In the field of education, Delhi’s government schools are continuously achieving new heights. Now, the name of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Armed Forces Preparatory School has been added to these government schools. In the first batch of this school, 32 children passed the NDA written exam conducted by UPSC on their first attempt. On Saturday, CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal met all these children and teachers at the camp office and congratulated them, calling this historic success unbelievable.
The Chief Minister said, “Last year, we opened this school. Here, children are prepared to join the armed forces. 32 children from this school have passed the NDA exam this year. Now, these children will become officers. “
The CM told the children that they have got a chance to do something for the country. Now, you don’t have to be afraid of any difficulties; instead, you have to always be prepared for the country. During this interaction, the students thanked CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal and shared their experience that this success was possible due to the exceptional facilities in the school and hostel. The education system of the school and the amenities for living and dining in the hostel exceeded our expectations.
After meeting the children of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Armed Forces Preparatory School, CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal said that for me, the achievement of these children is no less than a miracle. The Shaheed Bhagat Singh Armed Forces Preparatory School is completely new, and this is the first batch. Last year, on August 27, when I went to inaugurate the school, I was happy that we had created such a school. Whenever a new institute is established, success stories are rarely heard within a year or two. But our children have shown excellence in the very first year. All the children worked hard, and they should continue to do so. I think all the credit for this goes to the authorities, teachers, and trainers. When the children came to school, they were raw, and they moulded all the children into gems.
CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal said that to establish any institute, SOPs and curriculum need to be developed in every field. The UPSC course was taught, and separate trainers were brought in for that. The mock tests given by the children must have been designed. All the SOPs were prepared in such a short time, and they were all absolutely perfect, as the results show. Out of our 76 children, 32 passed. This is nothing less than magic. The authority deserves congratulations for this success. I have full confidence that all the children will do very well in the SSB exam as well. Your hard work over the past year has yielded results.
CM Arvind Kejriwal said that this school will give you an opportunity to serve the country in the armed forces. Some of you may see it as a career. NDA is a great career. There’s no doubt about it. But my appeal is that all of you should look at it differently from a career perspective. You all have a chance to do something for the country. Look at it from that perspective. Now that the hard work has begun, don’t be afraid of any difficulties. You have to be prepared to serve the country.
CM Arvind Kejriwal said that he doesn’t think children from Delhi used to go to NDA before. There was no institute for it, and there was no training program. But now, a system has been established in Delhi. Now, Delhi is also starting to send good officers to the country’s army.
CM Shri shared the clip from this interaction on the ‘X'(formerly Twitter). He tweeted, “Last year we opened a new school in which children are prepared to join the army. 32 children of that school have passed the NDA exam this year, these children will now become officers. Today I have invited all those children to my house for tea.”
We want to see all our children in Indian Armed Forces uniforms as soon as possible – Atishi
Meanwhile, Education Minister Ms. Atishi congratulated the students of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Armed Forces Preparatory School who passed the NDA written exam and said that we are proud of all the students for this achievement. A year ago, when we started this school, we hoped that our children would do well and Delhi’s children would also join the Armed Forces. Our children have given such a fantastic result in just one year; we didn’t expect this. This is the result of everyone’s dedication and hard work. Armed Forces Preparatory School is a means through which we can serve our country. I think there can be no bigger dream for a youth than this.
The Education Minister continued, “It is often seen that children of this age are interested in clothes, iPhones, and motorbikes, but all of you have left all that and come to this school. Children of this age are on their phones from morning till night. It is a significant achievement in itself that all the children have thought about doing something for the country and are willing to work hard to achieve it. She said that the preparation for the SSB is even more crucial. In the NDA written exam conducted by UPSC, 400 out of 7500 students passed. We want all our 32 children to pass the SSB and go to the NDA. We will provide full support from our side. We hope that all of you will work twice as hard as you did in the past year. Today, we are seeing all of you in the AFPS uniform, but we want to see you in the Indian Armed Forces uniform.
Achievements of the Delhi government’s Armed Forces Preparatory School
32 students from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Armed Forces Preparatory School have passed the written NDA (National Defence Academy) examination conducted by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission). Among these 32 students, there are also 9 girls. A total of 76 students from this school appeared for the exam. This is the first batch of the Delhi government’s Armed Forces Preparatory School. CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated this school on August 27, 2022. In terms of the total number of students who passed this exam, the Delhi government’s Armed Forces Preparatory School is ranked 3rd at the national level, along with the selection of 32 students. Meanwhile, the Sainik School established in Ghorakhal, Uttarakhand, in 1966 is ranked 1st with the selection of 37 students, while Maharana Ranjit Singh AFPI in Mohali is ranked second with 36 students.
