Georgians Rashtriya Military Schools
Pune: Gold medalist Gaurav Yadav’s obsession with a career in the armed forces made him jump several hoops before he entered the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla near here. On 30th November, 2022, he emerged as the President’s gold medal winner of the NDA’s 143rd course.
To chase NDA dream, gold medalist hid IIT success
Yadav, the son of a farmer from Jajor Baas village in Rajasthan‘s Alwar district, hid from his family the truth that he had cleared the IIT entrance test, and joined a college in Delhi while continuing to pursue his NDA dream.
He cleared the NDA entrance exam twice but was unable to get into the institution after faltering at the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview stage. These failures barely deterred Yadav as the third time proved to be the charm. “I would stand in front of the wall in my room and imagine being interviewed by an SSB panel and responding to their queries,” Yadav said on the sidelines of the NDA’s passing out parade event on 30th November, 2022.
The gold medalist’s brother Vineet, who is in the Army, noted that the family was at one point worried about Yadav’s mental space. Vineet added that when he had asked his brother about his HT results, he claimed that he could not clear it. “So I believed his version. Only after being selected to NDA did he tell us that he had cleared the UT entrance too,” he said. “Today, he proved himself right by achieving an extraordinary feat. We are proud of him. It is a glorious beginning for his military career.”
After sailing through his third attempt to enter the NDA, he made his struggles count by excelling on all fronts — academic or military training — and bagged the most sought-after gold medal. Being allowed to command the parade was the icing on the cake.
“It was something I never thought of when I joined the academy,” he told media with a smile. “In fact, I struggled initially to cope with the academy’s training schedule and I was diffident about the military training. But I kept pushing and motivating myself.”
Yadav, who did his schooling at the Kerala Public School in Rewari, had an A+ grade in Std X and topped with 96% marks in XII.
His parents Balwant and Kamlesh Yadav exuded pride while speaking about him: “We were confident about his success and never stopped him from doing what he loved. He has been excellent in sports and academics since school. Seeing him leading the parade in front of all these people gave us goosebumps.”
Cadets Sourav Sharma and Vivek Mahla bagged the silver and bronze medals for their overall outstanding performance. Both their families have a military background.
Sharma’s father is a junior commissioned officer and he studied at the Rashtriya Military School (RMS) in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. “I got inspired by my father to pursue a career in the army. My teachers also encouraged me to join the NDA. My course mates helped me during training. I learnt about team spirit from the night Camp at Torna fort. It was the most exciting activity that I will always cherish in my life.”
Mahla, who studied in Rashtriya Military School Ajmer in Rajasthan, said: “I am proud of continuing the family legacy further. It is a dream come true moment not only for me but for my family also.”
