Coached by Army, martyr’s daughter hopeful to clear SSB

Devi is among seven students preparing for upcoming Services Selection Board (SSB) examination after clearing CDS and AFCAT examinations. Her father Vijay Kumar lost his life in a terror attack in Manipur in 2015.

Coached at the Army initiated‘Samba Super 40 project’, Roshni Devi, daughter of a martyred soldier is hopeful of cracking upcoming Services Selection Board (SSB) examination to become commissioned officer in armed forces.

Devi is among seven students preparing for upcoming Services Selection Board (SSB) examination after clearing CDS and AFCAT examinations.

They thank the Army which provided them necessary infrastructure and coaching to help them chase their dream to serve the nation.

The students, who underwent extensive coaching over the past six months, are ecstatic over their achievement of clearing Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination and Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) and are hopeful of repeating the performance in the SSB.

While four students including Devi cleared the CDS examination results of which were declared in March, three others made it to AFCAT.

Lt Col Anand said the initiative has not only helped the youth to prepare themselves for the competition and to make their dreams of joining the armed forces come true but has also strengthened the bonds between the Army and the people of Samba.

The students were among 40 students who were shortlisted for the ‘Samba Super 40 project’ after three screening tests organised at Army Public School, Samba last year.

“It was my childhood dream to be part of the Army because of my father Vijay Kumar who sacrificed his life in a terror attack in Manipur in the defence of the country in June 2015,” Devi told PTI.

Kumar was among 18 army personnel killed in an insurgent ambush on a military convoy in Manipur’s Chandel district.

Almost three years down the line, Devi said she is seeing her dream getting fulfilled and “I am very thankful to the Army for starting first of its kind ‘Samba super 40 project’ for the defence aspirants like me”.

Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said the project started on September 16 last year involved screening and selection of potential candidates, setting up infrastructure for the classes, selection of teachers and preparation of study material.

“The project involved identification, screening and selection of potential candidates, for which extensive interactions were done by Army officers of Samba brigade at schools and colleges of Samba and Vijaypur and nearby Kathua (district),” he said.

He said a state of the art classroom with e-class facility as well as a well stocked library was established at Samba Brigade for running the project.

Apart from the regular classes conducted daily by a competent team of teachers, the aspirants were also provided with professional coaching by director, Star Officers Study Circle (Chennai), Lt Col Muruganatham (Retd) and also by experts from Pune through Aseem Foundation (a Pune based NGO) via e-learning classes, he said.

“It is a very good initiative taken by the army. The environment was very motivating and we did not deviate from our chosen goal. We are now waiting for the SSB exam, scheduled later this year, and are hopeful of donning the army fatigue,” said Vishal Verma, who is also preparing for the SSB.

Verma, whose is the first in his family hopeful of joining the army, said the project provided them the required platform as the teaching faculty was excellent and the reading material, which was otherwise beyond their reach, was made available.

Devi said she came to know about the project through her NCC teacher and without wasting any time joined the course.

Brainchild of Brigadier Anil Raman of the Sabma brigade who had earlier served in Kashmir where army is training local youth for professional courses under operation goodwill, the project was the first of its kind in the region and the preference was given to the course because of the interest of the students.

“I hope this is just a beginning and more and more results are awaited. It is a good initiative started by the brigade,” an army officer said asking not to be named.

Hailing from nearby Kathua district, another aspirant Gaurav Sharma said they had an opportunity to interact with senior rank army officers during the course and recently “we had an interaction with a Lt Gen rank officer. It all boosted our morale and strengthened our resolve to join the army and serve the country.”