PUNE: Sixteen-year-old Siddhesh Ingle was so taken with the pageantry on display at the National Defence Academy 's passing-out parade that he was consumed by a desire to joined the Indian Army. Siddhesh, now 19 and a student of mechanical engineering, is on the verge of fulfilling his dream. he recently cleared the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview under the technical entry scheme, and is poised to make his entry into the army.An elated Siddhesh told TOI, "My school took us to attend the NDA passing out parade in 2014. I was stunned on seeing the parade — the marching cadets, their physical fitness and the way they celebrated their achievement blew me away. It was then that I had decided to become an army officer."Siddhesh, who had not even entertained the notion of a career in the army, was ranked 33rd in the country in SSB. He will report at Officers Training Academy in Gaya, Bihar, on July 1 for a one-year military training course.He will be joined in Gaya by a fellow Punekar, 19-year-old Manas Deshpande. Manas, a first-year engineering student in a Lavale college, scored the all-India 44th rank. Both Siddhesh and Mansar will later complete their engineering course from the cadets training wing of the army."I was impressed with the confidence and discipline of a family friend, who is a major in the army. He was a constant source of inspiration for me to become an army officer," Manas said.Siddhesh had failed to crack NDA entrance exam on his first attempt, in 2016, but that did not deter him from trying again. "I was disappointed, but did not give up on my dream. I came to know later about the technical entry scheme, and I prepared accordingly. I then successfully cleared the SSB interview," he said.Siddhesh's father is the employee of a Pimpri-based private firm, while his mother is a primary schoolteacher in Nigdi. He studied at a Nigdi-based English medium school.In contrast, Manas cleared the NDA entrance exam on his first try, but could not clear the SSB interview. "But after clearing my TES exam this time, I did not panic, and faced the questions with confidence," said Manas.Manas belongs to a business family, and had his own reasons for opting for a military career. "You will earn respect as an army officer," he said.

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