'My parents were told not to let their child pursue a dangerous job'

Ayush Patil will study at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla

Ayush Patil, 19, has had a sizzling start to his army aspirations. The Chinchwad native has stood 15th among 662 successful candidates in the All India Merit list of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy (NA) examinations. This is a combined examination. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the results recently.

Patil also passed the Services Selection Board (SSB) exam, given after the NDA exam. The SSB is an organisation that assesses candidates for becoming officers in the Indian Armed Forces.

Ever onward

He said, "We are supposed to write our preferences before we give the exam. Mine was the Army, Navy and Air Force in that order."

Patil is now ready to go to the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla next month for a three-year Bachelors degree course after which it is one year at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun. If he completes this successfully, he will be commissioned as a lieutenant in the Indian Army.

The background

Lieutenant Ayush Patil has a good ring to it, "but I have a long way to go, still," laughed Patil. Three years of an extremely rigorous course at the NDA and working towards a bachelors degree is, "the first step on my journey. I have no family in the defence services but I have been interested and I was always intrigued by the life. As I live in Pune, I have seen defence personnel, when I passed by cantonment areas. My curiosity was always piqued and that crystallised to ambition. I used to talk to my father who knew about the forces, as he has a National Cadet Corps (NCC) background."

No fear

Patil's father is an Assistant General Manager with a waste water management firm in Hinjewadi, Pune's IT hub, and his mother is a homemaker. "My parents have always been supportive, but of course, they had plenty of advice from others who told them they should not allow their only child to pursue this - it is so dangerous, so and so became shaheed (martyr), etc. I too have been told mine is a "risky choice," but like they say, "wherever fear comes in, performance goes down."

Ragdao ready

Patil said, "I believe we have a moral duty to do something for the country, and that does not mean only joining the defence forces." The footballer, swimmer and trekking enthusiast is ready to be 'ragdaoed' (taken through the absolute grind) by seniors in the NDA. His tutor, Lt. Col. (Retd) P Brahmankar, of Apex Careers, a Pune training centre for defence aspirants said, "Ayush Patil's focus is outstanding, and that's just one reason I see him doing very well in the Army."

The heirarchy

. Lieutenant
. Captain
. Major
. Lt. Colonel
. Colonel
. Brigadier
. Major General
. Lt. General
. General (Chief)

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