My name is Karmapal Singh, and I come from a small village, Kalanaur, in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab.

Since childhood, I aspired to join the Indian Army, inspired by my father’s dedicated service in the Sikh Regiment. It was both his dream and mine that I would go one step further—to become an officer. My father once told me, “As a serviceman in the Army, I’ve always saluted my superiors. I am waiting for the day when I will get to salute you.”

I attempted the NDA twice, but things didn’t work out. I then enrolled in Baring Union Christian College, Batala, to pursue my B.Sc. During this time, my father met with a severe accident, suffering a brain injury that turned our world upside down. Worry for my future and my father’s dream weighed heavily on me, but I decided to take small, determined steps toward my goal.

I joined the Army as a soldier (General Duty) in the Sikh Regiment. Even as an OR (Other Ranks), I never lost sight of my vision to fulfill my father’s dream. When the opportunity arose, I seized it and prepared diligently for the ACC written exam. I ranked among the top 500 candidates and was selected for the Young Leaders Training Wing—an initiative started by General Bipin Rawat. The top candidates were then sent to OTA Chennai for leadership classes, where I gained knowledge and worked on my communication skills. However, I still felt a lack of clarity in expressing myself.

On my Commanding Officer’s advice, I joined the Georgians Defence Academy in Delhi. This proved to be a turning point. The academy transformed me, teaching me how to prepare and present myself so assessors could truly understand who I am. Deepak Sir was especially helpful in my SSB preparation, sharing the principle: “THINK, RELATE, AND PRESENT.” With their guidance, my confidence and interpersonal skills soared.

Applying everything I learned at Georgians Defence Academy, I faced my SSB with sincerity and transparency—and cleared it.

My journey is proof that “where there is a will, there is a way.”