NEW DELHI: The Indian Army is "strong"as far as its borders along China and Pakistan are concerned, said Lieutenant (Lt) General (Gen) NS Raja Subramani, Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) on Monday. VCOAS was in Chennai to review the Passing Out Parade (PoP) of newly commissioned officers of the Army.
Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani said, "Indian Army is always ready for new threats. Both in the Pakistan and China borders we are strong and the Indian army is always ready to face any threats."
Indian Army has long territorial borders, which also include the undemarcated, with both Pakistan and China.
With Pakistan, India shares a total of 3,323 km border which is divided into three parts: the International Border (IB) (approximately 2,400 km from Gujarat to the north banks of Chenab in Akhnoor in Jammu), the Line of Control (LoC), (740 km long and runs from parts of Jammu to parts of Leh) and the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) (110 km long dividing the Siachen region extending from NJ 9842 to Indira Col in the north.)
With China, the length of the border, as per the Ministry of Home is 3488km which is not fully demarcated. There has been a dense deployment of troops in Eastern Ladakh since May 2020 which started with a standoff situation. There exist two remaining standoff points for which negotiations between India and China continue at multiple levels.
"The 21st century has seen a shift in the goals of war and reshaping its character and fast phase of technology has made it complex. You will be leading men and women under your command. It's a most demanding profession and yet it's an exciting and fulfilling one. You must have a thirst for knowledge. Embrace new technologies, and enable yourself with your technical knowledge," the Vice Chief said while addressing the newly commissioned officers.
The Commissioning Ceremony (the President of India grants Commission to the officers on successful completion of training) was held at Parameshwaran Drill Square at the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, as a magnificent display of military of parade was exhibited by the officers of the Short Service Commission (SSC) 118 Course, SSC (Women)-32 and equivalent courses passing on Saturday.
As per the Army, a total of 258 Officer Cadets and 39 Officer Cadets (Women) were commissioned into various Arms and Services of the Indian Army, embodying the spirit of duty and sacrifice. Additionally, 10 Officer Cadets and 05 Officer Cadets (Women) from Friendly Foreign Countries successfully completed their training, fostering bonds of camaraderie and cooperation across international borders.
"This significant event, steeped in tradition and reverence, marked the culmination of months of gruelling training of the Officer Cadets, heralding their transformation into the future leaders of the Indian Army.", Army said.
Following the immaculate parade, the Army added, "the Pipping Ceremony symbolized a solemn vow as newly commissioned officers, adorned with the gleaming insignia on their shoulders, pledged allegiance to the Constitution of India and committed to safeguard the nation at all costs."
The parade captivated the spectators as Officer Cadets marched in perfect harmony with martial tunes. It was a moment of immense pride not only for the Officer Cadets and their families but for the dedicated Instructors and Administrative Staff of OTA Chennai as well, reflecting on the remarkable journey of growth and development witnessed over the past year.
Vice Chief also presented the Sword of Honour to Battalion Under Officer (BUO) Samrath Singh, OTA Gold Medal to BUO Simran Singh Rathi, Silver Medal to AUO (Academy Under Officer) Tanishka Damodran and the Bronze Medal to ACA (Academy Cadet Adjutant) Devesh Chandra Joshi. The Sword of Honour is given to the overall best Cadet of the course.
The Reviewing Officer, in his address, lauded the Officer Cadets and OTA staff for their exemplary achievements, exhorting the newly commissioned officers to uphold the cardinal military values of 'Selfless Service to the Nation' and steadfast pursuit of excellence in all endeavours.