Bengaluru, Nov. 8 -- An 18-year-old engineering student from Karnataka has achieved a remarkable milestone by topping the National Defence Academy (NDA) entrance examination across the country. Shreya N Gowda, a native of Bhadravathi in Shivamogga district, secured the all-India first rank in the examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), succeeding in her maiden attempt.

Her achievement is the culmination of a dream she nurtured from childhood. While studying in Class 8, Shreya learnt that women were eligible to join the NDA and decided to work towards a career in the armed forces. She had set her sights on securing a position among the top 10, but her performance exceeded her own expectations.

Shreya studied ...