Meet Deepak Kandpal : From Taxi Driver’s Son to NDA’s Best Cadet

Meet Deepak Kandpal

Cadet Adjutant Deepak Kandpal from Garud in Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar district has emerged as the best cadet of the National Defence Academy’s 2025 batch, earning the President’s Gold Medal at the 149th Passing Out Parade in Pune. Deepak grew up in modest circumstances where his father worked as a taxi driver, and the family lived in a rented room. Despite the financial pressures and uncertain surroundings, he held onto a childhood dream: to serve the nation. That dream, combined with iron-clad resolve, carried him through one of the toughest training academies in India.

He studied at St Adams Public School in Garud till Class 8, completed Classes 9 to 12 at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Gagrigole, and topped his district in Class 12. While pursuing graduation from Delhi University, he simultaneously prepared for the NDA entrance exam and earned admission to the academy in 2022.

During his three years of rigorous training at the NDA, Deepak excelled in every sphere academic performance, physical fitness and leadership development qualities that collectively determine the best cadet of the course. The President’s Gold Medal is awarded to the cadet who demonstrates the finest overall performance over the entire duration of training, making it the academy’s highest recognition.

For a boy whose childhood dream of joining the armed forces began in a small Uttarakhand town, the moment was nothing short of a dream come true. The father who worked tirelessly to support his son’s education, the mother who stood by, the rented room that housed their aspirations all came together in this moment of triumph.

Why This Story Matters to Every Aspirant

• Background doesn’t define you — effort does: Deepak shows that even if you come from a humble background, with passion and perseverance you can reach the top.
• Consistency matters: It’s not about one brilliant moment, but sustained performance across academics, fitness, training, and discipline.
• Hard work + dream = success: Dreaming of the uniform is easy. Staying steadfast through challenges and hardships is what makes the difference.
• Hope for dreamers everywhere: For aspirants from small towns, underprivileged families, Deepak’s story is proof that meritocracy still lives strong in institutions like NDA.