A total of 317 Midshipmen and cadets of Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard, including one International cadet from Tanzania, completed their training with a spectacular Passing out Parade (POP) held at Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala on Monday, 26 November.

The Midshipmen and cadets belonged to four different courses of Autumn Term 2018 – 95 Indian Naval Academy Course (BTech), 95 Indian Naval Academy Course (MSc), 26 Naval Orientation Course (Extended) and 27 Naval Orientation Course (Regular).

Among the cadets were 16 women who joined the Indian Navy.

“The grand parade was reviewed by Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla, AVSM, NM, VSM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, who awarded medals to nine meritorious Midshipmen and cadets after the ceremonial review,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

Vice Admiral Chawla advised the cadets and Midshipmen to imbibe by the core values of Indian Navy “Duty, Honour and Courage”.

Among those who witnessed the Passing out Parade were the parents and guardians of all Midshipmen and cadets. Also present were Dr Sudhir K Jain, Director, IIT-Gandhinagar, Vice Admiral RB Pandit, AVSM, Commandant, INA, senior officers of the station and outstation dignitaries.

Midshipman Vikrant Nagpal won the ‘President’s Gold Medal’ for the Indian Naval Academy B.Tech course.

The ‘Chief of the Naval Staff Gold Medal’ for the Naval Orientation (Extended) Course was awarded to Cadet Hrushikesh Vengurlekar.

Cadet Samson Moses won the ‘Chief of the Naval Staff Gold Medal’ for the Naval Orientation (Regular) Course.

Cadet Anuradha was adjudged the best women cadet and was awarded the ‘Flag Officer Commanding in Chief (South) Medal’.

On completion of the parade, the parents and guardians of the Passing Out courses shipped the Naval, and Coast Guard, epaulettes, known as ‘Stripes’ on the shoulders of their wards, thus symbolising their transformation from ‘cadets’ into full-fledged Navy and Coast Guard Officers.

The Reviewing Officer and other dignitaries shipped the stripes of the medal winners and congratulated all the trainees for their successful completion of the rigorous training.

Passing out courses were bid farewell by cadets of junior terms who manned the mast and a batch of three Naval Dornier Aircraft from Indian Naval Air Squadron 550 carried out a low fly past over the quarterdeck welcoming the new officers to the Navy.