IMA proposes to increase capacity to 2,400 cadets from next year

Dehradun - The Indian Military Academy has the capacity to train 1,650 gentlemen cadets but is presently training about 1,800 cadets. This number is proposed to be increased to 2,400 cadets next year to meet the shortage of officers in the Indian Army though the proposal is awaiting sanction from higher authorities.

The IMA commandant Lt Gen Manvender Singh said this while addressing the media on the eve of the passing out parade of the spring term-2012. The chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma will be the reviewing officer of the PoP on Saturday. Of the 678 gentlemen cadets passing out on Saturday, 21 are foreign gentlemen cadets.

The commandant said that the academy has been in the business of getting officers commissioned in the Indian Army for 80 years with 51,661 officers being commissioned in the Army through the IMA so far.

The number of officers commissioned through the academy will increase to 52,318 with the passing out parade on Saturday. About 2,000 JCOs, Jawans and civilian staff also play a crucial role behind the scenes in the training of the GCs, said the commandant. “We have stabilised the training system in the academy which has made it an institution of vital importance for the nation and also elicited regard from across the world due to which citizens of various countries still come here to learn and develop into officer quality material. Officers from IMA have contributed immensely to the nation with 823 of them attaining martyrdom so far in the service of the nation.”

Referring to the shortage of officers in the Army, he said that since the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission and opening of the Officers Training Academy in Gaya the shortage of officers has been somewhat lessened. “From next year the academy also proposes to increase its capacity to 2,400 cadets though this proposal is awaiting approval.

In the IMA, physical fitness, academic-technological aspects and qualities which make an officer are the main focus of the training. There has been some change in the content of subjects taught in the academy during the past six months.

We have replaced study of foreign battles like the Israeli war with battles fought in our sub-continent which are historically and geographically more important than foreign wars. The training is also more technology oriented now,” he added.

Replying to a question on foreign gentlemen cadets the commandant said, “There are presently 147 FGCs in the academy with many of them from Islamic nations. The academy takes all necessary measures to ensure that their religious beliefs are not violated during training. However, we have restricted internet access for all GCs because after 18 hours of daily training, we don’t want them to waste time on the internet though we also keep them updated of latest developments. The GCs are banned from using social networking sites and I hope that none of them is violating this prohibition,” he added.

Stressing that the academy makes no compromise in the training, the commandant said that three GCs had been relegated this year for various reasons.