IMA Dehradun

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Introduction

The Indian Military Academy (IMA), located in Dehradun, India, has since 1932 remained an institution that has produced distinguished officers in the Indian Army. It is a symbol of pride to the country. The academy transforms young boys into the army’s future commanders.

Training officers for the Indian Army is the mission of the Indian Military Academy (IMA), one of the country’s oldest military colleges. Located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, it was founded in 1932 on the advice of a military council led by General Sir Philip Chetwode, who would eventually become Field Marshal. IMA Dehradun has grown from a class of forty male cadets in 1932 to a sanctioned capacity of 1,650 today. Trainees go through a program that lasts anything from three to sixteen months, depending on the requirements for admission. Cadets who successfully complete their course at IMA are commissioned as Lieutenants into the army for life.

Situated on 1,400 acres (5.7 km2), the academy is home to several facilities that aid in cadet training, including the Salaria Aquatic Centre, Khetarpal Auditorium, Chetwode Hall, Somnath Stadium, and Hoshiar Singh Gymnasium. In IMA Dehradun, cadets are arranged into regiments consisting of four battalions, each including four companies. The IMA Dehradun warrior code, honor code, and motto all emphasize character development, which is in line with the academy’s purpose to prepare future military commanders of the Indian Army. Cadets engage in a range of sports, outdoor pursuits, physical education, drills, weapons instruction, and leadership development exercises.

History

In order to meet the demands of an armed force devoted to sovereign India, Indian leaders throughout the independence movement realized the necessity for a native military organization. The army’s officer cadre started to become more Indianized in 1901, although this was limited to the elite and they were not permitted to join the regular army after completing their training. The Indian officers were not allowed to be commissioned by the British Raj, nor was native officer training allowed. Natives were not on a par with commissioned British officers in 1905 and could only hold the rank of officer in Indian army. The highest rank that an Indian native soldier could achieve prior to the start of World War I was Subedar, which was a lower rank than Subaltern, the lowest officer level.

After the First World War, Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms allowed 10 Indians annually to attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for officer training. This was in response to the experiences of Indian soldiers in that war, who demonstrated their mettle. The Rashtriya Indian Military College, formerly the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, was established in Dehradun in 1922 to train Indian lads for entrance to Sandhurst. With the appointment of 31 Indian officers to commission, the Army began to become more indianized. Kodandera Madappa Cariappa, the former first commander-in-chief of the Indian Army and second Indian Field Marshal, was one of the commanders commissioned in this initial group.

The British refused to allow the Indian officer cadre to grow in spite of demands. Next, in 1930, at the First Round Table Conference, Indian leaders pressed for the matter. One of the few compromises achieved during the conference ultimately was the creation of an Indian officer training college. Thus, the Indian Military College Committee—which was chaired by Field Marshal Philip Chetwode—recommended in 1931 that an Indian Military Academy be established at Dehradun, with the goal of producing forty commissioned officers every two and a half years after training.

Campus

About 8 kilometers west of Dehradun in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, the academy is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas halves. The academy’s original 206 acres of land were transferred to it along with the Railway Staff College’s existing structures. The total area of the academy is 1,400 acres (5.7 km2).

The IMA Dehradunadministrative headquarters and the centre of academic training are located at the 1930-built Chetwode Hall on Drill Square. There are computer labs, lecture halls, and a cafe there. The Khetarpal Auditorium is located across Drill Square on the other side. With more than 2000 seats, it was opened in 1982.

The Central Library is located in a 1938 addition to the Chetwode Hall, a more recent wing. Aside from multimedia elements, it contains more than 100,000 volumes and subscriptions to hundreds of international publications. Additionally, there are two branch libraries located on the campus that are closer to the cadet barracks.

A beautifully designed six-acre garden surrounds the elegant colonial mansion of the Commandant. It provides a wide-angle picture of the Himalayas silhouetted over the Tonnes River.

