Having been born in the land of Buddha, every time some of our relatives came visiting I would be so thrilled. Because it was yet another opportunity to visit Bodh Gaya. The calm and serenity of the place was the attraction for me. Also coupled with the fact that it was a chance to buy a jacket from the Bhutias who came visiting every winter from Tibet. With their attractive stuff. On the way we would get a glimpse of some of the soldiers and officers of Indian Army. And I would look at them in awe and wished that I too could join their ranks sometime. Be a defence officer for India one day.
My passion grew with age
The Gaya army cantonment became one of my favorite spots. And every time we visited my maternal uncle’s home nearby, I would take a stroll to have a good look. At the Officers Training Academy, the displayed tanks, the impressive buildings, the lush green grounds and the army men walking past.
During the 1971 war with Pakistan some prisoners of war were housed in Gaya cantonment. The sight of them playing volleyball through the barbed fences made my resolve even stronger. And I would say to myself. “You guys can beat each other but can never beat us. Because we are Indians and no one can beat us. One day I too would be in the army and fight for my country and be victorious”.
But God had other plans
Right from my childhood days I was too skinny and not too tall either. Despite my mother’s best efforts to feed me the carbohydrates, the freshest vegetables from our garden, the eggs from our poultry at home, the goat hoof stew and more to help me add weight, nothing seemed to work. Yet I did not give up. Therefore I started jogging every morning to strengthen myself and doing rigorous pull ups to gain height. Moreover also attempted convincing my parents to admit me to Sainik school, Tilaiya in our home state of Bihar.
But my mother wouldn’t let me go to a boarding school as she was convinced she couldn’t live without me. And as fate had it, I slowly resigned to the fact that my dream of being in the army would not be fulfilled.
Life changed after school
Excellent results during my higher secondary exams ensured that I got admission to one of the best colleges of the country. And once in BITS, Pilani the charm of the campus and the institution itself made me forget my unfulfilled dream. But my admiration for the Indian Defence forces continues. As we are all proud to have the most professional, disciplined and passionate armed forces of the world.
During my recent pleasure trip back to our campus, I noticed a lot of hoardings on the way. Moreover each claiming to provide the best training for recruitment to the defence forces. And I wondered how good these institutions are for the defence aspirants.
The opportunity came knocking soon
My next destination after the visit to our campus was to spend few days up in the hills of Uttarakhand. Starting with Dehradun. The two wonderful days spent there while putting up with my childhood school friend and his wife will always stay in my cherished memories. And he is someone who went on to join the air force after his college education. Moreover it also provided me the opportunity to spend time with an institution he is attached to after his retirement. A defence training college, Chanakya Defence College.
Chanakya Defence College, Dehradun
Chanakya Defence College is a premier institution for training and coaching Indian Armed Forces Officer aspirants physically and mentally to clear NDA written examinations followed by Services Selection Board (SSB) interviews. In its fully residential campus, students have the opportunity to pursue their education from standards IX to XII.
Therefore if your goal is to be in the armed forces, the options available are Foundation NDA after standard VIII, NDA Coaching after standard X & XII and SSB Training/Coaching. Moreover the institute boasts of the best SSB experts to coach and guide the aspirants in an army college like disciplined campus. However do check out their website for other relevant information that you may require.
The Selection
Counselling
Facilities
Classrooms
Hostel
Dining
Library
Indoor Games
Yoga
Activities
SSB
Group Training Activities
Running
March Past
Sports
Functions
Forest Research Institute Tour
Mussoorie Tour & more
The Man behind the Mission
Anuj Kumar, the Director of the college was born and brought up in Meerut and completed his education from there before moving to Delhi to focus on his career. The fact that he studied in Army School in Meerut cantonment makes his passion for the armed forces understandable. This led him to subsequently move to Dehradun from Delhi to set up the college, focusing on preparing defence forces aspirants to achieve their dreams. It was a real pleasure meeting and chatting up with this soft spoken young entrepreneur.
The Takeaway
I was thoroughly impressed with what I saw as I went around the campus. The professional attitude of employees and the purposeful movement of students walking around with happiness writ large on their faces. And what touched me was the passion with which they said ‘Jai Hind Sir’ seeing my friend Alok, their SSB coach. What also stood out was the policy of the institute to not allow students to keep mobiles with them, the biggest distraction for the current generation.
If you are a parent who wishes to fulfill your child’s dream of joining the NDA, don’t take my word. Come visit the campus, check out the facilities and quality of education for yourself before taking a decision. But I am hopeful that both you and your child would go back with a smile on your face. And start preparing for your child’s life at NDA in a few years time. May both you and your child’s dreams be fulfilled.
PIN this post for parents who dream of an Indian Defence Officer career for their child!
