Indian Military Academy

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Indian Military Academy


caption=Cap Badge of the Indian Military Academy
dates=1932-Present
country=India
branch=Indian Army
command_structure=
type=Training
role=Officer Training
size=1,600 Gentleman Cadets
current_commander=
garrison=Dehradun
ceremonial_chief=
ceremonial_chief_label=Colonel in Chief
colonel_of_the_regiment= Lieutenant General R K Rampal
colonel_of_the_regiment_label=Commandant
nickname=
motto="Valor and Wisdom"
colors=
colors_label=Colours
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=Arm Badge
anniversaries=

The Indian Military Academy is the premier officer training school of the Indian Army.

History

Genesis

In 1932, the Indian Military College was established outside of Dehradun by the Prince of Wales as a feeder school for Indians headed to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, England.

The Montague-Chelmsford Reforms enabled ten Indians to be sent to Sandhurst for training. Later the Round Table Conference in London in 1930 recommended the establishment of an Indian version of Sandhurst. The Government of British India set up a committee to work out the details under the chairmanship of Field Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode, then Commander-in-Chief, India. In July 1931, the committee recommended the setting up an academy for training forty entrants a term ( A term being for 6 months) . The break down of the entrants was 15 direct entrants, 15 from the ranks through Kitchener College, Nowgaon, and 10 from the Princely States.

Inauguration

The Academy became functional from 1 October 1932 with a course strength of 40 Gentlemen Cadets. Brigadier L P Collins, DSO, OBE was the first Commandant. The first course had on its rolls Sam Manekshaw, Smith Dun and Musa Khan. All of them later became the chiefs of the armies of their respective countries; namely India, Burma and Pakistan. The course was christened 'PIONEERS'. The government acquired the estate of the erstwhile Railway College at Dehradun, which had the appropriate buildings and a fairly extensive campus to meet the requirements of the Academy at its birth.

Formal inauguration of the Academy was done at the end of the first term on 10 December 1932. Field Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode, Baronet GCB, OM, GCSI, KCMG, DSO, then Commander-in-Chief of India, after whom the main building and its central hall are named, inaugurated the Academy. The highlight was the inaugural address by Sir Philip Chetwode, which was delivered in the hall now named after him. A passage from his address has been adopted as the Credo of the Academy -"The safety, honour and welfare of your country come first, always and every time.The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next.Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time."

This is known as the Chetwode Motto and is the motto of the officers passing out from the IMA.

1932 To Independence

In 1934, before the first course had passed out, Lord Willingdon, the Viceroy of India, presented the Colours to the Academy on behalf of the Monarch. The parade was commanded by Under-Officer GC Smith Dun. After the start of the World War, there was an increase in the number of entrants and in their categories. Between December 1934 and May 1941, 16 regular courses had passed out and only 524 Gentlemen Cadets were commissioned, against 3,887 cadets between August 1941 and January 1946.

In order to grow additional land was brought into use and a large number of temporary structures were built, which continue to be used to this day. The two earliest residential blocks were named after the first two Commandants, Brigadiers Collins and Kingsley.

The first regular postwar course commenced on 25 February 1946. After Independence Brigadier Thakur Mahadeo Singh, DSO, was the first Indian Commandant. In May 1947, the Academy was visited by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. At the time of Independence the movable property of the Academy were divided between India and Pakistan. The Gentlemen Cadets who opted to go to Pakistan, left the Academy on the night of 14 October 1947. The first two generations of the officers of the Pakistan Army are products of the Indian Military Academy.

1947 To Silver Jubilee (1957)

On 9 October 1948, the Academy received the first Indian Governor-General, His Excellency C. Rajagopalachari, and on 9 December Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister reviewed the Passing Out Parade of the first University Graduates Course.

Armed Forces Academy

During the Second World War, the inter-dependence between the three services had been realised. The Government of India, therefore, approved the creation of an Inter-Services Wing for training cadets for the Army, the Navy and the Air Force together. Thus, in January 1949, the Academy was redesignated the Armed Forces Academy, with the military wing remaining on the present campus at Prem Nagar and the Inter-Services Wing established at Clement Town. The rank of the Commandant was upgraded from that of Brigadier to Major General.

= National Defence Academy=

In consonance with national aspirations, the Indian Military Academy was redesignated the National Defence Academy in January 1950. The Inter-Services Wing became Joint Services Wing (JSW). The first JSW Course passed out in December 1950.

Existence as Military College

In December 1954, the Joint Services Wing moved to an entirely new campus at Khadakwasla, and along with it went its name, formation sign and the Commandant. The Indian Military Academy (then renamed the Military College) recovered its original identity and role. Brigadier Apji Randhir Singh took over as Commandant.At the end of 1956, the command of the Indian Military Academy passed from Sandhurst-trained officers to IMA-trained officers, when Brigadier M M Khanna, MVC, took over from Brigadier Apji Randhir Singh. On 10 December 1957, the Military College celebrated its Silver Jubilee which was attended by a large number of veterans.

