The passing-out parade of the 144th course of Pune's National Defence Academy (NDA) will be held today, with Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan serving as the reviewing officer. This event, considered one of the country's most prestigious military ceremonies, signifies the culmination of the rigorous three-year training at the academy.
In anticipation of the parade, the defence public relations officer in Pune released a teaser, inviting everyone to witness and celebrate the bravery, dedication, and sacrifice of the nation's finest. "The passing-out parade, held on May 30, 2023, will be reviewed by the Chief of Defence Staff," PRO added.
Convocation held on Monday
The Convocation Ceremony of the 144th NDA course was held at the Habibullah Hall of NDA on Monday. The Chief Guest for the occasion was Prof (Dr) Himanshu Rai, Director, Indian Institute of Management, Indore.
386 cadets were conferred the degree
386 cadets were conferred the degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University which included 81 cadets in the Science stream, 90 cadets in the Computer Science stream and 59 cadets in the Arts stream. 19 cadets from friendly foreign countries were also awarded degrees during the programme. In addition, the B Tech stream comprising 137 cadets of Navy and Air Force cadets also received a ‘three years course completion’ certificate as these Naval and Air Force cadets will be conferred with the degree after completion of one year training at their respective pre-commissioning training academics i.e. Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala and Air Force Academy, Hyderabad, respectively.
The Chief Guest was received by Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, AVSM, NM, Commandant, NDA. The academic report for Spring Term - 2023 was presented.
The Chief Guest in his convocation address congratulated the cadets of the passing out course for the successful completion of their gruelling training from one of the premier training academies of world repute. He congratulated and conveyed his sincere gratitude to all the parents who motivated their wards to join this prestigious "Tri-Services training institute of the Indian Armed Forces; one of the most combat oriented armed forces in the world."
Located in Khadakwasla, Pune, the National Defence Academy is renowned as the cradle of military leadership and oversees the training of cadets from two courses each year.
It is noteworthy that the 61st course of the NDA produced all three current service chiefs: Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, Navy Chief Admiral Hari Kumar, and Army Chief General Manoj Pande. Last year, the NDA also admitted its first batch of girl cadets, with the academy emphasizing that training is conducted in a gender-neutral manner.
