- 10 months ago
Pune (Maharashtra), May 29, 2025 (ANI): Emotions ran high at the National Defence Academy (NDA) Convocation Ceremony in Pune as a new batch of cadets proudly passed out, marking the culmination of years of rigorous training and dedication. Families, officers, and mentors gathered to celebrate the achievements of these young men and women, ready to serve the nation with honor and courage.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00It is a very surreal moment for me and I cannot explain it in words.
00:04There are a lot of emotions right now.
00:06There have been many moments where I thought that I would quit,
00:08but then I felt that they have given so much
00:11and they sacrificed so much for me that I cannot let it go down.
00:16We are a clan of army, fourth generation my son is.
00:21My son is going to the Navy, otherwise my background is entire army.
00:24So it's the proudest moment for any parent
00:26and for us, like any parent, it's an amazing day.
00:30In the beginning, I felt like what is going on,
00:32there is no time, there is no phone calls, there is no communication,
00:35there is no conversation, there is no letters written.
00:37But as soon as the terms increased, the time has been spent here,
00:41it started to sort it.
00:43All three years, you are used to corrective measures kind of things
00:49and all the training activities which are going on.
00:53And after three years, you get some relax
00:55which you can think that something I have done.
00:59After these three years and I got graduated.
01:02It was all about my mother.
01:04So I had to say, I had to say, I had to study them from the airport.
01:07Then she sent me to hostel.
01:09Then they had to know that I went to the Senate School,
01:11military school, these also had.
01:13Then she sent me over there.
01:14Then they had to know that I had to get a National Defense Agreement
01:18where you can become an officer in the armed forces.
01:21I am feeling really happy, given the fact that my parents are finally here,
01:51and that I will be passing out tomorrow.
01:53It is a very surreal moment for me and I cannot explain it in words.
01:57There are a lot of emotions right now, a lot of anxiety,
02:01feeling really happy that my parents are here, and this final moment with me.
02:04Tomorrow I will be passing out from the Anthipag.
02:07And three years of memory, these I will cherish forever.
02:11And I will never forget the fact that these three difficult years,
02:15my family is always there to support me,
02:17and it is because of them that I am standing here right now, ready to pass out tomorrow.
02:21Of course, tell us about your stories.
02:23You know, how was your journey to getting into the NBA and the final game?
02:28The journey, it has been an interesting one.
02:31All the members of my family, most of them have served in the Defence Forces.
02:36So from the start it was always an inspiration for me that I have to join the Defence Forces one way or the other.
02:42I had given a few attempts, but due to certain reasons, I had not cleared it in the first attempt.
02:47But when I did get the opportunity to come to the National Defence Academy,
02:51it was a moment that I could not be described in words.
02:57I felt really happy that I could push forward the legacy of my family.
03:01I will be the fourth generation officer from my family.
03:05And who will be your biggest inspiration?
03:07Both my parents.
03:09They have always been my biggest inspiration for me.
03:12And it is only because of them that I have been able to push forward.
03:15There have been many moments where I thought that I would quit,
03:18but then I felt that they have given so much,
03:21and they have sacrificed so much for me that I cannot let it go down,
03:25go down in vain.
03:27And that always propelled me forward.
03:29I will take this opportunity to ask.
03:30You are the 148th batch,
03:32where women cadets also pass in water.
03:35Yes.
03:36How was your feeling about that?
03:39Because you said that you are in the fourth generation,
03:42who was in the Army.
03:44This was the first batch who was there in the NGA.
03:47So how was your journey going through the training with them?
03:52It was actually a very big step taken by the National Defence Academy.
03:56But I definitely feel that it was the correct one.
03:58Initially, all of us were very skeptical
04:00that they would be able to continue along with the meal cadets,
04:04with the strict schedule, the training and all that.
04:09But I am happy to say that my female course mates,
04:12they have done really well.
04:13And tomorrow they will be proving that they are just as good as the meal cadets,
04:18if not better.
04:20And I feel that it is a great motivation for all the girls out there.
04:25that nothing for them is out of reach.
04:29And they are a big source of motivation for all the girls of the country.
04:33And I feel really happy to be a part of this course.
04:36For us, our family is a very, very big day.
04:39We are a clan of Army.
04:43Fourth generation my son is.
04:45I am the third generation who has commanded the same battalion.
04:48And my son is going to the Navy.
04:50Otherwise, my background is the entire Army.
04:52So it is the proudest moment for any parent.
04:54And for us, like any parent, it is an amazing day.
04:57It is overwhelming topping the VA course in India.
05:01My sole purpose of this was to lead my junior female cadets
05:06and tell them that no achievement is too small or too big.
05:10Take us to your journey.
05:11How did you decide to go?
05:13Of course, there was some order.
