Around 423 officers joined the Indian Army in passing out parade on June 13. The parade of 423 officers that took place at Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun, was reviewed by Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane. Those officers took part in the parade including 90 Gentleman Cadets (GCs) from nine friendly foreign countries.

The event created history and would be remembered for novel reasons, for the rest of the lifetime.

For the first time since its inception, a batch of young offices graduated from the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun on Saturday without their parents watching the passing out parade (POP) due to restrictions for the Covid-19 pandemic.

Samrat Thapa, 22, another newly commissioned officer from Bhopal, said his father cried over the phone while speaking to him after the ceremony.

“My father, who is a serving Colonel in the Indian Army, wanted me to see passing out as an army officer with flying colours. Unfortunately, due to obvious reasons he couldn’t come and cried over the phone when I called him after the ceremony. I consoled him asking him not to cry as from now onwards I will also be wearing the uniform like him,” said Thapa.

Instead, the academy’s officers and their wives played the role of parents for the Gentlemen Cadets (GCs) by putting stars on their shoulders as a symbol of getting commissioned as army officers.

With face masks on, the officers took part in the parade which began at 6 AM.

It also marked the first time it was broadcast on the official YouTube channel of the Army.

The parade also comes in the middle of ongoing tensions with China in eastern Ladakh, which have now been going on for well over a month.