Dehradun, June 8
As many as 382 cadets were on Saturday commissioned into the Army after a passing-out parade at the Indian Military Academy here.
GOC-in-C (South-Western Command) Lt Gen Cherish Matheson took the salute.
Seventy-seven candidates from nine other nations, including Afghanistan, Mauritius, Maldives and Fiji, too passed out from the academy after completing their training.
Lt Gen Matheson asked the officers to maintain discipline, stressing that no war can be won without it.
He recalled his time at the academy, when 39 years ago he also stood at the drill square like these cadets.
Three Army helicopters showered petals on the cadets before they entered the Chetwode building and crossed the “Antim Pag” (final step) there.
Akshat Raj was rewarded with the prestigious sword of honour for his overall performance and Surendra Singh Bisht bagged the gold medal in the order of merit. It was a proud moment for Colonel Kanwar Pal as his son Bhuvnesh Rawat, 24, was among those commissioned as an officer in the Indian Army.
“I am feeling proud as my son is also an officer in the Indian Army now,” said Colonel Pal, who is an engineer in the Army.
The ceremony wasn’t without grim moments as one Gurtegh Singh Kanthola from Chandigarh broke down remembering his father who had died just six months ago.
An air of jubilation was all around as the young cadets began doing “josh” push-ups and displayed several other gestures to express their happiness. It was a ceremony full of euphoria as three Army helicopters showered petals at the young officers at the IMA stadium.