05:15You also spoke about the Supreme Court.
05:17How the guidelines were given.
05:19Women were allowed in the NDA.
05:21How you decided about it?
05:23Because you are not doing a person.
05:26Finding an NDA.
05:27It is completely different.
05:29I was pursuing become owners from Shriram College of Commerce, Delhi University.
05:33At that point in time, I came to know about the historic decision of the Supreme Court
05:37that NDA is finally open for girls after grinding 75 years.
05:42So that was indeed historic and that was overwhelming for all of us.
05:45I took the opportunity since I wanted to join the armed forces since the very start.
05:50I pulled the form.
05:52I prepared for it and I got through it.
05:55Furthermore, I had the support of my parents since the very start.
05:58So that was...
05:59How was your training these three years in the NDA?
06:04You talked about your course mates.
06:06They are all mixed up now.
06:08How was the experience?
06:10Initially, it takes time for us, for each and every cadet to accommodate.
06:14But later, it was assimilated well with the support of our instructors, our ustads,
06:19and all the staff which is present here.
06:21We have drills, we have games, we have swimming, we have academics as well.
06:25So we have an all-around personality development here.
06:27Your course mates, the male course mates specifically, they are, you know, work there, you shoulder to shoulder.
06:33How was the experience with them?
06:34Absolutely.
06:35I would like to dedicate my support to my male counterparts as well.
06:40Because they have been, they are thick and thin, as much as a female counterparts are.
06:44So they have been as equal as a female counterparts.
06:47Okay.
06:48And it's the first batch of female and you are amongst the toppers.
06:53So how are you feeling about that?
06:54It is amazing.
06:55It is amazing.
06:56I have been good in studies but this achievement is surreal.
07:02Thank you so much.
07:03I will be very true.
07:04I was really, initially I was really apprehensive because the rigorous training which we had gone through,
07:09so I was aware what she will be going to undergo.
07:13And we had not trained initially her for the armed forces because she was in SRCC.
07:18Being her, pursuing her become honours.
07:21So once that Supreme Court order came, we decided that she should be appearing for that exam.
07:27She cleared the exam, interview, and once medical was good then we realized that she is going to go to NDA.
07:34So I just asked her whether you will be liking to join that.
07:39She told me I am ready to join.
07:41She wanted to join.
07:42I was still apprehensive because I was thinking that she may not be able to take on that much of challenge.
07:50But she told me I will be able to do it.
07:54I will tell you initially like running part, she could run only 400 meters.
07:59But I told her before you leave, we had four weeks.
08:02Before she left, she could run 1.2 kilometers.
08:06So that was good enough.
08:07She was toned up and ready.
08:09I knew that she is ready to take on challenge.
08:11And within three months she could run a cross country of 8.7 kilometers.
08:16It is novice cross country.
08:18So that was a great effort on her part.
08:20And really it required grit and dedication for that.
08:24India once known for the males.
08:26But now the females are there.
08:28Your daughter is getting passed.
08:30Passing out from here.
08:32Amongst the toppers.
08:34What is your opinion view on that?
08:38I am really very happy regarding that decision.
08:41Because see, 50% of part of the population is females.
08:45And they are ready and able to do each and everything what we can do.
08:49So we may have apprehension, some of us as male, that whether they will be able to do or not.
08:57But we will have to grant it to them that they are able to do each and everything right from the road.
09:03They are driving taxis to reaching space.
09:07They can reach everywhere.
09:09And you saw this little girl of ours topping the course and academics also.
09:14So I really feel proud that the government has taken this decision under the ages of Supreme Court.
09:20I am from a civil background.
09:23And I belong to Lakhno.
09:25I was doing B-Tech.
09:26And then I joined B-Tech.
09:28And I joined the National Defense Academy.
09:31And in the beginning, I felt very happy that I was coming from a civil life.
09:35My family background was also civil.
09:37But in the beginning, I felt like what was going on.
09:40There is no time.
09:41There is no phone calls.
09:42There is no communication.
09:43There is no talk.
09:44There is no letters.
09:45But as soon as the time has increased, I started to change things.
09:52This is the only way, this kind of a discipline routine which we used to follow in the military.
09:59And like this, I survived here.
10:01And suddenly things will start increasing.
10:04Our activities related to the army.
10:06Like I am army-gated.
10:08So I got indulged in these activities and time flew like this and I passed out.
10:14How is it feeling, you know, passing out?
10:16You know, coming from the civil background and passing out?
10:20This is the only feeling, this is the only thing which you felt good after like spending
10:26three years in this place.
10:27Because all three years, you are used to all these corrective measures kind of things
10:33and all the ragdha and training activities which are going on.
10:37And after three years, you get some relaxed and which you can think that something I have
10:43done after these three years and I got graduated.
