PUNE: After a spectacular passing out parade (POP) ceremony, a total of 261 cadets graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, as they passed through the portals of the prestigious Khetrapal parade ground. Chief of Army Staff Gen Bipin Rawat was the reviewing officer for the parade of 135th course on Friday.
The cadets included 186 from the Army, 21 from the Navy and 54 from the Air Force. They will now join their respective services academies for getting commissioned into the Armed Forces. Sixteen cadets from the friendly foreign countries, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Mauritius, Vietnam and Sri Lanka also passed out from the academy.
Gen Rawat reviewed the parade and addressed the cadets wherein he complimented the cadets for their exceptional drill movements. He congratulated the cadets and parents of the passing out course. He mentioned the pride he felt in reviewing the parade. He also made a special mention of the award winners.
The reviewing officer also appreciated the efforts put in by the Commandant, the officers and staff at NDA for having successfully turned boys into scholar warriors. A masterly display of drill movements, synchronised with the accompanying band, impressed the thousands of viewers, that included proud parents, friends, relatives of cadets, as well as people from Pune and other places.
The haunting strains of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and the Adjutant on his charger (horse) accompanied the cadets to The Final Steps (popularly referred to as Antim Pag). In the closing moments, the mast at the Quarter Deck was manned by the cadets of the junior most course to cheer on the passing out cadets as they passed the Quarter Deck in a slow march. The IAF’s fighter aircrafts Sukhoi-30 and Jaguars conducted flypast over the parade ground.
WINNER CADETS
Academy Cadet Captain Jaipreet Singh won the President’s Gold Medal for standing first in the overall order of merit. Academy Cadet Adjutant Parimal Parasar won the Silver Medal for standing second in the overall order of merit and Squadron Cadet Captain Swapnil Gupta won the Bronze Medal for standing third in the overall order of merit. ‘Charlie’ Squadron bagged the prestigious ‘Chiefs of Staff Banner’, for being the Champion Squadron which was presented during the parade.
Cadet Jaipreet Singh had cleared JEE advance entrance test for the engineering admission but he decided to join NDA.
