CDS 1 2026 Final Result Out: 243 Recommended for IMA, INA & AFA (Full Merit List)

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has declared the final result of the Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026 on 2 November 2026. A total of 243 recommendations have been made across three academies: 155 for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), 63 for the Indian Naval Academy (INA) and 25 for the Air Force Academy (AFA).

Congratulations to every candidate who made it to the merit list. Clearing the written exam and then the five-day SSB interview is no small feat. Below you will find the key highlights, the vacancy picture, what the result means, what to do next, and the complete merit lists with roll numbers.

CDS 1 2026 Final Result: Key Highlights

Exam	Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026
Conducted by	UPSC (written exam) and Services Selection Boards, Ministry of Defence (SSB interview)
Written exam held	April 2026
Final result date	2 November 2026
Total recommendations	243 (155 IMA + 63 INA + 25 AFA)
Unique candidates	181 (some names appear in more than one list)
Courses	IMA 162nd (DE) Course, INA Ezhimala, AFA Hyderabad No. 221 F(P) Course
Official website	upsc.gov.in

Vacancies vs Written-Qualified vs Final List

The numbers show just how tough the SSB stage is. Thousands cleared the written test, but only a small fraction made it to the final merit list.

Academy	Vacancies	Qualified in Written	Final Merit List
Indian Military Academy, Dehradun	100 (incl. 13 for NCC ‘C’ Army Wing)	2,601	155
Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala	26 (incl. 6 for NCC ‘C’ Naval Wing, 1 for Hydro)	770	63
Air Force Academy, Hyderabad	32 (incl. 3 for NCC ‘C’ Air Wing)	640	25

What this tells us: roughly 6 out of every 100 written-qualified IMA candidates and about 4 out of every 100 AFA candidates made the final list. The written exam gets you to the door, but the SSB decides who walks in. That is why preparing for the SSB interview early, alongside the written exam, makes such a big difference.

Why Are There More Names Than Vacancies?

Many aspirants get confused by this every year. The merit list for IMA has 155 names against 100 vacancies, and INA has 63 names against 26. This is because the same candidate can appear in more than one list (based on the preferences they filled), and final joining also depends on medical fitness and document verification. Candidates higher in merit who join one academy free up seats in the others.

In this result, 9 candidates appear in all three lists (IMA, INA and AFA): Lohitaksh Mahajan, Aditya Sharma (Roll No. 6300481), Aryan, Ansh Sharma, Aaryan Mishra, Vinay Dhaka, Abhay Singh Chauhan, K R Rakshith and Ujjwal Devgun.

Toppers of CDS 1 2026

• IMA AIR 1: Lohitaksh Mahajan (Roll No. 0500513)
• INA AIR 1: Lohitaksh Mahajan (Roll No. 0500513)
• AFA AIR 1: Lohitaksh Mahajan (Roll No. 0500513)

Lohitaksh Mahajan has topped all three merit lists, a remarkable achievement. Other top IMA rankers include Lakshya Verma (AIR 2), Shubham Parmar (AIR 3), Sumit Kumar (AIR 4) and Naman Singh (AIR 5).

Important Points From the UPSC Notice

• Medical results are not included. The merit list was prepared without considering medical examination results. Final joining is subject to medical fitness.
• Candidature is provisional. Verification of date of birth and educational qualification is still in process.
• Send your original certificates. Recommended candidates must forward original certificates (date of birth, education) along with attested photocopies to Army HQ / Naval HQ / Air HQ, as per their first choice.
• Update address changes. If your address changes, inform the respective Service HQ directly and quickly.
• Marks will come later. Candidates’ marks will be published on the UPSC website only after the final result of the OTA course for CDS (I) 2026 is declared.

How to Check the CDS 1 2026 Final Result

1. Visit the official website upsc.gov.in.
2. Go to “What’s New” or the “Examination > Final Result” section.
3. Click on “Final Result: Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026”.
4. The PDF will open. Press Ctrl + F and search your roll number or name.
5. Download and save the PDF for future reference.

