The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has allowed unmarried women to apply for the national defence academy (NDA) and naval academy exam, an official statement said.

The move follows a Supreme Court directive on the issue last month. In compliance with the apex court's interim direction, the UPSC has decided to open the application on upsconline.nic.in for this exam to enable "unmarried women candidates only" who are otherwise eligible in terms of nationality, age, educational qualification etc., the statement said.