10:46After passing out, what's your future plan?
10:48The future is fixed to join in armed force or army.
10:52I will.
10:53Yes, I will be joining in July.
10:56I am a strong and act.
10:59I am part of the military leader.
11:04The main boss, my brother who made it,
11:09and my friend who did,
11:10for mine,
11:11it was shut down,
11:13and got disturbed myself.
11:15I had 겁 to return through the army.
11:18foreign
11:48I have two daughters and I have been sending you out.
11:52So I have been told that everyone will be together.
11:56I have been told that the country is too.
11:59And the reason for this is that when I joined here,
12:02I can also crack the IS.
12:04So I have been told that the IS will be better.
12:06But if you do it, I will be happy to do it.
12:08And I will be able to do it.
12:10Basically, after this year, I have been here.
12:13But I am very happy.
12:16Since I was in Sydney for seven years, it's a long journey, it's been 10 years now and now we are out of the house.
12:23But now everything is fine, now we are going to leave.
12:27It's just one more year and then hopefully we will become officers.
12:31How did you decide when you said 10 years ago?
12:35When did you come to your mind?
12:37How did you come to your mind?
12:39How did you come to this journey?
12:42It was all about my mother.
12:44She told me that I had to go outside and send me to a hostel.
12:48Then she told me that it was a Senate school and military school.
12:52Then she sent me over there.
12:54She told me that it was an NDA, a National Defence Academy,
12:58where you can become an officer in the Armed Forces.
13:01Then the future is very secure and well settled.
13:05Then you get one repeated life.
13:07Then she decided there.
13:09Then there were many officers in our motivation lectures.
13:13Then they were motivated.
13:16Then I planned.
13:17Then the first attempt, I have cleared it.
13:19Then I have come over here.
13:21Actually, I am single parents.
13:23Then I am single parents.
13:24I am single parents.
13:25I have come over here.
13:26Then I had to send their children to their home.
13:30Then I had to send them to their children.
13:31Then I went to a hostel and then I found out,
13:33I have searched for their children's life.
13:35I thought that it was because of the armed forces.
13:38There was no judgment for the country.
13:40I thought that a child was not doing anything.
13:41I thought that it was a very difficult and I thought that it was possible to do it.
13:43I didn't know that he was able to get a chance of getting a chance.
13:47Did you feel that your background was not?
13:51No, no.
13:53I agree that it was difficult, but we are human.
14:01The people who come, all the human beings are human.
14:05I felt that we should try and try.
14:07I always wanted to go to the street where the seats are reduced.
14:15Because when you have a competition, you will not be intelligent.
14:21When they put the forms, the seats were very low.
14:25I also told that there are 20 seats.
14:28I told you to put the seats in there where the seats are less.
14:30Because you are ready to do this level.
14:32Then I also had to qualify for the first attempt.
14:35Actually, I was working on my duty in COVID, so I thought I was struggling very well.
14:41So, at least this has been done. I feel very proud of my children.
14:45What are you doing?
14:46I am a white professional advocate and a BMS doctor.
14:50My name is Nisha Gupta.
14:52Thank you so much.
14:53Basically, I am from Chindwara, Madhya Pradesh, and I don't have any defense background.
14:58It was the first time in my class 11th, I got to know about National Defense Academy.
15:02My mother, I got to know about my family.
15:07So, from there, I started preparing.
15:10And after 11th, 12th, I prepared.
15:13In the first attempt, I was not able to clear the SSB interview.
15:16But in my second attempt, I finally cleared it.
15:19And now, finally, the three years are done.
15:23And it's been a long journey.
15:25It was a long journey, but how it was?
15:28It was full of ups and downs.
15:30When you come to India as a first term, you don't know anything.
15:35But by the time you reach your second term, third term, fourth term,
15:39you learn a lot of things.
15:41You do camps, cross country, drill competition.
15:46So, in all of them, you have a lot of ups and downs.
15:49There are a lot of tough days.
15:51There are a lot of days that are very relaxing.
15:53It is totally a roller coaster ride.
15:55And how are you feeling today?
15:57What are you feeling today?
15:58What are you feeling today?
15:59What are you feeling today?
16:00What are you feeling today?
16:01What are you feeling today?
16:02What are you feeling today?
16:03It's a very good feeling.
16:04Like I told you, it's been actually a long journey.
16:07When I came to the beginning, I felt like it was 3 years ahead.
16:11I don't know when we'll finish.
16:13But finally, during a day, finally, it's 3 years complete.
16:18It is a wonderful feeling.
16:20What are you feeling today?
16:22After one month, we'll be joining IMA.
16:27So, looking forward to it.
16:29What are you feeling today?
16:30Everything is very tough.