Cadets were housed in the Kingsley and Collins Blocks, which made up the GC Quarters in previous years. Several battalions of the IMA Dehradun, which now numbers five, are housed in barracks on the South and East Campus. Located northwest of the university in the Tonnes Valley is the IMA Dehradun helipad.

Sports Facilities

The Somnath Stadium and the Salaria Aquatic Centre are located on the IMA Dehradun South Campus, which was developed in the 1970s. On the South Campus, there are also small arms shooting range and stables housing a stud farm.

There’s a Polo Ground beside the Tonnes River on the North Campus. The Tonnes River’s bends and branches surround the Tonnes Valley, which lies to the campus’s northwest. Apart from battle training, it is utilized for Para-dropping and paragliding.

War Memorial  

In honor of the academy alumni who have lost their lives in the line of duty, the IMA Dehradun War Memorial features columns and pillars made of Dholpur stone. Situated at the heart of the memorial is a bronze statue depicting a gentleman Cadet brandishing a sword and raising his arms in salutation. On November 17, 1999, a few weeks after the Kargil War, Field Marshal Manekshaw dedicated the memorial. Due to their valor, several IMA Dehradun commanders who commanded and participated in the conflict went on to become well-known figures in India. They included eight Maha Vir Chakra awardees and two Param Vir Chakra holders in their ranks.

Cadet life

A trainee is called a Gentleman Cadet upon acceptance into the IMA. This is due, in part, to the academy’s expectation that its graduates will uphold the greatest moral and ethical standards. The academy’s credo, which is taken from Field Marshal Chetwode’s address at the academy’s founding in 1932, is inscribed in the oak paneling at the eastern entrance of Chetwode Hall.

The safety, honor and welfare of your country come first, always and every time.
The honor, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next.
Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time.

The first-year GCs have a variety of backgrounds, varied habits, and varied grooming styles. In order to shape those distinctions and assist them in uniting into a shared identity, the Academy is essential. Engaging in activities with others fosters a sense of community. Every GC is given equal opportunities to develop; they are all allowed to share bread, play together, and receive the same training. No GC is given preferential treatment. This bonding process aids in the development of qualities that contribute significantly to the Army’s officer corps’ unique identity, such as camaraderie, esprit de corps, and oneness.

The future officers are just taught the finer points of life and living, which endows them with a feeling of personal dignity and appreciation for those finer things that set humanity apart from other forms of civilization. A Gentlemen Cadet is urged by IMA Dehradun to honor the Army’s traditions and rituals while also considering the beauty of India’s diversity and secular foundation. In short, the IMA Dehradun environment aids in his development into a well-rounded individual.

The training is an action-packed environment that develops their mental and physical capabilities, ranging from strenuous route marches to photography, art, seminars, term papers, tours, and sports. Within the allotted period, each and every GC is given an equal amount of room to expand. The Academy has a quick and rigorous training schedule.

That it turns into a test of one’s strength and ability and, psychologically speaking, a taste of what the trainees would encounter on the battlefield, where there is no space for error or opportunity for justification, is understandable. Consequently, finishing training is akin to doing a self-evaluation that reawakens and ignites one’s sense of honor, dignity, and self-worth.

Training

Cadets spend year training at the IMA Dehradun, as it is the top defence institute in Dehradun. Trainees chosen through the UPSC’s Combined Defence Services Exam are an exception. After graduating from a non-military college, these cadets serve 1.5 years of training.

Cadets at IMA Dehradun undergo intense training that shapes their physical and mental characteristics and hones their leadership skills in order to prepare them for positions as future military leaders in the Indian Army. The training is centered on leadership development, weapons training, physical training, and drills.

Conclusion

The Indian Military Academy (IMA) trains future commanders sworn to secure the nation’s sovereignty and essence. This institution is an epitome of truth, self-restraint, and diligent performance. Indian Military Academy stands out in the martial history of India by virtue of its rigorous training regimen, an expansive grooming program and a relentless pursuit for the making of superlative officers.

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