Battalion Cadet Captain (BCC) Sahil Sharma, recipient of the President’s Bronze Medal at the National Defence Academy’s historic 150th Course Passing Out Parade, has credited military schooling, rigorous training and a strong foundation in conventional soldiering for shaping his journey to becoming a future Army officer.
Hailing from Jammu and an alumnus of Rashtriya Military School Chail, Sharma secured third position in the overall order of merit of the graduating course and is now set to join the Indian Military Academy.
Speaking after the Passing Out Parade, Sharma revealed that he has opted for the Army and is awaiting allocation of his specific arm or service.
“My service is in the Army, but we have not been allotted any specific arm yet,” he said.
Explaining his choice, Sharma admitted that his interests were more aligned with outdoor and physical activities than academics.
“I am less inclined towards studies, and Air Force and Navy cadets have to pursue B.Tech. I am more interested in physical activities, so I opted for the Army for this reason,” he said.
Despite his preference for physically demanding military life, Sharma highlighted the growing importance of technology in modern warfare and the NDA’s efforts to expose cadets to emerging military systems.
Emphasising the need to balance technological advancement with traditional military skills, he said, “When technology fails, basics prevail.”
“With the advancement of technology, we have also been exposed to modern systems such as scan drones, which have been inducted in the NDA, and new SIG rifles. However, we are also trained in the fundamentals of conventional warfare,” he added.
Sharma noted that while cadets are introduced to modern weapon systems, the Academy continues to place strong emphasis on core soldiering skills, fieldcraft and conventional combat principles.
Sharing his experience with the Army’s SIG rifle, he said, “As sixth-term cadets, we have fired the SIG rifle only once. The recoil was strong, but it was a good experience.”
The young cadet’s observations reflect the NDA’s evolving training philosophy, which combines traditional military values and battlefield fundamentals with exposure to cutting-edge technologies that are increasingly shaping future conflicts.
Having successfully completed three years of intensive military and academic training, Sharma now moves to the next stage of officer training before commissioning into the Indian Army, carrying with him lessons in leadership, resilience and adaptability gained at one of the country’s premier military institutions.