16:32Just tell clearly, it's not tough.
16:35No one gives me a full test exam to do.
16:39We have a full test exam.
16:40We deliver it completely.
16:41Where is the answer to it?
16:42We have to answer it.
16:47Right now, it sounds very positive.
16:48But we have told you to prepare it.
16:49We have reached it.
16:51I am told you to prepare it.
16:52And so, let's prepare it.
16:53We will be prepared.
16:54It will be a full test.
16:55We will be prepared for it.
16:56My dream is that we have to reach the army.
17:00They have also prepared the exam.
17:04And today this year has been completed.
17:07It's a big deal.
17:09We have no defense here.
17:12After that, our child is here.
17:15Right now when I look, now three years feels like nothing.
17:19But it has been a lot.
17:21First of all, the process of coming here,
17:24it has been a very long journey for me.
17:26Because I have given four SSB interviews.
17:29In my first SSB interview, I was conferenced out from Bhopal.
17:33In my second interview, I was again conferenced out from SSB Kapoorthala.
17:38Then I had somewhat lost the hope.
17:40And then I joined back my college.
17:42I was in Ferguson College, Pune only.
17:44But when I went there and I saw that life,
17:47I am from APS Ahmednagar.
17:50So I have already seen a military life.
17:52My father, my grandfather, both are in army only.
17:55They both retired as NCOs.
17:57They were all that.
17:59But when I saw the life in the college and the kind of culture it is going outside,
18:02I thought that this is not for me.
18:04This is not for me.
18:06So I made up my mind and I had my third interview.
18:10That was for 148 NDA.
18:11Again from Bhopal only.
18:13So the board which got me conferenced out, got me in the next time.
18:17And I was recommended.
18:18So I have seen a lot of things in SSB.
18:22Everything, what all went, the process, psychological tests, the GTO test, the interview.
18:27It all went well.
18:28And I had a very good experience amongst it.
18:31And the thing is that it is a very clean process.
18:34That very few candidates are selected.
18:37And it is a very great thing.
18:38Because only the right persons are able to make through it.
18:42And when I look back now, it has been like three years.
18:46And it is like a lot of things happened in these three years.
18:49When you join NDA, starting from your first term till your sixth term,
18:52there is a lot of events.
18:53And the most important thing which you learn here is your services.
18:56And it is a tri-service academy.
18:59So you get exposure of all three services till your fourth term.
19:02And after in fifth and sixth term, you have your special services.
19:05Like I am an army cadet.
19:06So my training and everything progressed in through army training team in fifth and sixth term.
19:12Prior to that, we had integrated training with our naval and air force counterparts all together.
19:18Camps in NDA are really great thing to learn, camaraderie and everything.
19:22You are tested like anything in camps.
19:25In second term, you are doing camp green one.
19:27In fourth term, you are doing camp rovers.
19:29In sixth term, you are doing camp torna.
19:30This time our camp torna was also great.
19:32It is a wonderful experience there to live in that environment and experience all those things.
19:38Which are preparing us for our future.
19:40Like what we are going to face in the borders in reality.
19:43We have to take up defenses there and everything.
19:46So NDA has taught us a lot and it has built up our base.
19:49Along with the academics which we are, today we got graduated in our academic degrees.
19:54Along with this, now we have got a base so that we can do better at IMA.
19:58That is our pre-commissioning training academy.
20:00And obviously being an ex-NDA is a very proud moment for us as we are passing out tomorrow.
20:07But getting this degree is equally important.
20:10Himanshu, 140th batch of NDA marks are very special and very historic.
20:16Do you know why?
20:17Because women cadets are also passing out along the field.
20:20So you, your course mate will be a female course mate also.
20:25How is your experience with them?
20:26You know training here and do you want to share about it?
20:30How different it was?
20:32What is your experience with them?
20:34The female cadets are also equally getting trained at the same stage as we are.
20:39They are not secluded from anything.
20:41They are getting the same amount of time in everything and same amount of training.
20:45Though their physical standards are different.
20:47It has to be there because the female body anatomy is different.
20:51So their standards are different.
20:52But as such they are set, like they are being trained.
20:55So that they are able to complete their joshans along with us.
20:58They are having that mental toughness also.
21:01Same as in male counterpart.
21:03It is very normal that NDA has done it very well.
21:07That it was the first batch.
21:08But now you will see the results when they will pass out and when they will join PCTs.
21:12They are doing very good.
21:13Have you ever felt very competitive while doing various competitions?
21:20Obviously they are very good at academics.
21:23You can find all of them almost having torches and they are having all the medals today also.
21:29Most of the academic medals they take along with them only.
21:32So they are really good at studies.
21:34And they also help us in the classes also because we tend to not focus much in classes.
Comments