The road less travelled: Youth chooses armed forces over IIT, clears NDA with gold medal

Gaurav Yadav, son of a farmer from Rajasthan's Alwar district, preferred IIT to the armed forces and did not reveal his parents about securing an IIT seat.

New Delhi, Dec 03: We have often read stories of financially poor students making it to the top institutes or physically challenged ones achieving major success in competitive exams, but here is one unique story of a man, who turned down the offer to enter IIT instead preferred to join armed forces. More importantly, he secured President's gold medal.

Yes, this is the story of Gaurav Yadav, who did not reveal the truth to his parents that he had secured an IIT seat to fulfil his desire to work in the armed forces. After failing on two occasions, he managed to clear the exams and won the President's gold medal winner at the NDA's 143rd course on Wednesday.

According to a report, Yadav joined a college in Delhi while also preparing for the National Defence Academy exam. He has always been good and sports and academics. He secured A+ grade in the 10th class and 96 per cent in the 12th class.

He became successful in academics and military training and won the gold medal. "It was something I never thought of when I joined the academy," he said. "I believed his version. Only after being selected to NDA did he tell us that he had cleared the IIT entrance too," the daily quoted his brother Vineet, who is also in army, as saying in an interview.

Gaurav Yadav, who hails from Rajasthan's Alwar district, is a son of a farmer in Jajor-Baas village.

After clearing the NDA exam, he failed twice in the Services Selection Board interview, but the third time he managed to crack the seat. "I would stand in front of the wall in my room and imagine being interviewed by an SSB panel and responding to their queries," Yadav told TOI.

Although he struggled with the training schedule in the beginning, he kept himself pushing hard.

His parents Balwant and Kamlesh are proud of his son's achievement. "Seeing him leading the parade in front of all these people gave us goosebumps."