National
Pune ex-cabbie to don Army officer’s uniform
Pune, March 5 (IANS) Driving his career into the fast lane, a former Ola cabbie here heeded the advice of a passenger — a former soldier — and is now all set to become an Indian Army officer later this week, elated family members said.
The ex-taxi driver is Om Paithane, 25, the son of a former private driver Uttam Paithane, hailing from a nondescript village Tondal in this district.
Om is now due to pass out on Saturday from the elite Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, which trains officers for Short Service Commission.
“I am extremely happy and overwhelmed… It’s like a dream come true,” Om told IANS briefly as he prepared to join the Indian Army.
The journey to the Indian Army was not a smooth ride for Om and his family, but the first inspiration came from a passenger, one Col. Bakshi (retd), (Om doesn’t know his first name).
“It is Col. Bakshi Sir who changed by life… Talking to me, he suggested about the opportunities in the armed forces and the Combined Defence Service (CDS) exams and even referred me to Lt. Col. Ganesh Babu, the then Director, Armed Forces Officers Selection Orientation Programme,” Om said.
After the guiding light and driving the Ola cab for some six months, Om decided to appear for the CDS exams in 2016 and cracked it in the first attempt. He then cleared the Service Selection Board (SSB) exam in Bhopal to join the OTA for a year-long training.
“For an humble family like ours with limited resources or influence at their command, this is a huge achievement and an inspiration for many others struggling to improve their lives,” said his brother Adinath.
Incidentally, Om’s father Uttam Paithane worked as a driver for nearly three decades and faced major problems with his knees, both of which were required to be replaced a few years ago.
Unfortunately, while one knee operation was successful, the other failed, making him practically immobile and compelled him to take up a job as security guard in Pune, said Adinath, who now works with the HR Department in TCS, Pune.
However, life has suddenly changed for the entire family, including his home-maker mother Sushila and their married sister Monika, as news of Om’s achievement started trickling out in the local media since Monday morning.
“This has resulted in a total transformation in Om’s life and personality… The way people look at him and his uniform with respect… He feels proud donning the uniform, but is still humble and eternally grateful to all the people including Col. Bakshi Sir, who guided him at all steps,” Adinath said.
The Paithane family originally hails from Limbarui village in Beed district and Uttam Paithane got a job as a driver for a poultry farm in Tondal, where they lived in the staff quarters and the children studied in local schools.
Om completed his schooling in the Zilla Parishad School and later the New English School nearby before acquiring his B.Sc. in Computer Science from a Pune college.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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