Odisha boy Ronit Ranjan tops NDA exam

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha boy Ronit Ranjan Nayak, 18, has topped the National Defence Academy (NDA) examination in the country. Results of this prestigious examination were published on March 6.

Ronit, who belongs to Bachhada village in Bhadrak district, is son of an Indian Navy officer Rashmi Ranjan Nayak posted in Goa. His mother is a homemaker and his elder sister is an engineer. He was studying in Kendriya Vidyalaya till Class X before taking admission in the Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (AFPI), Kolhapur in Maharashtra.

After he joined this institute, he started preparing for the NDA examination. “The examination has two parts- written examination and interview. I could not clear the interview during my first attempt. So, I got this success in my second attempt,” he added.

On preparation for the examination, he said that candidates should understand the basics of all the subjects taught in schools. “NDA syllabus comprises mathematics, history, English, civics, geography, biology, physics, chemistry and some other subjects. It is a mixture of both arts and science subjects, so it requires a separate preparation apart from the CBSE board syllabus,” he added.

Ronit said he had started preparing for the examination after joining Class XI in AFPI Kolhapur. “I was focusing on this examination and my teachers were helping us on this,” he added.

He said candidates should not feel low after failure. “I have seen many students have cleared the examination after several attempts. I got the Rank 1 in my second attempt. We have to follow the never give up attitude and prepare for the examination. Keep working hard and never give up,” he added.

He will choose Indian Navy to work after completion of his training. “I will be undergoing training in NDA for three years and one year in the Indian Naval Academy. Five students of my school including two Odias were selected in the NDA examination,” he added.

The topper boy said he wanted to serve the country directly by joining the defence sector. “As my father is in Indian Navy, I also have an interest in the Indian Navy,” he added.

His friends Ankit Raj Sahu, Priyanshu Sahu and Gourab Nath from Odisha also cleared the examination.