A Lie That Earned President's Gold Medal: Farmer's Son Hides Clearing IIT Exams From Family To Chase NDA Dreams

India is a country that has cultivated dreams of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and National Defence Academy (NDA), among many other competitive spaces, within the youth. Every now and then, we come across inspiring stories of people surpassing all odds to prove their place in these competitive fields.

In such a time and space, Gaurav Yadav hid the fact that he cleared the IIT exams to try his hand at a career in the armed forces. After jumping past many hurdles, Gaurav cleared the exam on his third attempt and entered the Defence Academy at Khadakwasla, Pune. The one lie proved even more fruitful, as he emerged as the President's gold medal winner of the NDA's 143rd course.

Third Time Is A Charm

Gaurav Yadav hails from an agricultural family based in Jajor-Baas village of Rajasthan. For an individual from a humble farming environment, clearing the IIT exam is a shot at progressing. Gaurav, however, had different plans and hid the fact that he cleared the entrance exam to one of the most prestigious institutes in India. In a drive to fulfil his dream of joining the armed forces, he kept pursuing his college while appearing for the NDA exams.

His efforts proved to be fruitful as not only did he make it to the Academy, but also emerged as the President's gold medal winner at the NDA's 143rd course. Gaurav has always performed exceptionally in his academic and athletic ventures, consistently noted from the 96 per cent he secured in the board exams to the medal he now holds. However, the selection exams for the army were not a cakewalk, and it took him three attempts to finally crack it.

Defying Odds To Lead The Parade

While Gaurav had cleared the NDA entrance exams twice, he couldn't clear the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview. This posed quite a challenge to him, but staying determined through it all, he cracked it on the third attempt. A report by the Economic Times quoted him saying that he struggled to cope with the Academy's training schedule and had to keep pushing himself through it all.

Gaurav often stood in front of the wall and practised interview sessions by responding to imaginative queries. Sailing past it through consistent efforts, he entered the Academy by excelling on all fronts and bagging the honorary gold medal. Adding further icing to this, he was allowed to command the parade.

Gaurav's parents attended his enrollment ceremony and witnessed his years of efforts prove successful. IIT or not, his parents were beaming with pride and said that watching their son lead the parade gave them goosebumps.

Also Read: Defying All Odds, J&K Farmer's Son Secures 2nd Rank In Indian Economic Services Examination