Amritsar: ICSE topper Sahildeep Singh chooses armed forces over overseas dreams

At a time when many meritorious students opt for careers in engineering or medicine, Sahildeep Singh has chosen a different path, guided by a sense of purpose and service.

A student of St Francis Convent School, Jandiala Guru, Sahildeep is among the Punjab toppers in the ICSE Class X examinations 2026, having secured an impressive 99.6 per cent.

From excelling in academics to aspiring to wear the olive green, he has secured admission to the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (AFPI), Mohali. The young resident of Kot Kehra village now aims to build a career in the Indian Air Force. “I want to become a Flying Officer in the Indian Air Force,” he said.

Sahildeep draws inspiration from his father, Bikramjit Singh, a havaldar in the Indian Army, currently posted in Manipur. “He is currently posted in Manipur. Also, one of my maternal uncles has inspired me to pursue a career in the armed forces. I feel strongly that it offers a life of service and purpose. I have always heard stories of courage through my father,” he said.

His mother, Kanwaljit Kaur, is a homemaker, while his elder sister, Prabhjot Kaur, has recently completed Class XII with distinction.

A consistent academic achiever and a source of inspiration for many in his village, Sahildeep said he consciously chose not to follow the path of migration taken by several of his relatives. “I have seen a lot of youngsters in my family waste away their potential by choosing to migrate without any skill or a solid plan. They told me how tough life is there and even so, there is little they can do to find job security or a future. I did not want that for myself,” he said.

Now settling into life at AFPI, he admitted that the initial days were challenging but said he had begun to adjust to the new routine.

“I hope that I can fulfil this dream. I want more youth from Punjab’s villages to educate themselves and find their purpose,” he added.