President to attend passing out parade at IMA on December 11
The Passing Out Parade at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) will be held on Saturday, December 11 with simplicity. The Academy Management has given this information on Thursday evening after getting the guidelines from the Army Headquarters.
President will address the cadets
It has been told that President Ram Nath Kovind will attend the POP as the inspecting officer and address the cadets of the passing out batch. Army Chief General MM Naravane is also expected to accompany him. However, the pre-scheduled multi-activity displays and light and sound shows have been canceled due to the national mourning.
Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 13 officers and jawans of the Army and Air Force, including Air Force Mi-17 V-Five helicopter crashed in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, on December 8. CDS General Rawat was also to attend the passing out parade to be held at IMA on December 11 along with the President. Hence, the academy management was busy finalizing the preparations. But after this accident, suddenly everything changed.
The Academy Management canceled the Commandant’s Parade (Final Rehearsal Parade) to be held on Thursday and there was confusion about the main parade. It is being told that the Academy Management discussed with the Army Headquarters regarding this matter. After this, after the guidelines received, the Public Relations Officer of the Academy, Lt. Colonel Himani Pant told that the passing out will happen on December 11. The President will attend the POP as an inspecting officer. Some programs previously included in the schedule have been cancelled.
387 Gentleman Cadets from India and abroad will be included
387 Gentlemen Cadets from India and abroad will participate in the passing out parade. Of these, 319 young military officers will go to the Indian Army. While the army of eight friendly countries Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Myanmar, Tanzania and Turkmenistan will get 68 young military officers. In the passing out parade, full care of the Covid protocol will be taken. That’s why this time also foreign guests are reaching IMA to see POP in limited numbers. While passes have been issued to the relatives of Gentlemen Cadets.