CHENNAI: Over 170 cadets are undergoing rigorous training at Chennai's Officers Training Academy (OTA), which is the only defence institution that has been training women officers in India for the past 30 years. Ahead of International Women's Day falling on March 8, TNIE spoke with five cadets at the academy about becoming accustomed to military life.
The cadets wake up at 4 am daily and their first class, comprising physical training and drill, commences at 5.30 am. Captain Aparna Rai, who herself received training at the OTA Chennai, now guides the cadets. "The training curriculum for men and women cadets is the same. Be it weapon firing or running for 60 km, the women perform on a par with men cadets," Rai said.
Law graduate Vidhatri Bharti from Punjab's Ludhiana is a Junior Under Officer, who entered the academy through the Judge Advocate General (JAG) entry. The first-generation officer told TNIE, "My physical strength was not what it is today. The initial few days are challenging as it takes time to get accustomed to the schedule. With months of training, we got into the grid which helped me become mentally strong as well." She is expected to join the JAG branch after the completion of the training.
After the drill exercise, the officers leave for breakfast, which would then be followed by lectures. Shivangi Singh, Senior Under Officer (SUO) of Kohima Company in OTA is a second-generation defence personnel. Her father served in the Jat regiment and was her inspiration to join the force. Singh who completed her B.Tech in Information Technology worked in a private tech firm before entering the academy. As an SUO, Singh has 75 cadets under her supervision. "I am responsible for imparting discipline and conducting modules for the cadets. The shift from the corporate sector to the defence forces is immense since you only work for a specific time slot in the corporate sector, but in the forces, you are an officer around the clock," says Singh.
During the training session on the day TNIE visited the academy, blindfolded cadets performed a live demonstration of dismantling and arranging the guns. Bayonet charge on enemies and tactical elimination of enemies in the forest zone. Battalion Cadet Adjutant (BCA) Shiva Choudary from Uttar Pradesh said, "The adrenaline rush that comes with weapons training cannot be explained in words. We also get to learn about the nuances of military life here." Choudary is a B Tech- Mechanical Engineering graduate.
Cadets Debashree Adhicary and Rekha, whose husbands died during service, said the training at the academy has instilled in them physical and mental strength.