A cadet who cleared the National Defense Academy (NDA) entrance exam in his fourth attempt and the son of a sugarcane farmer from Uttar Pradesh were two of the four academic toppers of the 147th course of the NDA. Three of the four academic toppers of this course will follow the footsteps of their fathers serving in the army.
A total of 359 cadets were awarded degrees and course completion certificates from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at the convocation ceremony of the 147th course of NDA held on Friday. The passing out cadets included 83 cadets from the Science stream, 86 from the Computer Science and 58 cadets from the Social Science stream who were awarded JNU degrees, and 132 Naval and Air Force cadets from the B.Tech stream who completed the three-year Had completed the course. certificate.
These Naval and Air Force cadets will be awarded the degree after completing one year of training at their respective pre-commission training academies i.e. Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy (AFA) respectively. The passing out course included 19 cadets from friendly foreign countries.
Cadet Gurkirat Singh, who topped in the Social Science stream, hails from Amritsar, Punjab and did his schooling from Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, Mohali. Gurkeerat, son of an Army veteran, said, “The three years in NDA were challenging and my time here taught me many life lessons. I have seen the army life closely and have always been inspired by my father. I came into NDA in my fourth attempt. My father was one of the reasons behind me not giving up even after the first, second or third attempt. The constant unconditional support and inspiration of my mother and father helped me to move ahead and not lose hope despite all the obstacles.
Gurkeerat, who is an Army cadet and will soon join the Indian Military Academy for his pre-commission training, said, “The training at NDA was full of ups and downs. But the academy teaches you to remain strong amidst every possible situation. His parents said they are proud of not only their son’s accomplishments but his perseverance.
Cadet Shashi Shekhar Singh, who has topped in the Computer Science stream, is an alumnus of Sainik School Ghorakhal and is a resident of Gorakhpur.
“The academy teaches you everything from basics like map reading, navigation, weapons training to advanced principles of warfare. But there’s a lot more that we’re taking forward from here. The bonds we develop here, the friendships we make here. my father is a farmer. So the inspiration to join NDA came from my Sainik School days, but it was the sacrifice and support of my parents that made it possible.”
Shashi Shekhar Singh’s father, Chandra Shekhar Singh, a sugarcane farmer, said, “I remember the day we dropped him at Sainik School Ghorakhal in Class 6. Now we are here today, when he has topped the NDA. It’s a feeling I can’t explain in words. My grandfather was in the army and my brother is in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. I believe my son’s determination to join the armed forces is my own.”
Cadet Siddhant Jakhar, who is a naval cadet and has topped the engineering stream, is the son of an Indian Air Force veteran. “I have received my schooling from various Air Force schools across the country. The difficult journey of three years in NDA was possible only because of the seniors and trainers here. My classmates stood by me through thick and thin during my training. The bonds I have made here are for a lifetime. The memories we have made here together are the real treasures that we all carry with us.
cadet Yuvraj Singh Chauhan, who has topped the science stream, is the son of a serving army officer. “The most memorable but challenging moments for me came from the various camps organized for training. These camps teach us to keep overcoming our limitations and the time spent together in doing so creates lifelong bonds,” said Cadet Chauhan.
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