KOCHI: President Droupadi Murmu will arrive in Kerala for a two-day visit on Thursday. After landing in Kochi airport in the morning, she will proceed to Cochin Shipyard to visit INS Vikrant. Later, Murmu will visit INS Dronacharya, where she will confer the President’s Colour to the gunnery school at 4.20pm.
In the evening, she will head to Thiruvananthapuram. The President will inaugurate the silver jubilee celebration of Kudumbashree at Kowdiar Uday Palace Convention Centre on Friday afternoon and will leave for Lakshadweep in the evening.
INS Dronacharya provides training to officers and sailors of the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and friendly foreign maritime forces, on all aspects of gunnery and missile warfare. The President’s Colour or the Nishan is the highest honour, which the Supreme Commander bestows on a unit for its exceptional service to the nation.
The ceremonial parade for the presentation will be held on Thursday and reviewed by the President. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, Southern Naval Command Chief Vice Admiral M A Hampiholi and other senior dignitaries will attend.
INS Dronacharya forges sea warriors and equips them with the professional acumen and unyielding spirit to man the warships. It was designated as the centre for excellence in gunnery and missile warfare in 2004. The unit is affiliated with the Indian Army School of Artillery. The gunnery school has evolved over a period of time as an institution of international repute providing training on all facets of gunnery and missile warfare.