President’s Colour Awarded to Indian Naval Academy
Kovind congratulated the INA on the occasion of the award and on completion of 50 years of Naval Academy for their hard work and dedication
Ram Nath Kovind, the President of India and the Supreme Commander of Indian Armed Forces, awarded the President’s Colour to Indian Naval Academy (INA) on 20 November 2019. The President’s Colour – the highest honour that is bestowed upon a military unit – was received by Academy Cadet Captain Sushil Singh on behalf of the INA in an impressive parade comprising 730 cadets of INA and a 150 – men Guard of Honour. A special postal cover was also released by the President to commemorate the occasion.
Kovind congratulated the INA, its present incumbents as well as past, on the occasion of the award of the President’s Colour and on completion of 50 years of Naval Academy for their hard work and dedication towards realisation of this proud day. He said, “The fine parade this morning resonates well with the high reputation this academy has earned for itself in a relatively short span of time. The President’s Colour should serve as the motivating symbol to inspire and mould a generation of officers that will pass out from this world class institution”.
Arif Mohammed Khan, governor of Kerala, Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff, Kerala state minister for ports, museums, archaeology and archives, and other senior service and civilian dignitaries graced the occasion. Indian Naval Ships Magar and Sujata and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi were anchored off Ettikkulam Bay, to mark the momentous occasion.
A statement by the Indian Navy said the award of the President’s Colour to Indian Naval Academy is a recognition of the yeoman service rendered by the institution in shaping the leadership of the Navy by training naval officers over the last fifty years at three different locations – Kochi, Goa and Ezhimala. The Naval Academy was first established at a temporary location at Kochi in 1969. With the increase in strength of the trainees, the Naval Academy was relocated to INS Mandovi at Goa in 1986. The Indian Naval Academy (INA) found its permanent home at Ezhimala, Kerala and was inaugurated on 8 January 2009. INA, Ezhimala, over a period of 10 years has commissioned 5930 officers, into Indian Navy and Coast Guard including 531 women officers. INA has a present strength of 963 trainees including 44 women trainees and 26 trainees from friendly foreign countries.
Navy was the first of the three armed forces to be awarded the President’s Colour on 27 May 1951. Besides the INA, Southern Naval Command, Eastern Naval Command, Western Naval Command, the Western and Eastern Fleet as well as the Submarine Arm are the units of the Indian navy to be awarded similarly.