Or simply scroll down, the complete lists are given below on this page.

UPSC Helpdesk for Queries

UPSC has a facilitation counter at its campus, open on working days from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Candidates can also call the helpdesk at 011-24041001 or 011-40303444 between 9:00 AM and 8:00 PM on all days.

Did Not Make It This Time? Here Is What to Do

If your name is not on the list, do not lose heart. Many officers cleared the SSB on their second, third or even later attempt. What matters is what you do next:

• Review your SSB honestly. Where did you feel weak: psychology tests (TAT, WAT, SRT, SD), GTO tasks, or the personal interview?
• Work on the root, not the surface. Officer Like Qualities (OLQs) cannot be memorised; they need real practice and honest self-work.
• Keep your written preparation going. The next CDS, NDA and AFCAT cycles are coming. A strong written score gets you more SSB chances.
• Get guidance. Expert feedback on your psych tests and interview can show you blind spots you cannot see yourself.

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CDS 1 2026 Final Merit List: Indian Military Academy (155 Candidates)

Rank	Roll No.	Name
1	0500513	Lohitaksh Mahajan
2	1402694	Lakshya Verma
3	7900100	Shubham Parmar
4	0805121	Sumit Kumar
5	2604187	Naman Singh
6	1000789	Ashutosh Kumar
7	0805821	Shivam Bisht
8	5901027	Aayush Raghav
9	3500571	Udit
10	6900344	Himanshu Sharma
11	0810967	Kamal Upadhyay
12	2600055	Rochak Yadav
13	6600992	Kondhane Siddharth Vasant
14	7000119	Manbir Singh
15	1102790	Karan Junjadiya
16	0808115	Abhishek Anand
17	8400112	Ayush Pant
18	2603358	Rahul Yadav
19	8500435	Abhishek Singh Ojha
20	6300481	Aditya Sharma
21	4100014	Ayush Raj
22	0808033	Rajeev
23	0802427	Ankit Singh
24	8500473	Kartik Kothyari
25	1400820	Suryansh Bhandari
26	6101203	Vipul Kumar Sharma
27	6100116	Sachin Kumar Sharma
28	7800330	Ashwani Pawar
29	3502180	Ansh Kaushik
30	1000469	Ansh Bhargava
31	0201167	Aditya Sharma
32	0400225	Anurag Chaubey
33	0800212	Saurav Singh Sigroha
34	3502749	Manish Kumar
35	6300349	Aryan
36	2602234	Abhay Pratap
37	5400985	Lokesh Joshi
38	3401258	Sourav Sharma
39	5800071	Arnav Kumar Singh
40	0600839	Tarun Pandey
41	0600417	Sachin Singh
42	8700026	Yadav Abhinav Salikram
43	7100097	Surendra Choudhary
44	3400058	Praret Singh
45	8800061	Charchit Bhardwaj
46	6600832	Dhruv Khatri
47	0809903	Ansh Sharma
48	6900915	Prince Yadav
49	0801061	Keshav Kumar
50	6900985	Dheeraj Sharma
51	0803523	Akshay Yadav
52	1102655	Shubham Narwal
53	1501300	Abhishek Kumar
54	0800100	Krishan Kumar
55	1100022	Ankit Sharma
56	0400496	Ankush Kumar Singh
57	0800052	Ashutosh
