City’s Pride Secure place in 151st NDA course

By Vaishnavi

Pillay

In a moment of immense pride for Nagpur, four exemplary candidates Dweep Malghade, Sanskar Gughane, Varad Deshpande, and Devendra Joshi have secured place in the 151st course of the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA), commencing from January 2024. They clinched their spots through sheer dedication and were trained at the Prahar Samaj Jagruti Sanstha Defence Academy, led by Flt Lt Shiwalee Deshpande (Retd). In a coversation with ‘The Hitavada’, they shared the inspiration behind choosing to be in armed forces and the academy’s guidance in helping them ace the physical and written exams, paving their way to the NDA. Sanskar Gughane’s family having roots from Nagpur, is now settled in Digras, Yavatmal district. His aspiration to join Indian Air Force sparked during childhood. “Whenever a politician used to visit our town, he would arrive in a chopper. So, I along with other children used to run just to see the chopper and not the politician,” Sanskar shared candidly.

He is a son of Bharti and Ramhari Gughane, and is currently pursuing BSc Mathematics in a college at Digras. Dweep, inspired by the discipline and courage exhibited by army officers, embarked on this path. After thorough research and admiration for their dedication, his passion for serving the nation led him to this milestone. He completed his schooling from Lalita Public School, Nagpur and pursued his Class XII education at Dinanath Junior College and, is currently enrolled in the Computer Science branch at YCCE College Nagpur. He is a son of Smita and Sanjay Malghade. While Dweep Malghade and Sanskar Gughane, come from families having no army background, Devendra Joshi and Varad Deshpande belong to families who are serving the Indian Armed Forces.

Devendra is a son of Captain Parag Joshi, an Indian Naval Officer, and is an alumni of seven schools around the country. By watching his father and getting to experience the life in Navy from close quarters, sealed the deal for him. He also kept himself engaged in various sports and hobbies from an early age for overall personality development.

Varad is a son of Ashwini Despande and Col Vishnu Kumar Deshpande, an Army Officer from Nagpur. He grew up listening to tales of valour and courage of the Indian Armed Forces. The more he read about the forces. the more he was drawn towards the uniform. He being an army child is an alumni of nine different schools around the country and is currently pursuing Bachelor of Technoly (BTech) from Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, Mumbai.

The Prahar Samaj Jagruti Sanstha Defence Academy is not only an institution but a second home to them. They confess that their transformation, both in confidence and attitude, was catalysed by the comprehensive training at Prahar. Visualising themselves as part of the NDA, constantly manifesting this reality, kept their motivation high during the rigorous preparation phase. To maintain absolute focus they even deleted their social media accounts to keep them away from any distractions. Flt Lt Shiwalee Deshpande while speaking with ‘The Hitavada’, attributes the candidates’ success to their ability to acknowledge and rectify mistakes promptly and their commitment to self-improvement. Their achievement not only signifies personal triumph but also stands as an inspiration for the youth of today. Nagpur stands tall as these individuals gear up to become a promising future of the country.