Gaya (Bihar): 121 Army officers passed out from the Officer Training Academy here. Seven Army officers - five from Bhutan and two from Vietnam - also passed out from the prestigious Army institution.
The most special moment of the Passing out Parade (PoP) was when a son was commissioned into the same regiment, where his father served and laid down life for the country. Kushagra, who became an officer, is a resident of Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh. He was 3-years-old when his father Major Amit Kumar Tripathi was martyred in 'Operation Lakshya' in 2004 in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir. Kushagra has been posted in the same Sikh regiment, in which his father was martyred.
'Became an officer due to mother's determination': Kushagra Tripathi said after his father's martyrdom, his family had a strong desire that he should also become an officer in the Indian Army. He said that he was ably supported by his mother Ranjana Tripathi.
Kushagra's uncle Ajay Kumar Tripathi recalled that despite the demise of his brother Major Amit, they took care of Kushagra and his mother. "Amit Tripathi wanted his son to become an officer and join the Indian Army. He is able to fulfill his late father's dream due to support by his mother. Our entire family is happy with the development," added Ajay Kumar Tripathi.
Jitesh Kumar Yadav of Haryana was also commissioned into the Army. His brother, who was earning a whooping Rs 84 lakh and was employed with tech-giants Microsoft, also left his job and became an officer.
Venkat Shivpuri of Uttar Pradesh bagged Sword of Honour: Venkat Simri of Uttar Pradesh bagged Sword of Honour and will be posted in the Gorkha Rifles. He said that his father is posted in Meerut.
Army is not a job, it is a way of life: Many brave men from Bihar also were commissioned in the Indian Army. One Gaurav Ojha of Chapra said, "My grandfather was also in the Army and he supported me a lot. Army is way of life and not a job." Ranjan Kumar Pathak, a resident of Bhojpur, Bihar, who became an officer, said that he wants more and more Bihari youth to join the Army. Similarly, Ashutosh Kumar has also become an officer and he said everything can be achieved with courage.
Shikhar became an officer in the third attempt: Shikhar Chaudhary of Jammu and Kashmir became an officer in his third attempt. Shikhar Chaudhary said his father is a retired Subedar. "I wanted to become an officer in the Army, but faced several difficulties. I had back and knee problems twice. I was declared medically unfit and thrown out, but I continued my efforts and achieved my goal," he recalled. Shikhar's mother Geeta Choudhary said despite facing challenges her son has become an officer. "I am very happy about it," she quipped.
Meanwhile, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, who reviewed the PoP, encouraged the newly commissioned officers. The Navy Chief Admiral said that India will become self-reliant in the field of defense by 2047.
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