JOIN USA total of 601 cadets were inducted into the Indian army as officers today after a passing-out parade at the prestigious Indian Military Academy here.
Afghan Army Chief General Sher Mohammad Karimi reviewed the parade which was held on Drill Square in front of the historic Chetwood building amidst tight security.
64 Foreign Gentleman Cadets also graduated from the academy, with 44 cadets from Afghanistan, 12 from Tajikistan, two from Nepal, one from Kazakhstan, three from Mauritius and two from Maldives.
With 103 cadets commissioned as officers into the Indian Army, Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states with the most cadets passing out, while Haryana stood second with 73 cadets and Uttarakhand third with 51 cadets.
The Afghan Army chief congratulated the new officers and said the officers received training at one of the best military academies in the world.
Karimi said that despite being from different countries what the officers had in common was that they were all soldiers first.
"The world is going through a change. I have witnessed changes in my own country. Undoubtedly this is a tough time but a soldier has to be always ready to shoulder responsibilities," Karimi said.
While addressing the foreign cadets, he said the relations they made during training will remain with them throughout their military career.
Karimi said coming to India is like homecoming as he has took part in many types of courses here.
During the event petals were showered on the drill square by army helicopters and later, the pipping ceremony was held in which the family members of the newly commissioned officers put stars on their uniforms.
The Sword of Honour was awarded to Bhanu Pratap who was adjudged as the Best All-Round Cadet during the training. Pawan Kumar Sangwan was awarded a gold medal for the first position in the course, Pankaj Kumar was given silver for the second position and Aditya Kumar Tyagi received bronze for standing third.
The parade also witnessed a drizzle but it failed to affect the enthusiastic atmosphere at the academy.