Through ncc

The National Rifle Association: When Niraj Kumar finished Class 12, his parents were preparing for the next conventional step in his education — college. Niraj, however, had a different plan. He wanted the money his family had saved for his college education to be spent on a rifle, convinced that shooting could become his career.

“I told them, buy me the rifle. I will see the college degree later. First, I have to shoot,” Niraj recalled.

The rifle, costing around ₹3-3.5 lakh, was a sizeable investment for a family with no sporting background. But for Niraj, it was an investment in a dream that had taken shape after he was introduced to shooting through the National Cadet Corps (NCC). Niraj first picked up a rifle at the age of 14 in 2014. His father, a retired Army officer, had enrolled him in NCC at school with the hope that it would eventually help his son pursue a career in the armed forces.