Maiden passing out parade of Agniveers held at INS Chilka

Bhubaneswar: A total of 2,585 Agniveers, including 273 females, of the Indian Navy passed out from the portals of INS Chilka, Odisha, in a first of its kind ceremonial night passing out parade, held on Tuesday under the aegis of Southern Naval Command.

The parade was reviewed by Admiral R. Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff, in the presence of Vice Admiral M.A. Hampiholi, the flag officer commanding-in-chief, Southern Naval Command, Rajya Sabha MP and legendary athlete P.T. Usha, former India cricket captain Mithali Raj and some naval veterans.

The passing out parade marks not only the successful culmination of 16 weeks of ab-initio rigorous naval training, but also the start of a new voyage in the Indian Navy, where men and women work together to make the force combat ready, credible, cohesive and future-proof, officials said.

During his address, Admiral Hari Kumar urged the Agniveers to hone their skills further and develop a strong foundation of knowledge, willingness to learn and commitment to excel in their respective careers that lay ahead. He also urged them to uphold the Navy’s core values of duty, honour and courage, in pursuit of nation building.

The Admiral also awarded medals and trophies to the meritorious Agniveers on the occasion.

Amalakanti Jayaram and Ajith P., among men, were awarded with Chief of Naval Staff Rolling Trophy and gold medal for Best Agniveer SSR and MR, respectively.

Kushi was the adjudged the best woman Agniveer in the overall order of merit. A Rolling Trophy, instituted to commemorate the vision of late General Bipin Rawat, the first Chief of Defence Staff, was awarded to her by the daughters of the General Rawat.

Earlier in the day, during the valedictory function, the Chief of the Naval Staff gave away the overall championship trophy to Eklavya Division, and runners-up trophy to Angad and Shivaji Division.

–IANS