10 Remarkable NDA Alumni Who Made India Proud

The National Defence Academy is a premier institute in India for defense aspirants. It has produced some notable names in all three wings of Indian Armed Services. These people are not notable names just because they are connected to NDA or Indian Armed forces but they have left a mark among the fellow Indians for undertaking tasks which are worth a mention.

This is what NDA Prepares you for. The journey of NDA Aspirants starts from Preparing for NDA Written Examination and then Clearing the NDA SSB Interview and then securing a place in the NDA Merit List. The Selection Procedure of NDA ends here but the real Selection starts inside the NDA Training Academy where aspirants go through immense mental and physical hard work to convert themselves from a common individual to a Soldier.

Here are 10 remarkable NDA Alumni who showed that Why Army personnel are all-rounders and What Indian Army teaches and shapes the young generation into Gems.

1. Vijay Kumar Singh: The very first name of the alumni who features in this list is General V.K.Singh. A decorated officer who has been a former Chief of Army Staff in the Indian Army. This NDA alumnus came from a family with defense background and thus always dreamt of serving the nation.He was commissioned into the Indian Army in June 1970. He has been involved in the 1971 war and has been the recipient of the PVSM, AVSM and YSM awards. Even after his retirement, he continued to serve the nation by joining the BJP and is presently the Union Minister of State for External Affairs. He was a key instrument in the Operation Rahat where he was in the forefront of rescuing Indians from Yemen in April 2015.
2. Rakesh Sharma: The first Indian Man who traveled to space is the very first recognition for this NDA alumnus. This man from Patiala, Punjab was commissioned to become an Air-force pilot in 1970 and was selected to be the only cosmonaut to travel to space from India. He was decorated with Ashoka Chakra and Hero of the Soviet Union after returning from space.
3. Sundararajan Padmanabhan: This NDA alumnus was commissioned in Indian Army in 1959 and has also been the COAS. He has been a decorated officer with AVSM, VSM, and PVSM in his name. This man from Thiruvananthapuram was also the Director General of the Military Intelligence. After serving in the Indian Army for a period of 43 years he retired in the year of 2012. He was also the former vice-chairman and director of the National Disaster Management Authority and Vivekananda International Foundations, respectively.
4. Manoj Kumar Pandey: This Lad from Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh became a household name after the Kargil War in 1999. He is famously known as the Hero of Batalik for his exceptional contribution in Operation Vijay and by retrieving Jubar Top from the enemies. He is one of those NDA alumni who have been a force in so many aspirants joining NDA. He died fighting courageously and singularly to drive away the enemies in Kargil War. This Gorkha Rifles officer was awarded the Param Veer Chakra Posthumously for his contribution towards the country in dire consequences.
5. Anuj Nayyar: This posthumous Mahaveer Chakra recipient is another glowing example who has given his life while protecting the country in the Kargil War. The lad from Delhi graduated from NDA and was commissioned in Indian Army in 1997. His achievements in the Kargil War was earning back Pt. 4875, which was a critical point for the Indian Army because of the terrains. His valor and determination with which he fought and died in the Kargil War is an example of never backing down.
6. Padmanabha Gautam: Another notable name in the NDA alumnus list who was a key force in conducting two successful raids during the 1971 war in Mianwali airfield. Padmanabha was awarded Mahavir Chakra for his successful occupation in the 1971 war. He lost his life in a fatal MIG 21 FL crash in 1972. He is the only NDA graduate who has received the Mahavir Chakra on two different occasions of 1965 and 1971.
7. Sandeep Unnikrishnan: After getting commissioned in 1999 in the Bihar Regiment Sandeep went on to serve the Indian Army in various expeditions. But his notable remembrance is as the only NSG commando who lost his life saving the people in the dreadful night of the terrorist attack in the hotel Taj Mahal Mumbai on 26/11. He died saving the people on that fateful night but became immortal in the minds of millions of Indians. He received the Ashoka Chakra posthumously for his services towards the nation.
8. Radhakrishnan Nair Harshan: He is the youngest ever officer to receive the Ashoka Chakra, posthumously. This graduate from NDA led from the front and gave up his life while facing an encounter with the terrorist from the Harkatul Mujahadeen group in 2007. His contribution is still remembered as an example.
9. Arogyaswami Phulraj:  There is no dearth of fiery men that NDA has produced but even scholars are another genre that this institute has given. After being commissioned in the Indian navy, Phulraj served the country as a naval officer for thirty long years. Soon after retiring from the defense force he carried on his studies as an electrical officer and got his Ph.D. from IIT Delhi. He is presently a professor at Stanford University and is also a recipient of many international awards.
10. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore: He is the 77^th course graduate from the National Defence Academy. While a professional shooter Rathore was the first Indian to win a Silver Medal in the Athens Olympics. After retiring from the Indian Army, Rathore joined Politics and became a cabinet minister after BJP came to power in 2014.

These men and all the other men engaged in the Indian Armed Forces are not just names to remember they are an inspiration of how important it is to be a worthy person who dedicated their entire life for the country and is still thriving to do every possible contribution. Just words don’t suffice their gallantry but the determination and dedication that they have carried on from NDA is something to achieve.

The list is never-ending, the history is the witness of hundreds of stories of such great personalities who never cared about their life when it came to saving their country. Indian