Team spirit and determination key to success, say NDA toppers

Pune: Determination, sacrifice and teamwork. These were not just words, but the core spirit for the meritorious cadets of the 150th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA).

At the NDA, where physical endurance, drills and sports dominate daily life, finding time for academics often becomes the biggest challenge.

The top-performing cadets, honoured during the convocation ceremony on Friday, emphasised that balancing studies with the demanding military routine required extraordinary discipline and sacrifice.

While two of the meritorious cadets hailed from Sainik Schools, the other two came from private schools, reflecting the diversity of talent.

The cadets credited their seniors and fellow squadron members for fostering an environment where academic excellence was encouraged alongside military training. Among them was cadet Ranvijay Tyagi, son of a professor, from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. He topped the B.Sc (computer science) stream.

“I have been a topper since my school days. When I performed well in the first term, my squadron mates recognised my potential and constantly supported me in finding time to study,” he said.

Topper in the science stream, cadet adjutant Peeyush Rautela, who studied at Sainik School, Ghorakhal, in Uttarakhand, said, “The initial phase of training was tough, and time management was extremely difficult. However, I managed it better in the later phases, which helped me excel in studies. I would like to become an infantry officer, as I have admired them since my school days.”

Sushant Varma, an army cadet who topped the social science stream, is continuing his family's military legacy. He was a student of the Army Public School, Damana, in Jammu. “My father retired as an honorary captain from the 13 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Battalion. I would like to follow in his footsteps and join the infantry arm of the Army. Even though I was a student at Army Public School, the rigorous training and tight schedule [at NDA] were initially difficult for me to cope with. I, however, managed it later because of the support from my course mates,” he said.

Naval cadet Mannela Nithin studied at Sainik School of Korukonda in Andhra Pradesh before entering the NDA.

Nithin, who hails from Visakhapatnam, secured first rank in the BTech stream in the sixth semester. “I have been seeing naval officers since childhood. Inspired by them, I joined Sainik School and later the NDA. Academics have always been my strength, and I managed to maintain my performance from the very first term. I remained focused throughout and therefore topped my stream. It is a proud moment for me and my parents,” he said.

236 cadets graduated

At the convocation ceremony, 236 cadets – 65 cadets from the science stream, 112 from the computer science stream and 59 from the arts stream – were conferred bachelor’s degrees by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

As many as 21 cadets from friendly foreign nations were also awarded degrees. The Indian Air Force’s Sarang helicopter display team performed breathtaking maneuvers over Salaria Square in the NDA.