The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) declared the final result of the Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026 on 2 November 2026. A total of 243 candidates (155 for IMA + 63 for INA + 25 for AFA) have been recommended in order of merit for admission to the 162nd (DE) Course of the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun; the Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala; and the No. 221 F(P) Pre-Flying Training Course at the Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad.
The lists are based on the written examination conducted in April 2026 (specifically on 12 April 2026) and the Services Selection Board (SSB) interviews conducted by the Ministry of Defence. Some candidates appear in more than one academy list. Medical examination results have not been taken into account while preparing these lists. The candidature of all recommended candidates remains provisional pending verification of date of birth and educational qualifications by Army Headquarters.
Vacancies and Selection Figures
| Academy | Course | Written Exam Qualified | Finally Recommended | Vacancies (as intimated by Government) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun | 162nd (DE) Course | 2,601 | 155 | 100 (including 13 for NCC ‘C’ Certificate – Army Wing) |
| Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala | Executive Branch (General Service)/Hydro | 770 | 63 | 26 (including 6 for NCC ‘C’ – Naval Wing and 1 for Hydro) |
| Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad | No. 221 F(P) Course | 640 | 25 | 32 (including 3 for NCC ‘C’ – Air Wing through NCC Special Entry) |
| Total | — | 4,011 | 243 | 158 (excluding OTA) |
The Commission had earlier recommended the above numbers of candidates as qualified in the written test. The final numbers reflect performance after the SSB stage conducted by Army Headquarters.
Topper: Lohitaksh Mahajan (Roll No. 0500513)
Lohitaksh Mahajan has secured Rank 1 in the merit lists of all three academies — IMA, INA and AFA. He hails from Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, he had achieved 99.988 percentile in JEE Main 2021 (J&K topper) and pursued Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay. His consistent top ranking across all three services is a rare achievement.
Top 10 Candidates – Indian Military Academy (162nd DE Course)
- Lohitaksh Mahajan – 0500513
- Lakshya Verma – 1402694
- Shubham Parmar – 7900100
- Sumit Kumar – 0805121
- Naman Singh – 2604187
- Ashutosh Kumar – 1000789
- Shivam Bisht – 0805821
- Aayush Raghav – 5901027
- Udit – 3500571
- Himanshu Sharma – 6900344
Top 10 Candidates – Indian Naval Academy
- Lohitaksh Mahajan – 0500513
- Naman Singh – 2604187
- Aayush Raghav – 5901027
- Udit – 3500571
- Aditya Sharma – 6300481
- Saurav Singh Sigroha – 0800212
- Aryan – 6300349
- Abhay Pratap – 2602234
- Dhruv Khatri – 6600832
- Ansh Sharma – 0809903
Top 10 Candidates – Air Force Academy (No. 221 F(P) Course)
- Lohitaksh Mahajan – 0500513
- Aditya Sharma – 6300481
- Ashwani Pawar – 7800330
- Aryan – 6300349
- Sourav Sharma – 3401258
- Yadav Abhinav Salikram – 8700026
- Ansh Sharma – 0809903
- Shubham Narwal – 1102655
- Aaryan Mishra – 0806570
- Jagat Singh Kalita – 0900270
Download CDS 1 2026 Merit List
Important Instructions for Recommended Candidates
- Results of the medical examination have not been considered.
- Verification of Date of Birth and educational qualifications is still underway. Candidates must forward original certificates (with attested photocopies) to Army/Naval/Air Headquarters as per their first choice.
- Any change of address should be intimated promptly to the respective Headquarters.
- Marks of candidates will be published on the UPSC website only after the final result of the Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) course of CDS (I) 2026 is declared.
The result is available on the official UPSC website (upsc.gov.in) and the Press Information Bureau. Candidates may also contact the UPSC Facilitation Counter or the Candidate’s Helpdesk (011-24041001 / 011-40303444).
This result marks another significant step in the selection of future officers for the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. Recommended candidates are advised to carefully follow all further instructions from the respective Service Headquarters regarding medical examination, document verification and joining formalities.