UPSC conducts the written examination for the National Defence Academy (NDA) twice a year (in September and April). Eligible students are invited to appear before the Service Selection Board (SSB) for the final selection. During this process, eligible students are assessed on 19 criteria within 5 days for the final selection.
CM Kejriwal Talks to Students about Preparation
During this time, CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal also interacted with the students. The CM inquired about their choice. Several students mentioned that initially, they didn’t want to prepare for the exam, but the school environment was so conducive that they started their preparation and were successful. The students explained that this exam had 12 subjects, out of which 9 were external subjects. For this, they had to study these 9 subjects separately. The students told the CM that they used to study math and other subjects from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM for this exam. Additionally, they also attended special classes.
Students Share Their Experiences with CM Arvind Kejriwal
Teachers and staff provided us with a lot of help – Aditi Gautam
Student Aditi Gautam shared, “We joined the school a year ago. In the initial days, I didn’t feel comfortable in the hostel because it was the first time. But slowly, we became friends with each other. All the staff members have helped us a lot. In the evening, we receive UPSC classes in which we prepare for the written exam. We worked hard with all staff members throughout the year, and we were all very happy to see the results.”
Decided to join NDA after seeing the Armed Forces Preparatory School of the Kejriwal government – Princy
Student Princy said, “I wanted to appear for the NDA exam, but when I saw this school built by the Kejriwal government, I decided to join NDA. In the beginning, following the school schedule was a bit difficult, but it became easier for us over time. All teachers and staff members have helped us and encouraged us to progress.”
Thanks to the Kejriwal government for opening the Armed Forces Preparatory School – Himanshu
Student Himanshu explained that about 18,000 children had applied for the exam. For this, we were prepared with a complete plan, including the entire syllabus, tests, and the assistance of teachers. I would like to thank the Delhi government for opening this school. Himanshu shared that he is interested in boxing and if he gets the opportunity, he would like to perform well in it.
I learnt time management and discipline at AFPS
Student Shiv Prahlad Mishra shared, “I learned time management and discipline here. In the initial days of preparation, my test scores were quite poor, but after preparing with time management and discipline, my results improved significantly.”
Before coming to this school, I lacked self-confidence – Mohit
Student Mohit mentioned that before coming to this school, he lacked self-confidence and didn’t have much knowledge about the Armed Forces. However, when I got the opportunity to come here, my self-confidence increased significantly. The support of teachers and this course helped me pass this exam.
I come from a middle-class background, and I didn’t expect to have such facilities – Ashutosh
Student Ashutosh Kumar explained, “I come from a middle-class family, and today I stand here with so much self-confidence, and credit for that goes to this school. Because of my middle-class background, I never expected to have such facilities. Many of my friends who studied in military schools told me that hostels weren’t good, and the food wasn’t great. But things were completely different here. We all had a passion to do something for the country, and this school gave us direction. I want our school to represent our country.”
Teachers have helped us a lot on this journey – Ruhani Sharma
Student Ruhani Sharma shared, “I always wanted to experience hostel life. Coming here, I made many good friends, and teachers have helped us a lot on this journey, for which I want to thank the Delhi government. I hope that in the future, we can also have NCC training in our school.”
I had heard bad things about hostels, but everything here is wonderful – Kartik Tiwari
Student Kartik explained, “I have been preparing for NDA since 2020. During the time of COVID, I took admission to a government school, where I got inspired to do something for my country after reading about freedom fighters. I had heard bad things about hostels, but everything here is wonderful. The teachers and staff here have provided us with great support.”
AFPS is spread over 14 acres and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities
On December 20, 2021, in a meeting of the Delhi Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, it was decided to establish a special school in Delhi where children would be given training for recruitment in the armed forces like the NDA, Navy, Air Force, etc. In less than a year, the Delhi government established this school, and it was inaugurated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on August 27, 2022.
This school is spread over 14 acres and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. It is part of the Delhi government’s School of Specialized Excellence and is recognized by the Delhi Board of School Education.
Residential facilities with free training in the school
This school is entirely free and residential. There are separate hostels for boys and girls. The school develops the qualities required to be officers in children who are admitted to the school. Children are prepared for the National Defence Academy (NDA) and other armed services. Specialized faculty, often retired Army or Air Force officers, are employed to provide training. Any child residing in Delhi can enroll in classes 9th and 11th.
Currently, there are a total of 237 students enrolled in classes 9th, 10th, and 12th in this school. In class 12, there are a total of 76 students, all of whom have taken the NDA examination, and out of these, 32 students have passed the written exam.
