The transition from serving in the armed forces to becoming a civil servant is a remarkable journey that demands dedication, adaptability, and a strong sense of duty. One such inspiring individual who embodies these qualities is Major Abhinandan Singh.
Indian Masterminds presents an exclusive story on his life and achievements, highlighting how he seamlessly transformed from a distinguished army officer to a civil servant raring to go and serve the nation once again.
EARLY LIFE AND MILITARY CAREER
Hailing from Akhnoor district near Jammu, Mr. Singh belongs to a well-educated family of professors and doctors. He developed a sense of patriotism and a desire to serve his nation from a young age, during his school days. That craze and love for Indian Army set him apart as he made up his mind to join the force.
“Co-incidentally, when I was in college, the army itself came to my college for interviews, based on which, the students could be further sent for SSB. I was selected for the 19th SSB in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) and enrolled into the Indian Military Academy for one-year long training in July 2014, just a month after completing my graduation,” Mr. Singh told Indian Masterminds.
He was commissioned in the Corps of Signals based on his educational qualification, as he was a Bachelor in Electronics and Communication in 2015, and received his first posting in Tezpur, Assam, along the Indo-China border.
A TURNING POINT
After working in Tezpur for a while, Mr. Singh was transferred to the Amritsar unit (his second posting). In the intervening period between the two units, he had to undergo a mandatory course for young officers, during which, his life took a turn he did not expect.
While playing basketball in a training event, the officer suffered an injury to his ankle. Since the course was almost nearing completion, he could not go for proper medical checkups and rehab, which resulted in the injury becoming worse after a while.
“I started limping because of the injury. For the last seven years, I haven’t been able to run as well, because of the same. That was a turning point in my life. Those couple of years when I was advised to rest, I decided that it was time to switch my career as my ankle might affect my performance in the army and I might not be able to work as efficiently as I did,” he shared.
A BIG SWITCH
Mr. Singh began preparing for UPSC Civil Services in the year 2019 and gave his first attempt in 2021 in which he was unable to clear the Prelims. Without losing hope, he began his preparation once again from scratch, to qualify for the examination.
He read and re-read his previously written notes and studied current affairs daily. He chose Philosophy as his optional subject and gradually prepared for the same by making his notes based on the reading sources that toppers recommended.
Once he believed that he was prepared to give the examination, he went for his second attempt in 2022 and because of his sheer dedication and meticulous preparation, he was able to clear the UPSC CSE 2022 with AIR-749. Mr. Singh wishes to appear for the examination once again to get a higher rank.
Now that he is in the civil services, he wishes to work for the educational development of the country and also for the health sector. His story serves as a reminder that true service to the nation knows no boundaries and can take on various forms.
