Major Gaurav Arya Spills All About His Army Life, Shares How He Found His Calling

In a fascinating and invigorating episode of Sandese Aate Hai, our Editor-in-Chief, Kamiya Jani, spoke to Major Gaurav Arya (Retd). It was a conversation that went beyond uniforms and medals and delved into Major Gaurav Arya’s life in the Kumaon Regiment, what led him to join the army and much more.

Major Gaurav Arya Reveals Why He Joined The Indian Army

While speaking to the retired army officer, Kamiya Jani asked him what drew him to the uniform. Arya shared that his father was an IPS (Indian Police Service) Officer. So, he grew up in an environment where people donned the uniform. While there was a curiosity in him to explore that part of life, he didn’t have an inkling to join the Army initially.

He attempted the SSB (Service Selection Board) twice and finally passed it. Then, Arya joined the National Defence Academy( NDA). “That’s where everything collapsed for me on the first day,” recollected Major Gaurav Arya. Having been brought up in a comfortable and even luxurious life, he wasn’t ready for the challenges the Indian Army training brought with it.

As his father was a very senior government official, he had seen a life of comfort and privilege. He realised, the Indian Army didn’t care about where he came from. All that mattered there was service to the nation. He remembered chopping his hair short and removing his earrings to follow the rules of the Academy. “First three of four months was very bad,” said Arya. He perceived the training to be traumatic as he was physically very weak.

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Credits His Friends At The Academy For Making Sure He Never Gave Up

But what drove him to continue on the path was his friends and the camaraderie he shared with them. His batchmates motivated him to never give up and keep training despite the hardships. His time in the Army training academy made him realise that everyone was treated equally. It didn’t matter to the officers that he had studied in a prestigious university like St. Stephen’s College.

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Major Gaurav Arya’s inspiration to don the uniform by following in his father’s footsteps and his academy batchmates’ motivations helped him become who he is today. And if you too want to know more about Major Gaurav Arya, check out our Sandese Aate Hai episode on Curly Tales’s YouTube channel.

Cover Image Courtesy: Internal