Republic Day Camp, 2025

RDC - Just 3 letters, but numerous experiences, memories and most importantly - friends - for life. From where it all started, to where we have come now, it's been a long way, we walked with people who will be cherished forever. Pehle kehte the, Dilli dur hai, ab kehte hai, dilli ho gaya. It just happened! When I look back, I remember the days when we met for the first time, with unknown faces, all waiting to be scanned by all of us, to be acknowledged, talked to, and made friends with. I still remember the days of competitions, when everyone had just one goal, to surpass the other and rise through the odds. But as they say, bonding lasts forever, and it truly did. From studying together to helping each other whenever and wherever possible, we all created a family, a family not drawn by blood, but by emotions, feelings and thoughts. And then, in the exact centre of all the things, came a stage of seriousness, and ambiguity. From 5 am to midnight, one thing that used to remain constant among us was studying, studying, and studying. But as said rightly, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. We played, didn't we? With all that was with us, we played wholeheartedly. May it be coffee parties at night, or eating takeouts in the conference hall, we enjoyed ourselves to the fullest. This was the best balance for me, and I hope and wish sincerely, that it would have been for others too. From 64 to 29, and from 29 to 9, we became the Best Cadets of Maharashtra - the face of Maharashtra. We had a responsibility on our shoulders, which weighing high, kept us in our best form. From firing to drill, every little thing was achieved with perfection. I truly admire and thank all my buddies and seniors who helped me cross this phase.

And then came the day, the day which was much awaited by all 124 hearts of Maharashtra, the RDC contingent of Maharashtra. This day was the last here, and the beginning of our journey to Delhi. With heavy hearts, we departed, left behind sorrows, and had a resolution in our minds - a resolution to win.?

As we kept our initial steps in Delhi, a chill came through all of us. Firstly, due to the immense cold and rain at the same time and then, due to the intense atmosphere in the air there. The competition had started from the day we entered our barracks. We had to remain in our best form and couldn't afford to lose marks anywhere.

The journey of Best Cadets commenced on 30 December 2024, when we had our written examination. For me, it was an easy task and I had full confidence in myself about clearing it with flying colours. And yes, I did (though I got to know that at the end). Next, we had our firing lined up. That, was a tough task because since we had come to Delhi we hadn't even fired once and our practice had long gone for a toss. But by hook or crook, we managed to fire to the best of our capabilities, and I am sure we had done well. After firing, we had a drill. All the cadets had to follow a specific way of doing drill, which was known as the DST - Drill Standing Test. In that too, we excelled. After these hectic days came the most relaxing part of all, at least for me, and that was the interview, where they tested our communication skills, and most importantly, confidence.?

The first wave of competitions was over now. We just had to wait for the results of the DG interview.

During this period, I was also assigned to the flag area of our directorate. I briefed the honourable Defence Minister, before which I had also gotten the opportunity to visit and interact with the Chief Of Army Staff. I feel honoured to have met such dignitaries through this platform.?

Talking about the flag area, it was a quite good and different experience for me, as well as the two briefers who were along with me. Standing in the scorching sun for more than 8 hours was a tough task, but dark clouds do have a silver lining, don't they? The silver lining here was meeting people from other directorates, interacting with them, and making friends for life. We went through thick and thin together, and our seniors cared for us like we were their own children. I haven't seen such a level of affection elsewhere.?

When I got to know the results of the best cadet competition, for a few moments, I was disheartened, that I did not obtain Rank 1. But then, a thought came to my mind. I tried my best, didn't I? And that was all that mattered. I'm still happy and satisfied with what I gave in and what I achieved. My achievements were the result of all the hardwork, sweat and mindset from the past 6 months, and I had decided that I would not let them go to waste. Here, the people who had my back and supported me throughout were my seniors. They forgot the fact that they didn't get selected. Instead, they showered all their blessings, hopes, and wishes upon me, so that I could make Maharashtra directorate proud (and I sincerely hope I did that). They were there to console me, motivate me and push me so that I could break all the limits and touch the sky.

In the end, I'd like to say that RDC was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, an experience that is not gained by much, it's just 124 cadets out of the 1.2 lacks out there. I feel fortunate to have been a part of those 124 and even more for being amongst the top 3 in the country. Lastly, I encourage all the NCC Cadets to try out for RDC, through whatever they feel like, either cultural, flag area or best cadet, what matters is being out there, being part of the largest youth organisation, and feeling the sense and responsibility of representing your state by bringing back laurels.

Signing off,

Atreyi Kaul

All India Best Cadet, Rank 3