6 failed attempts later Assam boy cracks CDS, joins Army

GUWAHATI: Six attempts at cracking the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam. Six years of arduous preparation. Six failures. Most people would not have the resilience to appear for the exam one more time. But 25-year-old Rajarshi Baruah decided to give it another shot, and this time things fell into place. He cleared the exam to be commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army.

Baruah, who hails from the remote village of Sareng, 30 km away from the Darrang district headquarters, was pursuing his BTech degree at Kokrajhar’s Central Institute of Technology when he decided to join the armed forces. “Coming home on vacation, I witnessed an army officer briefing his troops at Rangiya railway junction. That sight left a deep impression. Later, I searched online about how to join the armed forces. That's when I learned about CDS and started preparing for it on my own. I experienced failure six times, but I did not give up. Rather, after every setback, I prepared with renewed energy,” Baruah told TOI.

While his parents have been supportive throughout his journey, after a few failed attempts at CDS, they suggested he should try clearing the state police exam instead. But he failed here as well. "I have faced many failures in this short span of my life, but the failures have taught me that if we truly want to achieve something in life and dedicate our energy to it, we can achieve our goals,” he said. Baruah prepared for the exam on his own with the help of online materials. “But for the service selection phase, which is the toughest round and comprises psychological tests and an interview, I took a two-week training at an institute in Bengaluru. My interview was conducted in Allahabad, and I cleared it on my very first attempt,” he added.

After a year-long training program at the OTA, the young Lieutenant returned home Sunday to proud parents, friends, and well-wishers. While his parents are proud that their son will be serving the country, they are a little apprehensive about sending their only son over 1,700 km away to his new posting.