A B.A. final year student of Silver Jubilee Government degree college and NCC Senior Under Officer G. Dheeraj Srinivas, who is the only student to be selected from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, to tour Kazakhstan for 14 days in a youth exchange programme, aspires to join the Artillery Regiment in the Indian Army.
Sixteen years after an NCC cadet of the same college, Bhaskar, visited Bangladesh in 1999 under the youth exchange programme, Dheeraj Srinivas, a gold medal winner as best cadet at the State-level, who participated in the Republic Day parade in New Delhi this year, toured Kazakhstan from September 25 to October 8. Incidentally, both the students were from Silver Jubilee Government degree college in Kurnool city.
The Kazakhstan tour imbibed leadership qualities and boosted his self-confidence, Mr. Dheeraj says, showing the certificate and medal awarded to him in Kazakhstan. He visited three military academies in Kazakhstan and was exposed to their warfare techniques, machinery and training activities.
The 12-member Indian NCC delegation gave a brief presentation about India, Indian Armed Forces and the NCC, he said. The team also performed Indian cultural programmes including group dances and songs.
“We were greatly motivated by senior Army officials in Delhi”, Mr. Dheeraj said.
Dheeraj, son of G. Srinivasulu, retired superintendent of Kurnool DEO office, who is proficient in firing, map reading and drill, said he was preparing for the ensuing C certificate examinations. After passing the C certificate exam, he would appear for a five-day interview to be conducted by the Service Selection Board at New Delhi.
If he gets through the interview, he would be absorbed as a Lieutenant in Indian Army and given weightage in civil services examinations, Associate NCC Officer of Silver Jubilee College Lt. B. Rajasekhar told The Hindu . Mr. Bhaskar who toured Bangladesh under youth exchange programme in 1999, is now serving as a Major in the Indian Army, he added.
India has a youth exchange tie-up with 10 friendly nations — Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Singapore, Vietnam, Turkmenistan and Russia, Lt. Rajasekhar said. He appealed to students to join the NCC and contribute their time and energy to serve the nation.
