Haryana Police ASI’s Son Jitendra Kumar Secures NDA AIR 21 on First Attempt
Jitendra Kumar, a young aspirant from Village Rasin in Haryana’s Karnal district and the son of serving Haryana Police Assistant Sub-Inspector Surjeet Singh, has secured All India Rank 21 in the NDA 2 2025 examination, clearing the highly competitive process in his very first attempt. He is now undergoing training at the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, Maharashtra, where he is in his first semester.
His result places him among the top performers in one of the country’s most sought-after officer-entry pathways for the armed forces. The National Defence Academy route is the gateway for young candidates aspiring to become commissioned officers in the Army, Navy and Air Force, and success in the final merit list requires clearing both the UPSC NDA and NA written examination and the extensive Services Selection Board interview process.
From a Haryana village to NDA Khadakwasla
For Jitendra, the journey began in a small village setting far from the parade grounds of Khadakwasla. A resident of Village Rasin in Karnal district, he turned a long-held ambition into reality through disciplined preparation, academic consistency and a clear focus on joining the armed forces.
His success also carries a strong family dimension. Jitendra grew up in a home shaped by uniformed service, watching his father, ASI Surjeet Singh, serve in the Haryana Police. Discipline, responsibility, integrity and commitment to duty were not abstract ideals for him; they were part of daily life. While his father’s career has been in policing, Jitendra has chosen to pursue public service through a different uniform, beginning his path towards an armed forces commission.
For the family, the achievement is not only about a high national rank. It also represents the continuation of a tradition of service, now extending from the police force to the military training academy that prepares future officers of India’s armed forces.
A standout result in the first attempt
What makes Jitendra Kumar’s performance especially notable is that AIR 21 came in his first NDA attempt. In a selection system where many candidates spend years preparing and reappearing, clearing the process at the first opportunity with such a high rank stands out.
The NDA selection process goes far beyond a written examination. After qualifying the UPSC test, candidates face the Services Selection Board, which assesses them across multiple dimensions, including intelligence, communication, leadership potential, decision-making, teamwork, psychological suitability and Officer Like Qualities. Reaching the final merit list is itself a major accomplishment; finishing at All India Rank 21 reflects success across the full spectrum of evaluation.
His result reinforces a point often understood by serious defence aspirants: preparation for NDA is not simply a matter of repeated attempts. Strong fundamentals, focus and the right mindset can make a decisive difference even on the first try.
A strong academic foundation
Jitendra’s NDA success was preceded by an impressive academic record. He scored 98% in Class 10 and later secured 84% in Class 12, reflecting consistency in school-level performance while pursuing his larger goal of entering the armed forces.
Those marks indicate the academic discipline that underpinned his preparation, but they do not by themselves explain his final merit position. The SSB process demands much more than classroom performance. Candidates are expected to demonstrate awareness, initiative, communication skills, responsibility, group behaviour and the personality traits associated with military leadership. Jitendra’s final standing therefore reflects not only scholastic achievement but also his performance in personality-based assessment.
Life has now shifted to the NDA training environment
Having secured his place, Jitendra is now in the first semester of training at NDA Khadakwasla. Entry into the academy marks the beginning of a far more demanding phase. Cadets at the National Defence Academy undergo a rigorous mix of academics, physical conditioning, drill, outdoor training, sports and military instruction.
The academy’s purpose is to shape young entrants into disciplined future military leaders capable of handling the responsibilities of command. For Jitendra, AIR 21 was therefore not the endpoint of the journey but the opening of a new one. The years ahead will test his endurance, character, leadership ability and determination as he progresses through military training towards a future commission.
A family story rooted in uniformed service
There is a particular resonance to Jitendra’s story because of his family background. ASI Surjeet Singh serves the people of Haryana as a police officer. His son has now entered an institution that prepares officers for national military service. The uniforms are different, but the underlying ethic is the same: service before self.
For children raised in families connected to the police, armed forces and other uniformed organisations, the earliest lessons in discipline and duty often come from home. The routines, sacrifices and responsibility associated with such careers can leave a lasting impression. In Jitendra’s case, those values appear to have translated into a personal ambition of his own rather than a simple imitation of his father’s path.
His achievement reflects both continuity and individuality: continuity in carrying forward a family connection with public service, and individuality in choosing the armed forces as his own destination.
A message for NDA aspirants across India
Jitendra Kumar’s journey is likely to resonate with thousands of defence aspirants preparing from villages, towns and cities across the country. His progression from Village Rasin in Karnal to NDA Khadakwasla shows that a modest background does not limit national-level ambition.
His record also highlights the broader nature of NDA preparation. Strong academics matter, but candidates must simultaneously build physical fitness, awareness, communication ability, confidence, responsibility and leadership qualities. The process is not simply about clearing a written paper or securing an SSB recommendation. It is preparation for a profession that requires young men and women to lead soldiers, sailors or air warriors in the future.
That is why Jitendra’s result has drawn attention beyond the rank itself. From 98% in Class 10 and 84% in Class 12 to AIR 21 in NDA 2 2025 in his first attempt, his progress reflects a combination of consistency, ambition and disciplined effort.
The real test lies ahead
Now a first-semester cadet at NDA, Jitendra Kumar has already crossed a difficult threshold, but the larger journey is still in front of him. Military training at Khadakwasla will demand far more than examination success, and the path to earning an officer’s uniform remains a long one.
For ASI Surjeet Singh, who has spent his career in the Haryana Police, his son’s entry into the National Defence Academy represents a proud continuation of the family’s association with uniformed service. For defence aspirants, Jitendra’s example offers a clear lesson: set the goal early, prepare consistently, respect the process and work not merely to clear an examination, but to become worthy of the uniform.
From Village Rasin to the academy at Khadakwasla, Jitendra Kumar has taken the first major step towards that goal. AIR 21 is a notable achievement in itself, but for the young cadet from Karnal, it is only the beginning.
