169 Cadets Rewrite Fate, Pass Out as Officers

FOR the 169 cadets who marched with their heads held high to the drum beats at the passing out parade at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai, it was not just a rite of passage but the culmination of a valiant struggle to live the dreams of their friends and families.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chennai

Take the case of Soni Bisht who lost her husband, sepoy Neeraj Singh Bhandari, in the line of duty just a month after their marriage. The woman from Haldwani in Uttarakhand, instead of wallowing in grief, decided to give life to her husband's aspiration of serving the nation by joining the Army.

Soni had secured the lone seat available under the Veer Nari scheme, a programme that offers the opportunity for widows of armed forces personnel to enter defence services.