Century-old RIMC an iconic cradle of military mettle

THE Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Dehradun, traces its origin to the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, inaugurated on March 13, 1922, by Prince Edward VIII, the Prince of Wales. Set amidst 138 acres of lush-green flora, it was established keeping in mind the ethic of the guru-shishya continuum. After Independence, the governorship of the college was handed over to the Union Ministry of Defence.

With the vision of teaching Indian boys to reach the zenith of military honour and leadership, while also acquiring further training in Royal Military College, (later Royal Military Academy), Sandhurst, the aim was to Indianise the officer cadres of the nation. The RIMC thus served the dual role of an educational institute along with a pre-Sandhurst institution. Today, the college is revered as the primary cradle of military excellence.

The Chiefs of Staff Committee took a historic decision at its meeting on December 21, 1998, to treat the RIMC as an Inter-Services Category ‘A’ institution. This decision is testimony to the unique contribution of the RIMC to the three Services for a hundred years and counting.

Financial assistance in the form of scholarships from Central/state governments is granted to deserving cadets on the recommendations of the Commandant. These scholarships are based on merit-cum-means basis and are awarded in compliance with strict rules and regulations.

The beauty of the preserved heritage at the RIMC in the shape of infrastructure belies description. The campus has a number of heritage buildings in faux Tudor style, some even over a hundred years old. These elegant buildings house the cadets as well as provide for the Cadet’s Mess. The sprawling campus also has an educational block with capacious classrooms and well-equipped laboratories manned by a highly professional faculty. A well-stocked library, laboratories, a kaleidoscope of hobbies, expansive playfields, indoor-outdoor games courts, shooting ranges, a riding school, a swimming pool and many other facilities provide the oeuvre for the holistic development of any child.

With a teacher-student ratio of 1:13, the growth of intellect and physique is simultaneous and exponential. Well-thought-out and focused co-curricular activities complement the curriculum. Abundant scope is provided for meaningful enrichment of social, cultural and individual growth of cadets. In order to provide the cadets with an opportunity for self-expression and recreation, a number of hobby clubs are run by the cadets themselves under the watchful tutelage of the staff. Cadets are also encouraged to devote time and effort to diverse co-curricular activities and social work.

The RIMC was awarded GOC-in-C, Central Command, Unit Citation in 2018 for its stellar contribution towards nation-building by perennially sending the highest number of cadets to the National Defence Academy and producing leaders in all walks of life. Some of them deserve special mention: Gen KS Thimayya, Gen GG Bewoor, Gen VN Sharma, Air Chief Marshal NC Suri, Gen S Padmanabhan and Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa. They all served as Chiefs of respective Services.

The RIMC’s alumni have distinguished themselves before as well as after Independence. Second Lieutenant (later Lt Gen) PS Bhagat was a recipient of the Victoria Cross. Maj Somnath Sharma (brother of Gen VN Sharma) was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra. Many more awards have been won by officers, cadets and members of the staff of RIMC for both gallantry and distinguished service.

Fortitude, formidability and plurality are the hallmarks of the RIMC and they continue unabated as the college completes a century of persevering with these ethics. An epoch of knowledge and wisdom is encompassed by this institute within itself as it becomes the insignia of the very finest of the values cherished by our country.

At present, RIMC has its serving alumni at prestigious positions in the armed forces. In the Army, there is Lt Gen AS Bhinder, AVSM, VSM, serving as the GOC-in-C, South Western Command; and Lt Gen Nav K Khanduri, AVSM, VSM, as the GOC-in-C, Western Command. In the Air Force, it has serving officers Air Marshal DP Dharkar, AVSM, and Air Marshal N Tiwary, AVSM, VM, holding the designations of Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) and Deputy Chief of Air Staff (DCAS), respectively. In the Navy, Vice Admiral Adhir Arora, a recipient of the Nausena Medal, is serving as Chief Hydrographer.

The RIMC proudly boasts of 45 Army Commanders and 194 three-star officers. The lineage continues with immense gusto and firmer determination than ever before.