The Government of Punjab decided to set up this Institute with the specific charter of preparing boys for National Defence Academy (NDA); as over the years the contribution of Punjab towards NDA had gone down drastically from 20-30% to only 2% in 2010. Thus Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (AFPI) was established in Sector 77, SAS Nagar (Mohali). Our first batch of cadets commenced training in April 2011 and passed out in 2013. Since then, eleven batches have already passed out from the Institute and the Twelfth and Thirteenth Courses are under training.
Training at the Institute is fivefold, with due stress given to Academics, Outdoor Training, Development of Officer Like Qualities, Preparation for the NDA Written Examination and Preparation for the Services Selection Board (SSB) Interview. The overall emphasis is on all round development of cadets to prepare them for the rigours of training at the NDA/equivalent services training Academies and service in the Armed Forces thereafter.
A career in the Armed Forces is more than just a profession. It is a way of life! What makes this way of life so special? There are several unique facets. Patriotism is the most important. The country comes first always and every time. As officers in the armed forces we have the privilege of commanding men. This is a rare honour and in order to be worthy of this honour an officer must be a thorough professional. He must earn the respect and unquestioning loyalty of his men. Therefore, command of men and the special bond that develops between the leader and his men is the second unique aspect of a career in uniform. The third facet is integrity. A good officer has to be imbued with total integrity. The reason why integrity is so indispensable in the armed forces is that often lives of men are at stake and therefore there can be no compromise with integrity.
What does a career in uniform offer you? It offers respect and honour. It offers adventure and excitement. It offers a quality of life which is unparalleled elsewhere and esprit de corps which cannot be found in any other profession. It offers job security and excellent pay. Above all it offers you an opportunity to do something worthwhile for your country and in so doing, enables you to leave your footprints on the sands of time.
We at AFPI train young men for such a glorious life. What we are doing is not a job. It is a calling. Our reward lies in the success of the young men we train. We are totally committed to providing high quality training to the cadets so as to enable them to achieve their goal of joining the Defence Services. Our achievements so far, from Jun 2013 to Jun 2023 is as under: –
- 1. The Institute has the Highest Success Rate in the Country.
- 2. 141 AFPIANS commissioned as Officers.
- 3. 217 cadets inducted to NDA/Other Defence Academies.
- 4. SUO Gurvansh Singh Gosal, 2nd Course, secured 1st rank in All India Merit of NDA 133 Course in Jan 15.
- 5. Cadet Shashank Sharma, 5th Course, secured 1st rank in All India Merit of NDA138 Course in Jul 17.
- 6. SUO Gurvansh Singh Gosal, 2nd Course, awarded Bronze Medal at IMA 142 POP in Dec 18.
- 7. Cadet Harpreet Singh, 1st Course, secured 1st position in All India NCC Special Entry Scheme for induction to OTA 45 Course on 07 Feb 19.
- 8. Cadet Prabhdeep Singh, 1st Course, secured 4th rank in All India JAG Entry in Apr 19.
- 9. Cadet Harpreet Singh, 1st Course, won the Sword of Honour and Gold Medal, for being the Best All Round Cadet and Standing 1st in Order of Merit at OTA Chennai on 07 Mar 20.
- 10. Cadet Vishavdeep Singh, 1st Course, now Maj in 9 PARA SF was awarded Sena Medal (Gallantry) on Republic Day Jan 21.
- 11. ACA Loveneet Singh, 5th Course wins Bronze at IMA POP on 12 June 2021.
- 12. Flg Offr Raghav Arora, 5th Course wins ” Sword of Honour” and best in Flying at AFA on 18 Jun 22.