Passing Out Parade 2025 at OTA Chennai: A Journey of Honour, Courage, and Legacy
Every soldier has a story. At the Officers Training Academy (OTA) located in Chennai, it's a story of discipline, sacrifice, and unfailing commitment to nation-building. The Passing Out Parade (POP) is more than just another military event; it is the point at which cadets become officers, committed to serving their lives for India.
In 2025, it was announced that the historic grounds of OTA Chennai would host this emotional and grand ceremony again. For the youth of the 120th Short Service Commission Course and the 34th Women’s Course, the POP was the capstone to a year of unrelenting training, tough schedules and many sessions of sweat and perseverance.
The Colours of the Academy: Symbols of Sacrifice
In the month of August 1990, Late Shri R. Venkataraman, the President of India then, presented the Academy Colours to OTA Chennai. It was the highest form of honour for the courage, dedication, and loyalty shown by the Academy's alumni. The colours themselves have great symbolic value. The French Grey represents the strength of steel, while the Blood Red background reflects the will to sacrifice. Thus, together they personify what is finest and most honourable in a soldier’s life. As the parade unfolded in 2025, these colours stood tall on the drill square, reminding everyone present of the countless officers who have carried the academy’s spirit into battlefields across the world.
The Grandeur of the Parade
At the start of the POP, the traditional Marker’s Call was played, then the contingents came in. Through the famous gates of the OTA came the smartly dressed cadets, heads high, steps in perfect time, hearts full of pride.
The parade was led by Academy Adjutant Raj Biswas, and Raj was an exceptional cadet when he successfully received the Sword of Honour. Every company representing a contingent was named after historical battlefields in which Indian soldiers displayed such immense valour, such as Medilla, Jessami, Zojila, Fiora, Kohima, and Nowshera.
These names we chose with great care. They are daily tributes to the cadets of past soldiers who gave so much for what we have today. As the cadets of Kohima Company passed by, one almost heard the voices of the famous Kohima epitaph.
“When you go home, tell them about us and that for your tomorrow we gave our today.”
Distinguished Dignitaries and Reviewing Officer
Of all people, the Reviewing Officer of the 2025 POP was the Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Chief of Air Staff, a four-decade veteran of the Indian Air Force and still a flying officer with over 5000 hrs on fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter and fighter planes. His presence confirmed to all the promise of a coming together of India's armed forces.
Also gracing the occasion were:
- Lt. Gen. Michael Anthony Jude Fernandez, AVSM, VSM, Commandant of OTA Chennai.
- Maj. Gen. S. Murasin, VSM, Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor.
- A host of proud parents, veterans, and distinguished guests.
Their presence felt greatly for the cadets, the academy and the nation.
Awards: Honouring the Best of the Best
Tradition and excellence go hand in hand at OTA. The POP is also the moment when the academy recognises those who stood out during training:
- Sword of Honour & OTA Silver Medal: Academy Cadet Adjutant Raj Biswas
- OTA Gold Medal: Academy Under Officer Parul Dadwal
- OTA Bronze Medal: Battalion Under Officer Pranjal Tikshit
- Best Foreign Officer Cadet: Junior Under Officer Sam Kilis Patunia Nissini from Eswatini
- Chief of Army Staff Banner (Champion Company): Medilla Company
Each award has great prestige. For example, the Sword of Honour is given to the best all-round cadet for display of leadership, endurance and excellence.
A Legacy of Bravery
The OTA is more than a training ground. It is a breeding ground of heroes. Its graduates have brought great pride to the nation through acts of bravery in conventional wars and in counter-insurgency operations.
The academy’s officers have won:
- 1 Param Vir Chakra
- 8 Ashok Chakras
- 10 Mahavir Chakras
- 23 Kirti Chakras
- 63 Vir Chakras
- 120 Shaurya Chakras
- 589 Sena Medals
Names like Major Mukund Varadarajan (Ashok Chakra), Lt. Navdeep Singh (Ashok Chakra), and Colonel Munindra Nath Rai (Shaurya Chakra) are etched forever in India’s military history. These bravehearts’ stories inspire each cadet to pass through the OTA gates.
The Emotional Farewell
At the core of the parade was the Final Slow March. To the sombre tune of Auld Lang Syne, cadets took their last steps on the drill square of the OTA. That was a farewell not only to the academy, but also to a year which had formed their identity.
Over the skies went a group of Chetak helicopters from the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard, which flew by to pay an aerial tribute to the graduating cadets. That scene was too much for the spectators' parents in tears, instructors full of pride, and cadets resolved to live up to the honour.
Words That Inspire: Reviewing the Officer’s Address
In his heartfelt speech, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh told the cadets that the uniform they are in is not for privilege but responsibility.
He emphasised:
- Leadership with integrity and compassion: “Your soldiers’ welfare comes before your own comfort.”
- Adaptability in modern warfare: “The battlefield is evolving. You must continuously train and retrain.”
- Moral courage: The strength to do what is right when no one is watching is what makes a true leader.
- Jointness among services: “No service operates in isolation. Success comes from synergy.”
His words resonated deeply, setting the tone for the cadets’ future journey as leaders of the Indian Army.
A New Chapter Begins
The Passing Out Parade is not an end. It is a beginning. For the cadets who once entered OTA as raw civilians, this day marks their transformation into officers ready to take charge at the nation’s borders, be it the icy heights of the Himalayas, the scorching deserts of Rajasthan, or the dense jungles of the Northeast.
Their shoulders now carry the weight of responsibility. Their swords gleam not just with steel, but with the values of honour, duty, and courage.
Conclusion
In 2025, OTA Chennai saw the Passing Out Parade, which was more than a ritual; it was a fest of India’s unbroken military legacy. With roots in history and a focus on the future, the young officers left the academy, out to lead the charge.
As Shakespeare once wrote,
“Upon your sword sits laurel and victory,
And smooth success be strewn before your feet.”
For these freshly commissioned junior officers, the adventure has only just begun. With pride in their hearts and responsibility in their minds, they are heading into the unknown where the honour of the nation now rests on them.
Jai Hind!
