36 women cadets among 197 Officers Training Academy pass-outs this year in Chennai

These include six women from Bhutan, two men from Maldives and two men and two women from Tanzania.

Officers celebrate during the passing out ceremony at OTA, Chennai

CHENNAI: On the occasion of the graduation of cadets from the Officers Training Academy, a Veer Nari gallery, a tribute to widows of war heroes, was inaugurated at the Officers Training Academy by Archana Pande, president of the Army Wives Welfare Association and wife of Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande.

The passing out parade, in which 197 cadets, including 36 women cadets, took part was inspected by General Pande.“Gender has no boundaries when it comes to serving the nation,” Pande said in his address. “While training has equipped you to operate on the battlefield, you will have to learn on the job each day,” he said.

Debashree Banerji, who lost her husband Major Subroto Adhicary of the 22 Jat regiment in 2013, said, “Training in OTA is completely different from civilian life. It tears down the facet of personality with which one enters the academy and brings out a stronger, better version of you.”

OTA Chennai trains the widows like any other cadet and passes out as army officers to serve the nation as their husbands did. The Veer Nari gallery displays photographs and life stories of such women.

Navteshwar Singh, son of Maj Harminder Pal Singh of 18 Grenadiers, who died fighting terrorists in a classified operation at Baramulla, recalls how he wanted to follow his father’s footsteps despite his mother’s initial reluctance. This year 12 cadets from foreign countries also completed their training. These include six women from Bhutan, two men from Maldives and two men and two women from Tanzania.