New Delhi (NVI): President Ram Nath Kovind today awarded the President’s Colour, the highest honour that is bestowed upon a military unit, to the Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhimala near Payyanur in Kannur, Kerala.
While presenting the Colour, the President said, “The fine parade this morning resonates well with the high reputation, this Academy has earned for itself in a relatively short span of time. The President’s Colour should serve as the motivating symbol to inspire and mould a generation of officers that will pass out from this world class institution”.
He also congratulated the INA, its present incumbents as well as past on completion of 50 years of Naval Academy for their hard work and dedication towards realization of this proud day.
A special postal cover was also released by the President, the Supreme Commander of Indian Armed Forces, to commemorate the occasion.
The President’s Colour was received by the Academy Cadet Captain Sushil Singh on behalf of the INA in an impressive parade comprising 730 cadets of INA and a 150 men Guard of Honour, an official statement said.
Present on the occasion were Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh among other Naval dignitaries.
Indian Naval Ships Magar and Sujata and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi were anchored off Ettikkulam Bay, to mark the momentous occasion.
Navy was the first of the three Armed Forces to be awarded the President’s Colour on 27 May 1951. Besides the INA, Southern Naval Command, Eastern Naval Command, Western Naval Command, the Western and Eastern Fleet as well as the Submarine Arm are the units of the Indian Navy to be awarded similarly.
Award of the President’s Colour to Indian Naval Academy is a recognition of the yeoman service rendered by the institution in shaping the leadership of the Navy by training naval officers over the last fifty years at three different locations – Kochi, Goa and Ezhimala.
The Naval Academy was first established at a temporary location at Kochi in 1969. With the increase in strength of the trainees, the Naval Academy was relocated to INS Mandovi at Goa in 1986.
The Indian Naval Academy (INA) found its permanent home at Ezhimala, Kerala and was inaugurated on January 8, 2009. Over a period of 10 years, it has commissioned 5,930 officers, into Indian Navy and Coast Guard including 531 women officers.
INA has a present strength of 963 trainees including 44 women trainees and 26 trainees from friendly foreign countries.