58	1103165	Lakshya Pratap Singh
59	0300015	P M Varun Krishnan
60	1501089	Aryan Raj
61	0806570	Aaryan Mishra
62	1400074	Anshuman Ghildiyal
63	0808144	Aman Khan
64	0811111	Ashutosh Bhardwaj
65	0804160	Anand Kumar
66	0900270	Jagat Singh Kalita
67	0811032	Akash Chaudhary
68	1500834	Manish Kumar Singh
69	6601878	Rohit Dinesh Ingole
70	0300169	Gautam M
71	2603978	Ankur Singh
72	0300973	Abhimanyu Singh
73	5800588	Aditya Tripathi
74	1401341	Akshat Semwal
75	0201665	Utkarsh Pandey
76	0801994	Ayushman Nirala
77	0600311	Siddarth Thapa
78	1100750	Jatin Kumar
79	1500967	Kunal Kumar
80	2200536	Pawan Kumar
81	1102144	Kanishk Purohit
82	3500929	Nikhil Kumar
83	1403257	Himanshu Negi
84	1400049	Abhinav
85	0807193	Aman Kumar
86	1402569	Vishwas Negi
87	6500262	Asheesh Chandel
88	0804708	Sonu
89	3502814	Ashwinder Singh
90	0807438	Abhidev
91	0500512	Yadav Vivek Ramashankar
92	7901349	Sonveer Chahar
93	0810608	Abhinav Singh
94	6500193	Arpit Gangwar
95	3503117	Lakshay Sheokand
96	0803769	Vinay Dhaka
97	5401057	Nitin Punetha
98	2602203	Ankit Pathak
99	6101706	Himanshu Tiwari
100	1100005	Harshvardhan Singh
101	0809497	Aayush Yadav
102	1102886	Madhvendra Singh
103	6900131	Abhay Singh Chauhan
104	1502198	Faizaan Khan
105	0810952	Harshit Khanna
106	0803386	Himanshu Sherawat
107	0500875	Mohd Owais Bhat
108	0804927	Ajay
109	0601249	Bikash Mondal
110	0301862	Hridhay Bali
111	0600980	Rohit Tiwari
112	0300911	Kabir Sharma
113	1103521	Raghvendra Singh
114	6601650	Krishnadeep Prashantrao Thakare
115	0801967	Yogesh Rawat
116	0808558	Neeraj Kumar
117	0301677	K R Rakshith
118	6601968	Mane Siddesh Sandip
119	8900020	Kartikey Chandel
120	0300751	Supreeth S Gulgule
121	0810068	Aprajeet Singh
122	0300252	Priyank Singh
123	3501266	Harshit
124	1400068	Ankur Nautiyal
125	3503189	Satyan Thakur
126	0301243	Hatti Anmol Shashikant
127	7900147	Abhishek Kumar Rajput
128	0809345	Kushal Sangwan
129	1401633	Aman Singh Mehra
130	4100702	Ritesh Kumar Sahu
131	7800202	Ved Jain
132	0804436	Mohit Lakra
133	6300162	Arpit Kumar
134	8800284	Adhidev Singh Jasrotia
135	0100855	Patel Jalakkumar Pankajbhai
136	1100271	Akshat Dutta
137	1300187	Aryan Barad
138	0807194	Tarun Negi
139	1102007	Vivek Kothari
140	1103233	Mohd Ayan Ansari
141	0800580	Akash Kumar
142	1402927	Lokesh Danu
143	7901646	Aayu Sharma
144	6300303	Vishwas Chaturvedi
145	1400162	Amit Singh Negi
146	1502909	Gyanendra Kumar
147	0500016	Anand Kumar Yadav
148	5100472	Vishal Kumar
149	1401347	Vipin Singh
150	0805010	Ujjwal Devgun
151	1501462	Rahul Kumar
152	3502086	Anuj Yadav
153	0807607	Vivek
154	0805032	Krishna Parihar
155	5600230	Surjakanta Irengbam

CDS 1 2026 Final Merit List: Indian Naval Academy (63 Candidates)

