The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan said on Tuesday that the war in Europe, the deployment of China’s PLA along the northern borders and political and economic turmoil in the immediate neighbourhood all present a different kind of challenge for the Indian military but the armed forces are committed to maintain the legitimacy of India’s claims and peace and stability in the region.
The CDS was the Reviewing Officer for the Passing Out Parade (POP) of the 144th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA), which was held on Tuesday morning.
General Chauhan said in his address to the cadets, “We are living in a time when the global security situation is not at its best. International geopolitical order is in a state of flux. War in Europe, continued deployment of PLA along the northern borders and political and economic turmoil in our immediate neighbourhood, all present a different kind of challenge for Indian military. The armed forces are committed to maintain the legitimacy of our claims on the Line of Control and play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in our immediate and extended neighbourhood.”
As the Reviewing Officer of the parade, Gen Chauhan — himself an alumnus of the 58th course of the academy — inspected the parade line up of the passing out cadets, addressed them and also pinned the medals on the award winning cadets.
Each year, two courses of cadets pass out of India’s premier tri-services military academy — often hailed as the cradle of military leadership — which is located at Khadakwasla in Pune overseeing the foothills of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra.
After passing out from the NDA, the cadets head out for one more year of pre-commissioning training at the academies of their respective Armed forces – Indian Naval Academy in Ezhimala located in Kannur district of Kerala, Indian Military Academy in Dehradun for Army and the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, located in Telangana.
All three present service chiefs – Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari, Navy Chief Admiral Hari Kumar and Army Chief General Manoj Pande – are from the 61st course of the academy. In June last year, the NDA admitted its first batch of girl cadets. The academy has said that training is being conducted in a ‘gender neutral’ manner.
