M. Badal (circled) at De Paul School in Berhampur on Thursday. Telegraph picture

Berhampur, Feb. 10: Fourteen-year-old M. Badal, a Class IX student of De Paul School here, has done his school and state proud by notching a first.

Badal won the silver medal and was adjudged second best National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadet in the All India Best Cadets Junior Division Boys category at the Republic Day camp held in New Delhi between January 1 and February 2. “Badal is the first NCC cadet to get such a medal in the best cadet category from Orissa,” said his mentor Lt. Col. M.S. Surendranath, commanding officer, of the 3 (O) MED COY unit of NCC, Berhampur.

Lt. Col. M.S. Surendranath added: “A cadet has to overcome five hurdles — a written test in general knowledge and service subject, group discussion, drill test, firing test and interview by the director general. NCC. Badal has done it.”

Badal had received the silver medal and a cash award of Rs 2,000 from Lt. General R.K. Karwal, director general, NCC, at New Delhi.

“I am very happy and proud to be the first cadet from Orissa to be awarded a medal in the best cadet category. It was a tough competition as cadets from 17 states participated in the camp,” said Badal.

He gives credit to Lt. Col. M S Surendranath, “who trained and motivated me a lot”.

According to Minati Panda, third officer-in-charge of the NCC unit at De Paul School, 89 cadets were selected for the Republic Day Camp from Orissa this year. Badal was also adjudged the best cadet from Orissa for which he was awarded the Chief Minister’s Gold Medal and a cash prize of Rs 5,000 by the governor of Orissa in Bhubaneswar.

“A total of 1,750 cadets from various states of India were selected for the camp at New Delhi this year and Badal stood second. It was definitely a Herculean feat,” said Panda.

Father Saju Antony, principal of De Paul School, said: “It is a proud moment for me to felicitate Badal as a ‘Depaulian’ for his achievement. There are 50 boys and 50 girls in the NCC unit at the school and all of them are superb. Junior Girls cadets of my school stood first in the parade held at Berhampur stadium during the Independence Day parade on August 15 last year and my Junior Boys cadets also stood first in the Republic Day parade held at Berhampur stadium on January 26.”