A total of 204 gentlemen and 42 lady cadets passed out from the portal of Officers Training Academy (OTA) here today, before they move on to join operational regiments across the length and breadth of the country. The batch included 21 Cadets from Friendly Foreign Countries sixteen from Afghanistan, four from Seychelles and one from Lesotho.
The parade was reviewed by Lt Gen Philip Campose, Vice Chief of Army Staff. The Reviewing Officer while congratulating the newly commissioned officers for choosing this noble profession urged them to remain vigilant and to face all types of challenges. He also reminded the cadets to keep themselves abreast with technology and modernization for keeping pace with the fast changing environment. He emphasized that in no case should `self’ get precedence over the nation. As a leader, Cadets be adaptive, imaginative, practical and quick in decision making. He appreciated the Cadets for their excellent efforts to make the parade an impressive one.
Lt Gen Philip Campose inspected a Guard of Honour given by the Gentlemen Cadets and presented the awards. The RO also awarded the Sword of Honour to Academy under Officer Maninder Pal Singh for standing first in overall order of merit, Gold Medal to Academy under Officer Preeti Mudela and the Chief of Army Staff banner to the ‘Meiktilla Company’ for best all rounder company.
The cadets were pipped as officers by their parents infront of the Parameshwaran Parade Ground. The event was followed by an oath taking ceremony and National Anthem. Apart from the President’s Commission to lead the world’s third largest army, each of the newly commissioned Lieutenants would be awarded a Post Graduate Diploma in Defence Management and Strategic Studies by the University of Madras.
The parade was witnessed by the Military and Civil Dignitaries, the family members, relatives, friends of the newly commissioned officers, alongwith the Officers and families of Officers Training Academy and the officers of Andra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & Kerala Area. The Reviewing Officer was accompanied by Lt Gen SS Jog, Commandant, Officers Training Academy and Maj Gen G Murali, Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor.
Also Read
