Dr. Shukla, Tell us a bit about La Militaire Academy?
La Militaire Academy owes its origin to effort of retired officers who got together to give guidance to Defence career aspirants and education to the deprived classes, however owing to success and response the objective zeroed in, to helping the enthusiastic youth to career in the military services as its sole objective. Initially, help was provided to the defence aspirants appearing before the service selection board to go through the different test to be evaluated and gain recommendation to be an officer, to be followed with exhaustive support to both written and interview aspirants. The Academy being located at Kanpur ( the commercial capital of the Uttar Pradesh a state of India ) which is part of the Indo Gangetic basin area, heavily populated and one of the main recruiting areas for the defence forces. Statistics reads aloud that the Awadh zone ( Kanpur – Lucknow ) has been the main recruiting ground since the time when the British forces administered the Indian subcontinent and till date still contributes a great number of officers and soldiers to serve the country.
La Militaire Academy is constituted of three wings – First wing – the patron and advisors board which honours active retired officers opinion and works as per their design in addition to honouring all senior officers in abiding by it as the guidelines of the Academy. Second wing – the faculty under the supervision of Faculty captain coordinates and executes the process of education as per the guidelines given by the experienced seniors. Third wing – the administrator and the administrative body which ensures the discipline is well managed and the regularity and quality is maintained. This methodology helped us to regularly insure results.
We now have the privilege to say that we completed thirty years of our existence and have contributed as guide to many thousand success stories.
Dr. Shukla tell us a bit about yourself and your role in La Militaire Academy?
I took birth in the army hospital as my father was a captain in the Indian army then and lived on seventeen years in the cantonments. Later after graduating from Allahabad University I went on to join the short service commission and after quitting the forces as I decided to pursue studies further and serve a new sector ( Foreign Services). I got to task to prepare myself for the career I desired , meanwhile I got the privilege to join the academy as a psychology trainer after my post graduation in psychology and went on to complete twenty-four years of functioning ( putting aside my initial dream to be in the foreign services), as the faculty captain and administration co-ordinator in intervals. The pleasure of guiding the youth to success is euphoric, and it kept us busy that we felt twenty-five years as just yesterday. Today I coordinate the promotion, execute where necessary and dream to reach out on behalf of the La Militaire Academy and extend its tradition and reputation to a bigger horizon.
When did you start La Militaire Academy and what was the idea behind starting it?
La Militaire Academy was initiated in 1987 and I stepped in to take charge five years later to establish and move reputation to greater heights. The time when I walked in the energy was missing as young blood at executive level was needed and I guess the energy level got the necessary boost. The academy worked first to create awareness of both career opportunity in the defence forces and the way to achieve it, the career awareness was executed to shape by distribution of awareness materials in form of pocket diaries , pamphlets , hoardings and posters. The awareness movement generated the momentum, and many took honorary guidance and some guidance classes to be the bridge between the youths and the defence institution.
Thousands of your alumni have become officers and soldiers, how you feel about it and what advice you have for aspiring youth?
Great is a too small word to express the happiness we gained from the selection, giving is an ecstatic experience. Every selection gives a heavenly feeling to me and the team, after all, what are we here for. Right knowledge is source to right path of action and right action leads to right result, so we as a team , teemed with experience combine to say – teachers and guide are not miraculous rather are elderly friends who can be great company to support, knowledge and encourage however students must keep their eyes of logical mind open in selecting them and then with combined dedication toil hard to achieve their success after all that is the team goal . Old solved papers, fundamental books and company of go-getters are the three directives which keeps student on the right path of action. So be it – Success awaits you
What are the pitfalls one should avoid while career perusal?
The new generation of excessive internet availability mostly do the fatal error of becoming handicapped to easily available knowledge without understanding the value of developing concept clarity and knowledge base, thus being overconfident and doing fatal errors.
The other error in India is the sudden freedom youth exploits after school gets over and lands up indulging in divergent activities which makes them to fritter their energy away. One needs to focus, and that is the key to the right initiative to cage success in time and later celebrate.
The competitive company provides the successful shade, so many who don’t get idea of the standard get no idea of the competition and loose out to kill their confidence on the long.
Practice and hard work are well-known formulas of success which has many historical precedents which cannot be overruled and will always be the formula to follow till time eternal.