The days in the Academy with lot of fun

While in Officers Training Academy Chennai , we had lot of fun. Lot of incidents that break our false ego and naturally we start taking care of other human beings with us in the same level what we considered ourselves. Most of the candidates enter in the academy with lot of head weight and loads of different kinds of feelings and habits attached with them. The Training and the life in the academy is set in such a way to remove such negative thoughts from cadets. Here every cadet is remolded not only physically but also mentally. Here all our soft skills, technical skills and operational skills are developed practically. Most of the theory classes are our place to fight with the sleep due tiredness after rigorous practical training. In academy cadets learn things subconsciously but do things very consciously and cautiously. 

After the fire fighting exercise we walked back to the barrack in two lines .As soon as we reached the barrack all dispersed. Suddenly few senior cadets appeared in front of me. They started asking me some questions. From my answers they could understand that I am not that fluent in English or Hindi. 

In 1993 Dec, I completed my Engineering graduation from Govt. Engineering College Trichur in Kerala. My exposure to the world was very limited. I will walk/bicycle for 2km from there 25 km bus and back. This was the daily routine during the engineering and for pre degree classes. My schooling from 1st to 10th was in Government High School, Elavally, my village. I passed SSLC in first class and as a topper in my school. I new the world though the teachers of this school ,my mother, local news paper, Radio, TV(very rarely) and when ever we go to my father’s work place in Thiruchirappilly (OFT, Trichy, TN) in our summer holidays. 

Immediately after my Engineering studies, I went to Bangalore in search of job. As I was not fluent in English, I found it difficult to get a job. I was staying with my uncle in Bangalore. I was feeling so desperate for a job. At the end a HR consultancy firm itself offered me a job where I was registered for a job. It has nothing to do with engineering, but I found a lot of scope to improve my soft skills. The job was to visit different companies and to take their manpower requirements and in office I have to assist in the Interview process. After six months I got in to engineering field. It was temporary vacancy in contract basis with Aeronautical Development Agency, every six month they renew the contract. My basic knowledge in AutoCAD helped me to clear the interview. But I was deputed to Hindustan Aeronautical Limited, Bangalore as a Design Engineer in the Under Carriage Design Group. I worked there around one year with the group in designing under carriage / landing gear components of Light Compact Aircraft (LCA), now Thejus. It was my ambition to be in Services. So I tried my best during this period to get in to Armed Forces and could succeed. 

When I entered the Academy, I was fresh and not knew much about the activities in the academy. I was little bit introvert, mainly due to my inability to speak well. So I was reluctant to speak and shy to express my thoughts. 

What ever may be my perception and language to myself, SSB found in me OLQ (Officer Like Qualities), selected me and sent me for the Training.