Passing Out Parade Held at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala
The first woman pilot in the Indian Navy was inducted along with the selection of three female officers in the Naval Armament Inspection(NIA) branch.
328 cadets of Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard including two international cadets, one each from Tanzania and Maldives, passed out of Indian Naval Academy on successful completion of their training. The Passing out Parade (POP) was held at INA, Ezhimala on November 22.
History was also made as Shubhangi Swaroop became the first woman pilot in the Indian Navy. She will now be training as a pilot at Dungigal Air Force Academy in Hyderabad. The first batch of female officers, Aastha Segal, Roopa A and Sakthimaya S, was also inducted in the Naval Armament Inspection(NIA) branch, thus inspiring more women to look at Indian Navy as a career oppurtunity.
The passing out Midshipmen and cadets belonged to four different courses of Autumn Term 2017, viz., 93 Indian Naval Academy Course (BTech), 93 Indian Naval Academy Course (MSc), 24 Naval Orientation Course (Extended) and 25 Naval Orientation Course (Regular). Also graduating and marching shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts were 20 female cadets from the Indian Navy.
The parade was reviewed by Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS). After the ceremonial review, he awarded medals to nine meritorious Midshipmen and cadets. The reviewing officer in his address congratulated the passing out courses and advised all of them to imbibe and follow the core values of Navy “Duty, Honour and Courage”.
The ‘President’s Gold Medal’ for the Indian Naval Academy BTech course was awarded to Midshipman Rishav Saha. The ‘Chief of the Naval Staff Gold Medal’ for the Naval Orientation (Extended) Course was awarded to Cadet Anil Choudhary. The ‘Chief of the Naval Staff Gold Medal’ for the Naval Orientation (Regular) Course was awarded to Cadet Gaurav Tyagi. The ‘Flag Officer Commanding in Chief (South) Medal’ for the best women cadet was awarded to Cadet Anjani Pandey.
The ceremony culminated with the successful Midshipmen and cadets forming up in two columns and marching with their gleaming swords and rifles held in salute, past the Academy’s Saluting Dias known as the Quarterdeck, in Slow March, to the traditional notes of ‘Auld Lang Syne’, the farewell tune played by all Armed Forces around the world when bidding adieu to colleagues and comrades. Passing out courses were bid farewell by cadets of junior term who manned the mast as the successful cadets streamed past the sacred quarterdeck.
On completion of the parade, the ‘Shipping of Stripes’ ceremony was conducted. The parents and guardians of the Passing Out courses shipped the Naval and Coast Guard epaulettes, popularly known as ‘Stripes’ on the shoulders of their wards, thus symbolising their transformation from ‘cadets’ into full-fledged Navy and Coast Guard Officers. The Reviewing Officer and other dignitaries shipped the stripes of the medal winners and congratulated all the trainees for their successful completion of the rigorous training. On completion of the training at the Indian Naval Academy, these officers will proceed to various Naval and Coast Guard ships, to further consolidate their training in specialized fields.