For fulfilling dreams of their family’s these two passionate constables of Punjab Police did not leave a moment for preparation , even performing long hours duty , for becoming officers in the Indian Army. These constables , who became an inspiration for many, used to revise the notes even during physical training (PT) break. Their preparation continued even in a temple in Kapurthala. They are 24 year old Anmol Sharma and Lovepreet Singh.
Anmol Sharma, who has secured 99th all India rank in the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination, is the son of an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) of Punjab Police, who is also an international hockey umpire. Whereas second constable of Punjab Police, Lovepreet Singh succeeded in the Service Selection Board (SSB) interview is the son of a Subedar posted in 28 Ammunition Company of Defence Security Corps in Kupwara. Both were posted to the 7th India Reserve Battalion (IRB) of the Punjab Police before being selected as constables for subsequent training for the newly formed Road Safety Force (SSF). While Lovepreet joined SSF after its formal launch on February 1, Anmol left it after being selected in Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai .
Expressing happiness over the success of these two constables, Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said, “It is a matter of great pride for Punjab Police and the state that our youth have been selected to serve as officers in the armed forces. I am sure that they will continue our tradition of serving with courage and bravery and inspire the younger generation.
Lovepreet Singh made it to OTA through NCC special entry scheme and ranked 16th at the All India level in terms of category. Lovepreet has fulfilled a family dream of generations after his father Subedar Jagwinder Singh could not clear the SSB interview. Lovepreet said , “My father passed the Army Cadet College examination twice in 1991 and 1992, but could not clear the SSB interview. He had appeared for the SSB interview once but could not appear for the second SSB interview as he suffered an injury while posted in Mendhar sector of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir. When he passed the Army Cadet College examination for the second time, he was posted at a high altitude area in Mendhar. The Major Havildar of the company was asking my father how he prepared for the ACC exam and when my father was showing him the book he had read for preparation, a bullet fired from a gun from Pakistan direction hit him in the leg.”
Lovepreet’s grandfather Natha Singh had retired as Honorary Captain from 5 Sikh Light Infantry. Lovepreet says, “It was my grandfather’s dream that someone from the family should join the army as an officer.” When Lovepreet gave the news of his selection to his father Jagwinder Singh over phone, he cried with joy. Lovepreet said that his grandfather was the Company Havildar Major of 5 Sikh LI, who had captured OP Hill in 1965.
Lovepreet’s sister Rajneesh Kaur, the eldest among the siblings, is pursuing her PhD in Sociology from the Institute for Development and Communication (IDC), Chandigarh, and brother Simranjeet Singh is a constable in Punjab Police. Lovepreet, a resident of Nangal Dayal Singh village near Jandiala Guru in Amritsar district, is the youngest of the three.
After being recruited as constables in Punjab Police in August 2022, Anmol and Lovepreet prepared for the SSB interview together. They underwent training at the In-Service Training Center (ISTC) in Kapurthala. After this they took training for SSF. They found time to study amidst the rigorous training schedule that was sandwiched between PT sessions starting at 4.00 am, practice and law classes. Not only this, they never miss the opportunity to study even after ‘lights out’ at 9.30 pm. Lovepreet said, “Since the lights in the training center used to go off at 9:30 pm, both of us used to go to a temple near the training center to study.”
Anmol said, “We have also studied in the light of the flame in the temple. We also used table lamps in our rooms at the training center at night so that others would not be disturbed. I used to carry notes in my pocket and do revision during breaks like PT. During my in-service training as a constable as well as preparation for the SSB interview, I lost ten kilograms of weight. When we studied in the extreme heat, our colleagues at the training center used to say that we studied in a furnace”.
Anmol , a resident of Laxmi Nagar in Kapurthala , has a younger sister Amanat Sharma who is pursuing a Chartered Accountant course. Anmol’s father is Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Ripudaman Sharma, an international hockey umpire. His (Anmol’s) uncle Chandrashekhar, a lawyer by profession, had the dream of him (Anmol) joining the Army as a commissioned officer.”
