Aanchal Gangwal, a 24-year-old girl from Neemuch district in Madhya Pradesh and the daughter of a tea seller, has been selected in the flying branch of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Aanchal says she was inspired by the rescue operation carried out by the Indian armed forces during the 2013 floods in Uttarakhand.
"When I was in class 12, there were floods in Uttarakhand and I was impressed with the way the armed forces rescued the flood affected and decided to join the forces, but the family condition was not conducive at that time," Aanchal said.
She says clearing the Air Force Common Admission Test was not an easy task for her.
Over the years she faced the interview board five times and was only successful the sixth time, whose results were declared on June 7.
She was among the 22 selected from all over the country and the only one from Madhya Pradesh. Over 6 lakh students appeared for the exam.
Her father, Suresh Gangwal, who runs a tea stall at the Neemuch bus stand, said: "Now everyone in the area knows about my 'Namdev tea stall' and I feel very happy when people come and congratulate me."
Suresh says he never let his financial condition hinder the education of his three children.
"I took a loan to send Aachal for coaching in Indore and also financed my elder son's engineering. My youngest daughter is in Class 12," he added.
Aanchal has been asked to report at the Air Force Academy in Dundigul, Hyderabad, by June 30.
