Every defence aspirant begins with a goal, but the path followed by each student is different. Some overcome repeated setbacks, some work on their communication skills, while others transform their discipline, confidence and approach towards preparation.
The success stories featured here highlight some of the recent achievements of OGC – Dehradun Defence Academy students. They include students who secured top All India Ranks in the NDA examination, cleared AFCAT and CDS, earned SSB recommendations and progressed towards institutions such as the National Defence Academy, Indian Military Academy and Officers Training Academy.
These stories represent only a part of the academy’s wider record of student achievements. The purpose of this page is to bring together selected recent journeys that may help present and future defence aspirants understand the preparation, challenges and personal development behind each result.
The page will be updated regularly with new student achievements, recommendations, merit-list results and other important milestones.
Dehradun Defence Academy Selections at a Glance
Baibhav Secures NDA All India Rank 09
Baibhav joined OGC – Dehradun Defence Academy during his summer vacation with a limited preparation period of approximately sixty days. Instead of searching for shortcuts, he followed a structured routine, attended classes consistently and worked on his weaker areas.
After clearing the NDA written examination, Baibhav returned for SSB preparation. He worked on his communication, behavioural clarity, confidence and decision-making. His consistent effort resulted in a recommendation from 11 SSB Allahabad.
Baibhav later secured All India Rank 09 in the NDA final merit list, making his journey one of the academy’s most notable NDA achievements.
Read Baibhav’s complete preparation and SSB journey
Prakhar Secures NDA All India Rank 82
Prakhar’s biggest challenge was not a lack of knowledge but a lack of confidence. A difficult experience while speaking during a school assembly had stayed with him and affected his ability to express himself in front of a group.
During SSB preparation, he worked extensively on story narration, PPDT, psychological tests, group tasks and personal interviews. He initially struggled to contribute on the GTO ground, but repeated practice gradually helped him present ideas and lead his group.
Prakhar earned a recommendation from 2 AFSB Mysore and subsequently secured All India Rank 82 in the NDA merit list.
Read Prakhar’s complete journey from hesitation to confidence
Baibhav and Prakhar’s Shared NDA Achievement
Baibhav and Prakhar followed different personal journeys, but both relied on disciplined classroom preparation, handwritten notes, topic-wise previous-year questions and regular practice.
Their results – AIR 09 for Baibhav and AIR 82 for Prakhar—demonstrated how structured written preparation and focused SSB training can complement each other.
Read the complete NDA result announcement
The academy later organised a felicitation ceremony where the two achievers interacted with current students, discussed their routines and answered questions about NDA and SSB preparation.
See Baibhav and Prakhar’s welcome at the academy
Arya Ashok: AIR 13 and Three SSB Recommendations
Arya Ashok began as a quiet but deeply inquisitive student. During the early stages of her SSB preparation, she often had meaningful points to contribute but hesitated to express them during group discussions.
With regular practice and feedback, she gradually began initiating discussions and presenting her thoughts with greater confidence. Her psychological responses also improved as she learned to trust her natural thought process instead of searching for artificial or ideal answers.
Arya earned two recommendations from 2 AFSB Gandhinagar and another recommendation from SSB Allahabad under the SSC Tech Entry for the Indian Army. She also secured All India Rank 13 in the AFCAT final merit list.
Read Arya Ashok’s complete success story
Rishabh: From a 30-Second Lecturette to 1 AFSB Recommendation
Rishabh initially joined the academy to prepare for the AFCAT written examination. After clearing the written stage, he moved to SSB preparation, where his first lecturette exposed an important weakness: he ran out of points within approximately thirty seconds.
Instead of avoiding public speaking, Rishabh worked on his knowledge base, content organisation and communication structure. Gradually, thirty seconds became a complete and confident lecturette.
His improvement extended beyond one activity. He became more disciplined, self-aware and adaptable before earning a recommendation from 1 AFSB Dehradun.
Read Rishabh’s complete journey
Himanshu: Recommended for the Air Force Flying Branch
Himanshu’s early preparation was affected by inconsistency and distractions. The recommendation of his friend and batchmate Deepesh Kholia became a turning point that encouraged him to take his goal more seriously.
He began spending more time at the academy, attending sessions, using the library and clearing his doubts. His journey included three SSB appearances and rejection, but he continued to improve instead of abandoning his ambition.
Himanshu eventually cleared AFCAT and earned a recommendation from 4 AFSB Varanasi for the Flying Branch.
Read Himanshu’s journey from inconsistency to the Flying Branch
Suyash: Quiet Strength and a 3 AFSB Recommendation
Suyash was not known for dominating discussions or trying to become the loudest person in the group. His strength appeared through thoughtful contributions, disciplined preparation and clarity in activities such as PPDT, group discussions and psychological tests.
During his training, he consistently requested feedback and used it to improve. He later cleared PABT, was declared medically fit and earned a recommendation from 3 AFSB Gandhinagar.
His journey demonstrates that leadership is not always expressed through volume. Calm thinking, meaningful participation and consistent performance can be equally powerful.
Read Suyash’s complete AFSB success story
Adarsh Mishra: Recommended After Three Attempts
Adarsh Mishra joined Dehradun Defence Academy after Class 10. Physical fitness and mathematics were among his initial challenges, while English gradually became one of his strongest subjects.
In his first NDA attempt, he scored 188 out of 200 in English but could not clear the written examination. Rather than allowing one setback to define his journey, Adarsh continued preparing and addressing his weaknesses.
