PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE / Dehradun
The prestigious Indian Military Academy Dehradun kept its tradition of supplying fine young officers for the Indian Army on Saturday when 481 officer cadets joined Army ranks after passing out of its hallowed portals. The passing out contingent also included 34 foreign cadets from 16 countries.
The officer cadets belonging to 158th Regular, 47th Technical Entry Scheme, 141st Technical Graduate Course and 56th Special Commissioned Officers Course performed an immaculate parade at the famous Chetwode square.
A marker’s call made from the top of the historic Chetwode hall marked the commencement of the majestic parade. The parade marched in perfect harmony to the tunes of the IMA band. The synergy and enthusiasm of the cadets during the parade was regularly applauded by the audience which consisted of military officers and family members of the newly commissioned officers.
The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and President of India, Droupadi Murmu, attended the ceremony as the chief guest. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Governor lieutenant general (Retd) Gurmit Singh were also present on the occasion. As the reviewing officer, President Murmu inspected the parade, took the salute from the marching cadets and presented medals and awards to those who performed exceptionally well during training.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the presentation of the prestigious Sword of Honour and Gold Medal to Academy Cadet Vishal Kumar for being the best all round cadet of the course. The Silver Medal was awarded to Prince Raj, while Tejas Bhatt received the Bronze Medal. The Best Foreign cadet medal was awarded to Juo Zaid Sadid Alvy from Bangladesh.
The parade displayed the discipline, dedication and military spirit of the cadets. The officer cadets marched smartly to patriotic tunes, reflecting months of hard physical training, academic learning and leadership development at the academy.
After the parade, the newly commissioned officers participated in the traditional pipping ceremony, where parents and senior officers placed epaulets on their shoulders. The emotional moment marked the beginning of their careers as Army officers.
The ceremony concluded with the historic ‘Antim Pag’ (Final Step) in front of the Chetwode building. As the cadets crossed the famous line, they officially became commissioned officers of the Indian Army. Flower petals were showered from a helicopter during the event, adding to the grandeur of the occasion. The Passing out Parade once again highlighted IMA’s proud legacy of producing dedicated and capable leaders for the nation.
