In the narrow lanes of Vyasarpadi, one of Chennai’s most modest neighborhoods, a young boy once watched his parents leave home every morning to earn daily wages. They had little to give their son except food, love, and the most powerful lesson of all—the value of hard work. That boy, Varaprasad, is today Lieutenant Varaprasad of the Indian Army.
Struggles That Couldn’t Break Him
Life was never easy for Varaprasad. After completing his 10th standard, financial hardship struck the family so hard that he had to drop out of school for a year. Many dreams fade in such darkness, but not his. He took up odd jobs, studied whenever he could, and came back stronger. Not only did he finish school, but he also topped his class—proving that determination could conquer circumstance.
A Scholar Who Chose Service Over Comfort
Passionate about learning, Varaprasad went on to complete his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Economics, excelling to the point that he was offered a fully-funded PhD at IIM. A life of academic prestige awaited him. But Varaprasad’s heart was elsewhere. He didn’t want a professor’s chair—he wanted a soldier’s uniform.
Cracking UPSC CDS
Determined to serve his country, Varaprasad began preparing for the UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam, one of the most competitive routes into the Indian Army. It required not just knowledge but discipline, resilience, and sacrifice. And he gave it all.
On September 6, 2025, his perseverance bore fruit. At the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, Varaprasad was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Army Ordnance Corps, attached to the 9th Rajput Regiment. His parents, who once worked as daily wage earners to sustain his dreams, watched with pride as their son marched into a life of service and honor.
“I Wanted to Serve”
Speaking with humility about his journey, Lt. Varaprasad said:
“I am from a lower-middle-class family. My parents are daily wage workers. Since childhood, I had an interest in education. I wanted to keep learning. But I also wanted to serve.”
More Than an Achievement—A Message
Varaprasad’s story is not just about clearing exams or achieving ranks. It is about resilience against poverty, the courage to choose a harder path, and the belief that circumstances do not define destiny.
Today, from a small home in Vyasarpadi to the grand grounds of OTA, his journey stands as a beacon of hope for every student and family fighting against odds. It reminds us that with hard work, dreams can indeed march into reality—sometimes in an olive-green uniform.