Gaurav Hridaya attributes his fascination for the Armed Forces to the years spent at Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC),Dehra Dun. It was there that I interacted with many dedicated officers and found the motivation to choose a soldiers life, he said. On Sunday,he not only realised his childhood dream and graduated from the NDA,Khadakwasla,but also proved to be a cut above the rest. He was awarded the Presidents gold medal for standing first in the overall order of merit of the passing out parade of the 116th course. Its an incredible feeling. I grew up wanting to join the Army. I thank all those who recognised my hard work at the academy,my mentor at RIMC,V K Rai and my parents who supported me, said Hridaya,who hails from Uttar Pradesh. His father works with Parag Dairy in Meerut and his mother is a housewife. A cousin,Maj Abhinav Navneet,is now posted in the city while his uncle Lt Col D K Sinha is serving in Thiruvananthapuram,Kerala. We are all proud and hope he keeps setting examples for his contemporaries throughout his career, Sinha said. Hridaya is looking forward to going back to where it all began,Dehra Dun. The Indian Military Academy will be a challenging journey, he said. For the family of silver medal winner Prabhat Singh Rana,whose father and elder brother are doctors; this is the first tryst with the uniform. Interestingly,it was again the RIMC way of life that introduced Rana to the world of uniform,discipline and valour. I am the first in my family to opt for a career in the Defence Forces. The RIMC made me realise that the Army was my true calling and my parents and older brother remain my biggest support, he said. He was always inclined to join the Defence Forces and we encouraged him, said his father H S Rana. The Armed Forces offer an exciting career. To serve the nation is a privilege and I will strive to do my best, Prabhat said. Vivek Kalukhe,who took home the bronze medal,belongs to a family where teaching is the most accepted profession. My father,mother and sister are schoolteachers. I always wanted to come to the NDA and join the Army. My family and NCC teacher Mohan Nehre motivated me. It feels great to be appreciated, Kalukhe,who is from Kombhali village near Ahmednagar,said. No Sukhoi-30 at NDA paradeThose used to viewing a magnificent flypast by three Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets,towards the end of the cadets passing out parade at the National Defence Academy (NDA),Khadakwala,were in for a surprise. While the three Jaguar aircraft and Super Dimona gliders put up a superb show,the Su-30 fighter aircraft was conspicuous by its absence. It was disappointing not to see the familiar combat jets. Their presence has been adding to the grandeur of the passing out parade for several years now, said a senior Indian Air Force officer. However,another officer had a different take. Considering that the Su-30 fighter has been in news recently for the wrong reasons and is under scrutiny,the vanishing act was not entirely unexpected. The IAF is playing it safe, he said.ENS
