Aabha is daughter of Naik Jeet Singh of Mahar Regiment, who laid down his life fighting Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in Anantnag in April 2003

In a proud moment for Palampur and Himachal Pradesh, Aabha, daughter of a martyr from Kandbari village near here, has been commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Army.

Aabha is daughter of Naik Jeet Singh of the Mahar Regiment, who laid down his life fighting Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in the dense forests of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir in April 2003. For displaying exceptional bravery during the operation, he was awarded the Sena Medal posthumously.

At the time of her father’s martyrdom, Aabha was barely two-and-a-half years old and too young to understand the significance of the Tricolour-draped coffin that returned home. As she grew older, the stories of her father’s sacrifice inspired her to follow in his footsteps and serve the nation.

Aabha completed her schooling at Crescent Public School, Banuri (Palampur), where she excelled in academics. She later pursued engineering from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Hamirpur. During her college years, she joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and served as a Senior Under Officer in the NCC unit at Hamirpur, displaying strong leadership qualities.

Her academic excellence earned Aabha campus placement with global technology company Oracle and she even worked in Bengaluru for about a month. However, her dream of serving the nation in uniform remained unchanged. Choosing duty over a promising corporate career, Aabha left the job and started preparing for a career in the Armed Forces. She was later selected for the Army through the Short Service Commission (SSC Tech) entry.

After successfully completing training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Gaya, she was commissioned as Lieutenant in the Army on March 7. Abha carries forward the proud military legacy of her family. Her grandfather Kaffu Ram had also served in the Army, making her commissioning a continuation of the family tradition in service of the nation.

Residents of Kandbari and Palampur have hailed her success as an inspiring example of determination, courage and patriotism.