Passing Out Parade of Spring Term 2019 held at Indian Naval Academy

In a spectacular Passing out Parade (POP) held at Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala, on Saturday morning, a total of 264 trainees comprising Midshipmen and cadets of Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and ten international cadets passed out with flying colours. The POP marked the culmination of the ab-initio training of the 264 trainees.

The Midshipmen and cadets, who participated in POP, belonged to four different courses of Spring Term 2019, viz., 96th  Indian Naval Academy Course (B.Tech), 96th  Indian Naval Academy Course (M.Sc), 27th  Naval Orientation Course (Extended), 28th  Naval Orientation Course (Regular) and 28th  Naval Orientation Course (Coast Guard).  

The parade also saw 15 female cadets marching with their male counterparts to join the ranks of the Indian Navy.  The ten trainees from some other countries include two trainees each from Maldives, Myanmar and Seychelles, one trainee from Tanzania and three trainees from  Sri Lanka. 

Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat received the POP and also awarded medals to eight meritorious Midshipmen and cadets after the ceremonial review. The spectacular POP was also witnessed by Vice Admiral RB Pandit, AVSM, Commandant, INA, Dr Anurag Kumar, Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, senior officers of the station and other outstation dignitaries.

The parents and guardians of all Midshipmen and cadets also witnessed the POP. The ‘President’s Gold Medal’ for the Indian Naval Academy B.Tech course was awarded to Midshipman Killamsetty Vikash. The ‘Chief of the Naval Staff Gold Medal’ for the Naval Orientation Course (Extended) was awarded to Cadet Siddharth Sankar. The ‘Chief of the Naval Staff Gold Medal’ for the Naval Orientation (Regular) Course and the ‘Zamorin Trophy’ for the best women cadet (instituted for the first time) was awarded to Cadet Kreeshma R. 

The other medal winners are as follows:-

(a) CNS Silver medal for INAC B.Tech Course (Second in merit)                                 -       Midshipman Samartha Ravindra Limaye.

(b) FOC-in-C South Silver Medal for NOC (Extended) (Second in Merit)                    -       Cadet Gourav Sangwan.

(c)  FOC-in-C South Bronze Medal for INAC B.Tech Course (Third in Merit)             -        Midshipman Kripa Sindhu Patel.

(d)  Commandant INA Silver Medal for NOC (Regular) (Second in Merit)                   -        Cadet Yugal Gautam.

(e)  Commandant INA Bronze Medal for NOC (Extended) (Third in Merit)                  -        Cadet Shreyash S Hanchinal.

The ceremony culminated with the successful trainees  forming up in two columns and marching with their gleaming swords and rifles held in salute, past the Academy’s Saluting Dias, the Quarterdeck, in Slow March, to the traditional notes of ‘Auld Lang Syne’, the farewell tune played by Armed Forces around the world when bidding adieu to colleagues and comrades. 

The parents and guardians of the Passing Out courses shipped the Naval and Coast Guard epaulettes, known as ‘Stripes’, on the shoulders of their wards after the completion of the parade. On completion of the training at the Indian Naval Academy, these officers will move to various Naval and Coast Guard ships.