Silver Jubilee to Golden Jubilee (1982) and name change to IMA

In 1960, the Military College was renamed the Indian Military Academy. On 10 December 1962, the second President of the Republic of India, Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, presented new colours to the Indian Military Academy.

In 1963, the rank of the Commandant was again upgraded to Major General and Major General S C Pandit, VrC, took over. In 1963, due to Chinese aggression, the duration of training for regular courses was cut short and emergency courses were introduced. New accommodation was built in the Rangharwala area and on the bank of the River Tons. In August 1964, emergency courses were discontinued and regular courses reintroduced. The last emergency course passed out on 1 November 1964.

In 1974, the qualification requirement for entry to IMA for Regular Courses was raised to University degree level and the duration of training was reduced from two years to one and a half years for Direct Entry Gentleman Cadets. The four battalions of IMA were named Cariappa Battalion, Thimayya Battalion, Manekshaw Battalion and Bhagat Battalion respectively with two companies each.

Presentation of colours by Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, President of India

The fifth President of India, Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, presented new colours to IMA as a mark of appreciation. He Placed the colours into the sash of Gentlemen Cadet Senior Under Officer D S Hooda.

In 1977, the Army Cadet College (ACC), the progeny of Kitchner College, Nowgaon, which took candidates from Other Ranks and NCO's of the Indian Army who cleared base exams to qualify for the officer course, was shifted from Pune to the IMA, Dehradun. In 1980, the rank of the Commandant was upgraded to Lieutenant General and Lieutenant General M Thomas, AVSM, VSM took over as the Commandant in December 1980. The appointment of Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor was also upgraded to the rank of Major General in July 1982 when Major General Pannu was appointed with this rank. Later, other upgrades included the appointments of Commander ACC Wing and the Head of the Academic Department as Brigadiers.

Golden Jubilee Celebrations

From Brigadier L P Collins, CB, DSO, OBE, ADC, to Lieutenant General Mathew Thomas, AVSM, VSM, was a journey of 50 years for the Indian Military Academy. Some of those who were reviewed as GCs by Sir Philip Chetwode, the then Commander-in-Chief India, came for the Golden Jubilee celebrations. They witnessed the Golden Jubilee Parade of 500 Gentlemen Cadets reviewed by the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi. 1982 was also the year when the IMA expedition to Mounts Kamet (25,447 ft) and Abi Gamin (24,130 ft) was successfully accomplished. The team was led by Brigadier Jagjit Singh, AVSM (Bar), VSM, ably supported by Captains Bhupinder Singh and D B Thapa.

A part of the celebration was the presentation of the pistol of Lieutenant General A A K Niazi (Commander, erstwhile East Pakistan Forces, Dhaka) by Lieutenant General J S Aurora, PVSM (Retd). The pistol was presented to the Commandant to be kept in the IMA Museum.

Diamond Jubilee (1992) and Thereafter

The President of India, Shri R. Venkataraman, reviewed the Passing Out Parade of the 90th Regular and 73rd Technical Graduates Courses of the IMA in the Diamond Jubilee year.

The scale of the Academy's operations can be gauged from the fact that over 50,000 cadets have received commissions. This is a figure much higher than that of older Academies like Duntroon, Australia.

Historically speaking, the Indian Military Academy is the archetypal military institution of the Indian subcontinent, being the first training institute of its kind in the region.

IMA completed 75 years on 01.10.2007.

**See the IMA film, "Making of a Warrior" by Dipti Bhalla & Kunal Verma

tructure

The cadets are divided into 4 training battalions, and each battalion has 3 or 4 companies each, taking the number of companies to 15 in total.

Battalions and Companies

*Cariappa Battalion comprising:Kohima Company:Naushera Company:Poonch Company:Hazipir Company
*Thimayya Battalion comprising:Alamein Company:Meiktila Company:Dograi Company
*Manekshaw Battalion comprising:Imphal Company:Zojila Company: [http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/History/1971War/Garibpur.html| Jessore] Company: [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-21Ba-c12.html| Sangro] Company
*Bhagat Battalion comprising:Singarh Company: [http://www.nharnet.com/Editorials/TodayinEriHistory/erit1941_033104.htm| Keren] Company:Cassino Company:Basantar Company

The names of the Battalions are based on Generals and Commandants of the Indian Army, the Company names are based upon the battles that the Indian army has been a part of.Some of the battles (Kohima, Imphal, Cassino and Alamein) are from the British Indian Army days. Singarh is an exception as it refers to an earlier battle.

Overall the I.M.A is headed by a Commandant, who has a Deputy Commandant to assist him and a Head of Academics Department (H.A.D) to help with the classroom training.

In 1980, the appointment of commandant was upgraded to the rank of Lieutenant General

External links

* [http://indianarmy.nic.in/arimamain.htm Indian Military Academy website]
* [http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Print%20Size/3.54%20X%202.5/CHETWODE%20BLDG Chetwode Hall]
* [http://mod.nic.in/samachar/dec15-20/html/ch4.htm| Article on IMA]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDQIxnckaoY Making of a soldier-video]