Meet Lt. Balbanka Tiwari, From Earning 50 Rs As A Factory Worker To Indian Army Officer

As per a report in TOI, 28-year-old Balbanka Tiwari, hailing from Sundarpur Barja village in Arrah, Bihar is a son of a farmer with an inspiring story. Having recently graduated from the IMA (Indian Military Academy), he transitioned from being a sepoy to an army officer in the Indian army. He says only “grit and faith” brought him this far.

Recounting his journey right from the beginning, the young officer says, “After Class XII, unable to find any prospects in Arrah, I moved to Rourkela in Odisha. I first worked at a factory that cut iron springs and rods. I then joined a namkeen factory. However, I continued my education and took tuitions. I never left my dream of joining the Army all this while.” He added how he was inspired by his relative who was also a jawan in the army. “I was fascinated by the kind of respect he received in our village,” he said.

Barely holding her tears back, Tiwari’s mother Munni Devi explained, “My son has struggled a lot. He started working by the time he had turned 16 to supplement the family income and toiled for 12 hours in return for just Rs 50 to Rs 100 a day.”

Meet Lt. Balbanka Tiwari, From Earning 50 Rs As A Factory Worker To Indian Army Officer

In the year 2012, he managed to crack the entrance exam of the Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) Centre of the Army in Bhopal in his second attempt itself.

He worked as a jawan for the next 5 years there, while simultaneously preparing for the ACC (Army Cadet College) exams that facilitate the transition of soldiers to the rank of officers. After having cracked it in 2017, he beamed, “I am so happy I will serve the nation as an officer now.”

Due to the pandemic and his training schedule, he was unable to go to his home during the birth of his daughter. He was finally able to meet her now 4-month-old daughter for the first time on Saturday, as his wife and mother watched with pride.