Rank	Roll No.	Name
1	0500513	Lohitaksh Mahajan
2	2604187	Naman Singh
3	5901027	Aayush Raghav
4	3500571	Udit
5	6300481	Aditya Sharma
6	0800212	Saurav Singh Sigroha
7	6300349	Aryan
8	2602234	Abhay Pratap
9	6600832	Dhruv Khatri
10	0809903	Ansh Sharma
11	1100022	Ankit Sharma
12	0400496	Ankush Kumar Singh
13	7800251	Moksh Patidar
14	0300015	P M Varun Krishnan
15	0806570	Aaryan Mishra
16	0804160	Anand Kumar
17	6601878	Rohit Dinesh Ingole
18	0300169	Gautam M
19	5800588	Aditya Tripathi
20	1401341	Akshat Semwal
21	0600311	Siddarth Thapa
22	3500929	Nikhil Kumar
23	0500512	Yadav Vivek Ramashankar
24	0803769	Vinay Dhaka
25	6900131	Abhay Singh Chauhan
26	6602099	Atharv Laxmikant Bhagwat
27	1103521	Raghvendra Singh
28	0301677	K R Rakshith
29	8900020	Kartikey Chandel
30	0300252	Priyank Singh
31	0301243	Hatti Anmol Shashikant
32	7800202	Ved Jain
33	6300162	Arpit Kumar
34	0807163	Saket
35	1100271	Akshat Dutta
36	1300187	Aryan Barad
37	0807194	Tarun Negi
38	5901228	Varun Sharma
39	6300247	Jatin Kumar
40	6500017	Shreejeet Gandhe
41	3502284	Shubham Kumar Yadav
42	0600685	Kalash Ranjan
43	1401286	Karan Singh
44	0500823	Aarya Pramod Nimbalkar
45	0805010	Ujjwal Devgun
46	0807572	Ayush Raj
47	3502086	Anuj Yadav
48	8200015	Abhay Singh Rathore
49	0805806	Shubham
50	0300798	Suyash Mishra
51	3501460	Priyanshu Sharma
52	1200814	J Md Naimudin Aashef
53	1403842	Arin Rawat
54	8500071	Piyush Adhikari
55	0803919	Rachit Sen
56	0201119	Om Panda
57	3500168	Josh Kahlon
58	1000362	G Aditya
59	5600230	Surjakanta Irengbam
60	0808897	Abhinav Kumar Kashyap
61	0804608	Tarun Yadav
62	0805706	Sanyam Gandotra
63	1000395	B Sridhar

CDS 1 2026 Final Merit List: Air Force Academy (25 Candidates)

Rank	Roll No.	Name
1	0500513	Lohitaksh Mahajan
2	6300481	Aditya Sharma
3	7800330	Ashwani Pawar
4	6300349	Aryan
5	3401258	Sourav Sharma
6	8700026	Yadav Abhinav Salikram
7	0809903	Ansh Sharma
8	1102655	Shubham Narwal
9	0806570	Aaryan Mishra
10	0900270	Jagat Singh Kalita
11	1500834	Manish Kumar Singh
12	6500262	Asheesh Chandel
13	3502814	Ashwinder Singh
14	7901349	Sonveer Chahar
15	0803769	Vinay Dhaka
16	6900131	Abhay Singh Chauhan
17	1502198	Faizaan Khan
18	0810952	Harshit Khanna
19	0300911	Kabir Sharma
20	0801967	Yogesh Rawat
21	0301677	K R Rakshith
22	0810068	Aprajeet Singh
23	3501266	Harshit
24	3503189	Satyan Thakur
25	0805010	Ujjwal Devgun

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the CDS 1 2026 final result declared?

UPSC declared the CDS (I) 2026 final result on 2 November 2026.

How many candidates are recommended in CDS 1 2026?

243 recommendations in total: 155 for IMA, 63 for INA and 25 for AFA. Since some candidates appear in more than one list, the number of unique candidates is 181.

Who is the topper of CDS 1 2026?

Lohitaksh Mahajan (Roll No. 0500513) is AIR 1 in all three lists: IMA, INA and AFA.

When will CDS 1 2026 marks be released?

Marks will be uploaded on upsc.gov.in after the final result of the OTA course for CDS (I) 2026 is declared.

Does the merit list include medical results?

No. Medical examination results were not considered while preparing the list. Joining is subject to medical fitness and document verification.

Source: UPSC Press Note, “Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2026: Declaration of Final Result”, dated 2 November 2026. Names are reproduced as published by UPSC; please verify your result on upsc.gov.in.