, Rajshree Rai (roll number 0240856) at rank 3, Pankaj Kumari (roll number 1153554) at rank 4 and Vanshika Chaudhary (roll number 1151341) at rank 5.

The selected candidates will be admitted to the Army, Navy and Air Force under the 157th course of the NDA. Admissions will also be given to the 119th Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC) of the Naval Academy.

Candidates can view the merit list on the commission's official website, upsc.gov.in. They should open the website, go to "What's New" on the homepage or the exam results section, and click the link "NDA & NA Exam 1 2026 Final Result". The merit list of selected candidates opens as a PDF, in which they can look for their name or roll number. They can then download the result and keep a printout for further use.

According to the commission, the merit list is based on the written examination held on April 12, 2026 and the subsequent interview by the Services Selection Board of the Ministry of Defence. The commission has clarified that the selection of all 617 successful candidates is provisional for now. Their original documents, particularly certificates relating to date of birth and educational qualification, will be verified before final admission.

Candidates who have not yet submitted the required certificates must send them to the designated office of the Army's recruitment directorate. The address is: Additional Directorate General of Recruiting, Adjutant General's Branch, Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Army), West Block No. 3, Wing-1, R.K. Puram, New Delhi - 110066.

Candidates will have to wait a little for their individual marks. The UPSC will upload candidates' marks on its official website 15 days after the final result. Once the marks are available, candidates will be able to see their scores on the website.