For Shivansh Joshi, it's 'India First' all the way. The 17-year-old topped the National Defence Academy (NDA) entrance examination and has scored very well at the joint entrance examination for the Indian Institute of Technology.

But he surprised not just his parents, but also his teachers and friends when he chose NDA over IIT.

"My capabilities will be better utilised at NDA rather than at IIT," says the youngster from Rampur in Uttarakhand.

Shivansh takes great pride in the fact that he comes from the land of the brave where almost every village has at least one son in uniform.

"I am inspired by those who made the supreme sacrifice of their lives for our country. I too want to contribute to the development of my country. I can do that better as a man in uniform," he says.

"Serving the country has been my objective since childhood. The love for the country runs in the blood of youngsters of Uttarakhand and I feel fortunate to be living my dream now," he adds.

For a 17-year-old, he is remarkably clear about what he wants to do in future.

"I want to learn from the past and contribute to the future. We have a rich heritage and I want to build on that for a bright future," he insists.

Shivansh has always been a bright student. His father Sanjeev Joshi works with Life Insurance Corporation and his mother is a primary school teacher. Both were overjoyed with the fact that their son will wear a uniform. His parents say they always taught him to focus on work and not results.

"He has always been able to manage his time well. For him, it was not always about either studies or sports. He would devote time to both and excel in both," says his proud father Sanjeev Joshi.

"But his aim was never to get good results. He did well and said reward was never his concern. Perhaps that positive thinking helped him," the father added.

"The key to cracking such competitions is control over your routine," Shivansh said.

Shivansh realises the road ahead is not easy.

"I know the training at NDA will be very tough. IIT would have meant an easier life. But I am prepared for a tough life. The aim is to do something for the country," he says with courage of conviction far beyond his age.

Though a youngster himself, Shivansh is also keen that his younger sibling follows in his footsteps and prepares for the NDA examination.

"We took no training or coaching for NDA. I will help him prepare and hope he too serves the nation one day," he says proudly.