700 cadets pass out of IMA

A colourful ceremony was held at the sprawling ground in front of the Indian Military Academy's historic Chetwode Building here today as 700 cadets passed out from the prestigious institution to become Army officers.
Out of these, 64 are foreign cadets, the maximum (50) from Afghanistan, who passed out from the esteemed institution to join the armies of their respective countries.
Before being formally commissioned into the Army, the cadets staged a colourful Passing Out Parade (POP) with great vigour and zeal at the drill square in front of the Chetwode Building with Nepal's Chief of Army staff Gen Gaurav Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana reviewing the ceremony.

Addressing the cadets after the end of the ceremony, Gen Rana said he felt privileged to be part of the occasion which had stirred up nostalgic memories in his mind.
Conveying his felicitations to the gentlemen cadets, he said they were fortunate to have trained at the IMA known for its high standards of training.
Asking them to constantly bear in mind their twin roles as warriors and protectors, he said they belong to the last bastion of the country and cannot ever afford to let their country down.

Felicitating the passing out cadets from friendly countries like Afghanistan, Bhutan, Lesotho, Ethiopia and Papua New Guinea, Gen Rana hoped they would use what they had learnt at the IMA to serve their respective nations.

Maximum of 121 officers are from Uttar Pradesh followed by Haryana with 62 and Uttarakhand with 57.
After the ceremonious POP, all the cadets were administered oath to the Constitution.
Vishnu Pitambaram of Kerala received the coveted Sword of Honour for being the best all-rounder cadet during the pre-commission training.
The well turned out cadets were also seen enjoying with their parents and friends.