Nitika Kaul is the widow of Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, who was martyred in the Pulwama attack in 2019. She joined the Indian Army as a lieutenant on May 29, 2021, nearly two years after her husband’s death.
Wiki/Biography
Nitika Kaul Dhoundiyal was born on Wednesday, April 3, 1991 (age 30 years; as of 2021) and her birthplace is Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir. Her star sign is Aries. She attended Dyal Singh Public School, Haryana, with a non-medical score of 83.4%. From 2009 to 2013, she studied for a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communication Engineering at Manav Rachna College of Engineering, Haryana, with a score of 73.64%. From 2015 to 2017, she studied for an MBA in Marketing and Operations Management at the College of Commerce, Panjab University, Chandigarh, with a score of 69.04%.
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 4″
Eye color: Black
Hair color: Black
Family and caste
She was born into a Kashmiri Pandit family who migrated to Delhi from Kashmir.
husband
She met Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal through Facebook. Soon, they became friends and fell in love. On April 19, 2018, the couple got married in Uttarakhand.
Nitika Kaul’s wedding photos
Almost nine months after her marriage, Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal was martyred in the Pulwama attack (2019).
Nitika Kaul and her husband
Profession
In May 2016, Nitika started working as a Marketing Communications Intern at ‘The Ideaz Factory’ in Chandigarh. In October 2017, she joined Tata Consultancy Services as an IT Pre-Sales Representative. In the same organization, she was promoted to Compliance Analyst, then Management Trainee and later Business Analyst. Within six months of her husband’s death, she applied for the 25th Short Service Commission Course (Technical). She prepared for the exams and cleared the Short Service Commission (SSC) exam and subsequently the Service Selection Board (SSB) interview. Later, she was posted to the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai for training. On May 29, 2021, at the passing out ceremony at the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, Lieutenant General YK Joshi, Commander-in-Chief, Northern Command, placed the rank insignia on her shoulders, thereby making her a Lieutenant in the Indian Army.
Lieutenant General YK Joshi places the rank insignia on Nitika Kaul’s shoulder
In an interview, she shared her training experience. She said,
I feel like I am going through the same journey as him. I believe he will always be a part of my life. Even today he is somewhere beside me watching me and I can feel him just holding me and saying you did it. I love you Vibhu. I want to thank everyone who had faith in me. My mother-in-law and mother were a part of my journey. I just want to say that your faith in me made my journey easier.”
Facts/Trivia
- When her husband died, she said,
You say you love me, but the truth is you love this country more. I’m really proud. We all love you. You love everyone in a completely different way because you sacrificed your life for people you may have never met, but you still decided to give your life for them. You are such a brave man. I am honored to have you as my husband. I will love you until my last breath. I owe you my life. “
- In an interview, when she was asked how life was without her husband, she said,
After her husband’s death, she found it difficult to return to normal life. “I threw myself into work, hoping that the pain would subside… I went back to work about 15 days after my husband’s death because I wanted to keep myself busy. It’s normal to have emotional breakdowns, but we have to accept the situation. I had to find a positive attitude in my daily life and stand up again.”
- During the interview with the Services Selection Board (SSB), she was asked how long she had been married. She replied:
It’s been two years and Vibhu hasn’t come to us, but that doesn’t mean our marriage is over.”
- In an interview, she was asked what was her motivation for applying for SSB interview and Indian Army? She said,
Major Vibhuti was, is and will always be my motivation. Also, my family has always been supportive, especially my mother-in-law and parents. My family always supported me and motivated me when I doubted whether I could do it. They always told me that as a human being, we all fail, but it is important to accept the reality, work hard to overcome the weaknesses and try again.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education