Date:14/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/14/stories/2007021401440200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

He brings laurels to Tiruchi

Staff Reporter

Complete drill and defined firing skills fetch him honour

COMMENDATION: The Principal of Campion Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Bro. Soosairaj, greeting J. Vignesh Raja. — Photo: M. Moorthy.

TIRUCHI : Complete drill and defined firing skills fetched the NCC Junior Wing cadet from Tiruchi the third place in the Best Cadet category at the Republic Day Camp (RDC) held in New Delhi recently.

J. Vignesh Raja, a IX Standard student of Campion Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, vied for the Best Cadet position along with 16 cadets across the country. He won the all-India second position in firing and anchored for his contingent's cultural show during the camp.

An IPS aspirant, Raja derived inspiration from his brother J. Dino Karthik who won the third position in Best Cadet category and a gold medal in firing, last year.

Raja's entry into NCC was last year where he was one among the 100 students from the school to attend the Combined Annual Training Camp. While the annual camp was the part of co-curricular assessment for most, Raja made sure he topped all the events at every subsequent camp. Complementing his physical exertion was his height (5'11''), which made his drive into the zonal contingent easy. His everyday warm-up exercises and extensive newspaper reading found him a place at the top-performing cadets at the zonal level.

Recounting his experience at the Republic Day Camp, Raja says his interaction with the President, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, are the "most cherished memories."

"President spoke to our contingent in Tamil in the presence of Army Chief and other cadets. We deem it as the greatest honour," he says.

While Tamil Nadu cadets top in drill and firing every year, Raja feels the contingent could consistently win medals if it improves in `flag area' (creative representation of the given topic) and communication skills. The Principal of the Campion AI HSS, Bro. Soosairaj, and the teachers commended the achievement of Vignesh Raja.