Lt Hardeep Gill Indian Army
This is the journey of Lt Hardeep Gill, whose determination and resilience helped him earn the olive green uniform despite facing many setbacks. Hardeep Gill was deeply disappointed when he could not join the Indian Air Force as an airman, even after being selected, because the Agnipath scheme was introduced and his batch never received joining letters. Four years later, he achieved a major milestone by becoming an officer in the Sikh Light Infantry after graduating from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.
From Village Alipur near Unchana in Haryana’s Jind district, Lieutenant Hardeep’s journey reflects determination and self-belief. He lost his father before turning two and was raised by his mother, Santro, who works as a mid-day meal worker at a school, earning ₹800 per month, while also managing a small piece of land.
The young boy recalled the hardships that his mother had to face to raise him and his three sisters after their father died.
“My father was a farmer, and we have a small land holding. To supplement her income and bring up her children, our mother used to work at a school as a mid-day meal worker, earning around Rs 800 per month. In the evenings, she would sell milk from our two buffaloes to earn some more money,” he said.
Growing up, Hardeep realised he also needed to help his mother make ends meet; while pursuing his studies, he would tend the fields. He studied till Class 10 in a village school and then finished his Class 12 before applying for an Airman’s job in the IAF.
He was initially rejected in the medical for the post of Airman on minor grounds, but he got these infirmities corrected and later got selected. Out of around 3,000 people selected for the Airmen’s vacancies, he was 59th in the all-India merit list. But sadly, that dream was dashed when the government put all those selections on hold and instead introduced the Agnipath scheme.
This setback motivated Hardeep to complete his graduation from IGNOU and then appear for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination, which he cleared. Even so, he failed the SSB interview eight times and finally succeeded on his ninth attempt.
This was his ninth SSB attempt, which he cleared and joined the IMA in 2024 after coming 54th in the all-India merit list.
On Saturday, the young cadet passed out from Indian Military Academy with the Lieutenant’s pips on his shoulders and watched by his proud mother as he marched out in the passing out parade. Lieutenant Hardeep Gill will join the 14th Battalion of Sikh Light Infantry.
Order Now on Amazon