After three attempts, he earned a recommendation from 3 AFSB, taking an important step towards his goal of becoming a Flying Officer.
Read Adarsh’s complete journey
Pragnesh Verma: Recommended from 14 SSB Allahabad
Pragnesh Verma initially joined the academy for CDS written examination preparation. He was hardworking and attentive but remained reserved and rarely expressed himself openly.
After clearing the written examination, he returned for SSB preparation. His training focused on building confidence, improving expression and developing the leadership qualities required during the selection process.
His willingness to accept feedback and trust the preparation process eventually resulted in a recommendation from 14 SSB Allahabad.
Read Pragnesh Verma’s transformation story
Abhirath: Recommended in His First Attempt
Abhirath approached his preparation with clarity and patience. Instead of chasing quick results, he concentrated on gradually building the skills, discipline and readiness required for selection.
His calm personality, steady work and clear sense of purpose helped him perform successfully across the selection stages.
Abhirath cleared the process in his first attempt and earned a recommendation from 12 SSB Bangalore.
Read Abhirath’s story of clarity and quiet confidence
Deepesh Kholia: Recommended from 32 SSB Jalandhar
Deepesh Kholia’s journey included several unsuccessful attempts. Instead of blaming circumstances, he reviewed his preparation and continued working with patience.
He approached English and mathematics with purpose, followed a planned system and remained attentive during classroom sessions. Deepesh was not known for unnecessary display; his work and discipline represented his seriousness.
His perseverance eventually resulted in a recommendation from 32 SSB Jalandhar.
Read Deepesh Kholia’s complete success story
Saurav Kumar: From National-Level Boxing to AIR 39
Saurav Kumar joined Dehradun Defence Academy after Class 12. Alongside his academic preparation, he was a national-level boxer who was respected for his discipline, composure and willingness to support other students.
He cleared the NDA written examination in his first attempt but could not clear the SSB. He continued his defence preparation and later earned a recommendation from the SSB Board at Allahabad.
Saurav secured All India Rank 39 in the final merit list and moved forward towards joining the Indian Military Academy. During his preparation years, he also completed Basic and Advanced Mountaineering Courses from NIMAS.
Read Saurav’s complete journey from the boxing ring to SSB recommendation
Devendra Bishnoi, Known as Tadaji: Recommended for OTA
Devendra Bishnoi was popularly known as Tadaji among his teachers and batchmates. His soft-spoken and grounded personality made the announcement of his recommendation especially memorable for those who knew him by his nickname.
He belonged to a batch in which several students cleared examinations such as CDS and CAPF Assistant Commandant. Tadaji may not have considered himself the most prominent student in the group, but his humility, steady preparation and willingness to learn carried him forward.
He eventually earned a recommendation for the Officers Training Academy.
Read Tadaji’s complete journey to OTA
Stories of Discipline and First-Attempt Success
Santhwana George: Right Attitude and First-Attempt Recommendation
Santhwana George joined the academy from a town near Chennai. She was regular, punctual and reserved, but consistently approached her teachers with sincere questions.
Her preparation was marked by respect for rules, dress codes, timings and the guidance provided by her mentors. She did not attempt to attract attention; instead, she concentrated on making the right decisions throughout her preparation.
Santhwana earned an SSB recommendation in her first attempt, demonstrating the importance of combining hard work with discipline, direction and the right attitude.
Read Santhwana George’s complete story
Mayank: From Chamoli to 33 SSB Bhopal
Mayank belongs to Chamoli district in Uttarakhand and was brought up in Dehradun. He completed his Class 12 education at SGRR Public School, Vasant Vihar.
English was one of his biggest challenges, while mathematics was his strength. To improve his English, Mayank attended additional lectures and practised spoken communication regularly. He also followed NCERT books for mathematics, attended classes consistently and completed his homework.
His disciplined preparation resulted in a recommendation from 33 SSB Bhopal.
Read Mayank’s journey from an ordinary beginning to NDA success
What These Student Success Stories Teach Defence Aspirants
Although every student followed a different path, several common lessons appear across their journeys:
- Consistency is more dependable than last-minute preparation.
- SSB preparation is about improving genuine qualities, not memorising artificial answers.
- Communication skills can be developed through regular speaking, feedback and reflection.
- A failed attempt does not decide the result of the next attempt.
- Written examination preparation and SSB preparation require different strategies.
- Discipline includes punctuality, regular attendance, physical fitness and responsible behaviour.
- Confidence develops gradually through repeated performance.
- Students must remain attentive to medical fitness, academic documents and eligibility requirements.
- Trusting experienced guidance is useful, but candidates must take responsibility for their own improvement.
- An SSB recommendation is one stage of the process; candidates must continue preparing until final joining.
A Growing Record of Student Journeys at OGC Dehradun Defence Academy
The purpose of this page is not merely to display ranks and recommendation boards. It is to document how students improve during defence preparation.
Arya learned to express the thoughts she once held back. Rishabh developed a complete lecturette from an initial thirty-second attempt. Prakhar overcame the fear of speaking in front of others. Himanshu recovered from rejection and inconsistency. Deepesh continued despite repeated failures, while Santhwana and Abhirath demonstrated the value of first-attempt readiness.
Their personalities and challenges were different, but each journey involved improvement, discipline and sustained effort.
As more students clear NDA, CDS, AFCAT, OTA and other defence selection stages, their achievements will be added to this page. Each new entry will link to a detailed individual story so aspirants can understand not only the final result but also the preparation, difficulties and personal growth behind it.
