SHIVAMOGGA: For Shreya N Gowda, joining the armed forces was never a passing childhood dream. Since Class 5, she had wanted to pursue a career beyond the conventional paths of engineering and medicine. Today, the 19-year-old from Thimmapura village in Bhadravathi taluk has secured first rank in the women’s category in the UPSC National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination (I), 2026.
The turning point came in Class 8, when she learnt that women would be allowed to join the NDA following a Supreme Court intervention in 2021. “I was extremely happy when I learnt that girls could join the NDA. I realised that an opportunity I had been waiting for was finally available, and I wanted to make the most of it,” she said.
Instead of immediately beginning intensive preparation, Shreya focused on developing her overall personality. She participated in debates, drawing and elocution competitions, winning first prize in a state-level debate. Academically, she topped her school in Class 10 and secured first position in the taluk. She studied at BGS Central School at Karehalli.
She later moved to Bengaluru to pursue her studies at BASE PU College and prepare for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). The two years of rigorous preparation, particularly in mathematics and science, helped her considerably in the NDA written examination, which she found easier than JEE. However, she found the five-day Services Selection Board (SSB) interview more demanding. Her preparation included regular running, reading newspapers, following geopolitical developments and attending a 14-day coaching programme in Nagpur.
“I was confident about the written examination, but the SSB was different. It assesses your personality, leadership, decision-making and ability to work in a team,” she said.
Shreya credited her father, Nagendra J, who works at Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant (VISL), mother Asha B M, a commerce lecturer, and her cousins for their constant encouragement.
She said her father never pressured her over marks or career choices and always encouraged her to pursue what made her happy.
Currently studying at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, she plans to leave her engineering course and join the NDA at Khadakwasla, Pune. She hopes to serve in the Indian Army, with a particular interest in defence technology and engineering.
Her message to young women is to be clear about their ambitions and communicate them to their families. “Be brave enough to tell the world what you want to do. Prioritise your goals and, if necessary, find a way to pursue them,” she said.
Her mother, Asha, said Shreya had excelled academically since childhood. “Joining the military was always her dream. Once the opportunity for girls to join the NDA opened up, her focus was firmly on getting into the academy. She has now achieved what she had set out to do,” she said.
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara congratulated Shreya, her parents and teachers.
“Shreya has dreamt of joining the Armed Forces and serving the country since childhood. It is wonderful to see her hard work and determination bring her this success. She has made her family and all of Karnataka proud. I wish her the very best as she moves closer to realising her dream,” Shivakumar posted on X.