Pune’s Ritika Pardeshi Joins Officers Training Academy After Achieving 11th AIR in CDS Exam

Pune, 25th September 2024: Ritika Milankumar Pardeshi (24 years), a resident of Dhayari (Sinhagad Road), Pune, has been selected to join the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai on 26th September 2024. She stands 11th in the all-India merit list for girls, as announced by the UPSC. Ritika will undergo one year of military training at OTA, after which she will be commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army.

Ritika received coaching for the CDS exam and SSB Interviews at Apex Careers, where she was guided by Lt. Col. Pradeep Brahmankar (Retd.). She completed her schooling at Springdale English Medium School, achieving 93% in the SSC board exams held in March 2016. She completed her 11th and 12th grades at Apte Junior College, scoring 84.15% in the 12th HSC board exams held in March 2018. Ritika has also earned a B.Sc. in Electronics from Fergusson College, with a CGPA of 9.06 in the June 2021 exams. Currently, she is pursuing her M.Sc. (Electronics) from Fergusson College and is in her final year.

Ritika has dreamed of joining the Indian Army since childhood. At the age of 8, while studying in class III, she watched the movie ‘Lakshya,’ which inspired her to pursue a career in the Army. Since then, she often wondered why no one in her family had served in the military, which motivated her further to join the Indian Army.

Ritika’s father, Mr. Milankumar Pardeshi, is a businessman involved in the construction and health club sectors. Her mother, Mrs. Bela Pardeshi, is a housewife. Her elder sister, Ms. Shefali, is pursuing a PhD in Economics in Ireland, while her elder brother, Viraj, is the captain of India’s Modern Pentathlon team and won a bronze medal in the Asia Cup held in Kyrgyzstan in 2018.

Ritika is also a black belt in karate and has participated in numerous half marathons (21 km), with her best time being 1 hour and 54 minutes. She has completed several treks, including Everest Base Camp, Kanchanjunga Base Camp, and Mount Patalsu (Himachal). Additionally, Ritika is a talented Bharatanatyam dancer.

Speaking about her success, Ritika said, “I have always dreamed of joining the Army since my childhood. My parents have always supported me. I followed the footsteps of a few friends who are in the Army, Major Piyush Deshmukh and Major Soniya Newaskar, and joined Apex Careers for both the CDS written exam and SSB Interview training. For the CDS written exam, I was guided by Mr. Rahul Mulje. For SSB, I received expert training and guidance from Lt. Col. Pradeep Brahmankar, Col. Sunil Kadam, and several other senior officers at Apex Careers who groomed me very well. The mock interview conducted by Lt. Col. Brahmankar helped me improve my weaknesses and build my personality. His tips after the mock interview significantly boosted my confidence, enabling me to perform well due to his personal guidance. I also benefited in general knowledge from Pranjal Bhide, who was an SSB student at Apex Careers. I owe my success to Lt. Col. Pradeep Brahmankar, as well as the blessings of my grandmother, my aunt Devika Pardeshi, my parents, and my elder siblings, who have supported me at all times.”