Student selected as Fighter Pilot in Indian Air Force

Where there is a will, there is a way. Son of a disabled father, P Ashok Sai, the student of Telangana Social Welfare Residential Sainik School, Rukmapur, Karimnagar, selected for National Defence Academy, Air Force Fighter Pilot course. He successfully cleared UPSC and Services Selection Board (SSB) exams of the ministry of Defence, New Delhi. Ashok Sai will undergo training at the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasala, Pune.

He has set an example that poverty is not a hurdle to reaching great heights in life.

"This is a moment of great honour and pride for the State of Telangana to see such a young boy from extremely poor background getting selected for the Indian air force in the officer cadre said, Koppula Eeshwar, minister for Scheduled Castes Development Department while congratulating the talented student. He termed it as a ground-breaking effort by the TSWREIS Secretary Ronald Rose and his team and the entire credit goes to the chief minister K Chandrasekar Rao for championing the cause of the poorest of poor students.

Ronald Rose, Secretary, TSWREIS said, "Clearing NDA exam is not a cakewalk and its a five-day selection process wherein a candidate's physical, psychological and mental abilities are evaluated to the core. Every year, lakhs of students appear for the NDA exam and the selection rate is only 0.1 per cent. Ashok Sais's achievement is one of the historic milestones in the successful journey of TSWREI students. Telangana is the only state in the country to have launched exclusive Sainik schools for underprivileged students".

"It's a big moment for me as well as for my teachers and trainers while thanking the chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and the minister for Scheduled Castes Development Department Koppula Eshwar, said an elated Ashok Sai. He further said I am extremely thankful to the government of Telangana for starting an exclusive Sainik school for marginalised students.

Without the government support and vision, I would not have even dreamt of becoming a flying officer in my wildest dreams given by my humble family background.

Ashok Sai further said My father is disabled and my mother works as a tailor, hail from Palwai village, Gurampodu Mandal, Nalgonda district. In fact, my parents are so innocent that they could not really understand my selection. I explained to them that I got an opportunity to serve the Indian nation as an air force pilot and they were extremely happy. I am looking forward to serving the Indian nation with great pride and honour.