The sprawling Somnath stadium presented a picture of pride, enthusiasm, affection and nationalism when the proud parents put epaulets on the shoulders of their sons during the pipping ceremony after the Passing-Out Parade (POP). An emotional DS Patwal, clerk with Uttarakhand Power Corporation limited (UPCl) said that his son Divesh Patwal has made him and the entire family proud. Divesh would be the first army officer in the modest family which lives on EC road of Dehradun. Divesh has done his schooling from St Thomas school and did his engineering from DIT, Dehradun.

An extended family of Kundalia’s was present when the stars were being put on the shoulders of Abhishek Kundlia a resident of Clement Town of Dehradun. His father Bhagwati Prasad Kundlia said that the Abhishek would be the twenty fourth member in the family of Kundlias who would serve in Army. Tears were in eyes of N S Bisht who works in HMT Ranibagh as he proudly informed how his son Nikhil Bisht was determined to serve in armed forces from his school days and the day heralds’ fulfillment of his wish. Incidentally the younger brother of Nikhil, Abhishek is also in III term in NDA. For Som Kartikey Pant choosing army is a career is sort of deviation in tradition as he belongs to a family of teachers. His father Sanjay Pant is associate Professor of Mathematics in Delhi University while mother Kirti Pant also is a lecturer of Mathematics in a government school in Almora. On the other hand Abhishek Yadav would be a third generation army officer. His father Giriraj Singh is a serving lt Colonel while his grand father Ranbir Singh was also a captain in army. Pradip Kumar of Baha village of Agra would be the first person to join Army.

His father Surat Ram is a small farmer. A somber Surat Ram said that he never ever thought that his son would become an officer in army and make the family proud.