Pune lad for R-Day parade

Abhishek Deshpande, a resident of Chinchwad, along with 112 cadets that have been selected from across the country will be a part of the 59th Republic Day parade

Pune lad for R-Day parade

Abhishek Deshpande, a resident of Chinchwad, along with 112 cadets that have been selected from across the country will be a part of the 59th Republic Day parade

Marching past Janpath is like a dream for every armed force aspirant. And this dream has come true for Abhishek Deshpande, a 16-year-old cadet from Chinchwad, who'll be a part of the 59th Republic Day parade.
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Abhishek has been selected as the best naval cadet in the state and will be amongst the 112 cadets that have been short-listed for the parade from across the nation.

Speaking about his son's feat, Vijay Deshpande, Abhishek's father, said, "Our son had a deep inclination towards armed forces ever since his childhood." Abhishek is a student of Fattechand Jain Junior College at Chinchwad and was undergoing training at Fergusson College's Division Naval Wing.

Lt Chandanshiv, who had trained Abhishek, said, "He's probably the youngest cadet to be selected for the Republic Day parade in Delhi." He added that Abhishek has also been selected for youth exchange programme and will visit at least three countries by July this year.
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"The Republic Day parade is not only a matter of pride for Abhishek, but also a means by which he'll earn some extra marks in his Class XII exams. Also, it will certainly enable him to get an entry in National Defence Academy (NDA)," Chandanshiv opined.

Meanwhile, Prasanna Chaudhari, the cadet who was selected for last years Republic Day parade, said, "The selection is very tough as it done by taking several factors into consideration, which includes basic drill, co-coordination with other cadets, uniform protocol and leadership qualities."

Besides, Abhishek will also participate in the second Prime Minister Parade that will take place on January 28.

Honouring the martyrs

The Heroes of Mumbai will be the major attraction at the Republic Day parade today. The government will honour 14 security personnel with gallantry medals for 26/11 operations.

Also, awards will be bestowed upon to late Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar and Ashok Kamte, who attained martyrdom while fighting the terrorists.

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