Lieutenant P. Shashi Kumar, Former Assam Rifles Havildar, Wins Sword of Honour at OTA Gaya
Lieutenant P. Shashi Kumar, who began his uniformed career as a Havildar in the Assam Rifles, has completed an unusual and closely watched rise through the ranks to become a commissioned officer of the Indian Army. At the 29th Passing Out Parade of the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Gaya, he was awarded the Sword of Honour and Gold Medal on 5 September 2026, finishing as the overall best cadet and topping the Order of Merit.
The Tamil Nadu native’s journey to that point was anything but routine. Before joining the armed forces, he had already stepped into civilian life, completing his graduation and taking up a job with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Yet the pull of military service remained stronger than the certainty of a corporate career, leading him to leave the private sector and pursue his long-standing ambition of wearing the olive-green uniform.
Inspired by a soldier father
Shashi Kumar’s decision was rooted in family influence. He is the son of an Indian Army soldier, and growing up in a military household gave him an early and familiar view of life in uniform. That upbringing, the source article notes, shaped his desire to serve the country as an officer.
But instead of entering the Army directly as an officer candidate, Kumar chose a path that is far less common. He joined the Assam Rifles as a Havildar, starting his career from the ranks and building his service record through field experience and training.
His performance was recognised early. During training, he received the Overall Best Recruit medal, an indication of the discipline and leadership traits that would later define his time at OTA Gaya. He then served for about three years with the Assam Rifles, including deployment in Manipur’s difficult counter-insurgency environment.
Rather than treating that as the end of his journey, Kumar continued pursuing his original goal of becoming a commissioned officer. He eventually cleared the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview and earned admission to the Officers Training Academy in Gaya.
Top performer at OTA Gaya
At OTA Gaya, Kumar joined the Short Service Commission (Technical) Men-65 course and quickly distinguished himself once again. His performance during training elevated him to the appointment of Academy Under Officer (AUO), the senior-most cadet appointment at the academy.
By the time of the passing out parade, he had the responsibility of leading the cadets as Parade Commander, commanding the parade at the culmination of their training. The role reflected both his standing among his peers and the confidence placed in him by the academy.
His achievements at OTA Gaya were comprehensive. He received the Sword of Honour as the best overall cadet and the Gold Medal for securing first place in the Order of Merit. The second and third positions in the course were also recognised: Battalion Under Officer Deepak Singh Rawat won the Silver Medal, while Academy Cadet Adjutant Navneet Singh received the Bronze Medal.
Commissioned into the Gorkha Rifles
After the traditional Antim Pag ceremony at OTA Gaya, Shashi Kumar was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army and is set to serve with the Gorkha Rifles. The commissioning brought his long route from the ranks to officer status to its formal conclusion.
The 29th Passing Out Parade saw 253 officer cadets commissioned, including 35 women from the SSC (Technical) Men-65 and SSC (Technical) Women-36 courses. The parade was reviewed by Lieutenant General Le Van Huong, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army.
“Never lose courage”
Reflecting on his achievement, Lieutenant Shashi Kumar said his success was the result of hard work, dedication, the support of his parents, and the discipline and guidance of his instructors. His message to young aspirants was brief but direct: never lose courage.
He also stressed the value of courage, hard work, discipline and punctuality in achieving one’s goals, drawing from his own journey from a corporate job to the Assam Rifles and then to a commission in the Indian Army.
Army Training Command highlighted his story as one of resilience and determination. His trajectory—from a Havildar in the Assam Rifles, including service in a counter-insurgency setting, to the top of his course at OTA Gaya—stood out not only for the honours he collected, but for the unusual path he took to earn them.
For Kumar, the Sword of Honour is only the latest step in a journey that began in a soldier’s family, moved through civilian employment, continued in the ranks, and has now brought him to the Gorkha Rifles as a commissioned officer of the Indian Army.
