Dehra Dun, June 11
Painted against a clear blue sky, the historical Chetwode building of the Indian Military Academy saw the passing-out parade of nearly 600 men in uniform today. In their ceremonial turnout, the gentlemen cadets brandished gleaming swords and rifles in a spectacular drill. Five hundred and eighty three officers trained at the academy became a part of the Indian Army with the passing-out parade.
Under the crisp morning sunshine and flower petals showered by a trio of the Army Aviation Corps choppers, the cadets crossed the final step to the Chetwode Hall to become officers. While the cadets smartly marched in, the select gathering of well decorated officers from the Army, including IMA Commandant Lieut-Gen Kamal Krishna Khanna, misty-eyed parents and visitors, looked on from the marquee.
The reviewing officer, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Arun Prakash, came on the four-horse Patiala coach, a gift of the Maharaja of Patiala, to the academy. Addressing the cadets on their special day, Admiral Prakash said the academy had cast them in the role of a leader and it was their duty to prove themselves to be deserving of the respect they would command.
Personal example remained a difficult but the most effective way to lead the jawans and the officers, he said. The raw courage shown by some of the finest officers of the Indian Army in Kargil was a recent example they could draw inspiration from, he added. He also congratulated the 10 foreign cadets of the friendly nations who graduated from the academy this summer.
The parade was held amidst exceptionally beefed up security in view of the recent terrorist threat on the academy. The famous pipping ceremony was held at the Nizam Pavilion instead of the Khetrapal Auditorium which is under renovation, academy officials said.
The parents of the just commissioned officers from all over the country shared their proud moment at the pipping ceremony by pinning up the stars on their shoulders. The young officers then rendered a full-throated Army number, 'Kadam kadam badhaye ja', in the backdrop of shots of glitters.
Col Gogar from Panchkula, whose presence at his grandson's passing-out parade marked three generations of the family in the Army, said being the finest of services, the Army remained a favoured choice. With the much-awaited caps off ceremony, the officers invited loud and lasting cheer from the onlookers.
Five hundred and ninety three gentlemen cadets passed out of the academy, including 10 cadets from the friendly neighbouring countries Bhutan and the Maldives. At 110, the highest number of the passing-out officers was from Uttar Pradesh followed by Uttaranchal at 59.
Over 40,000 officers from the Indian Military Academy are serving the Army at present.
