DEHRADUN: Face the challenges with resilience, confidence and vigour, Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh told the 519 cadets who graduated from the Indian Military Academy at a colourful passing-out parade on Saturday.

“As officers, your utmost duty is to provide leadership to the men you command,” said General Singh.

The 519 cadets who passed out today included 469 from India and 50 from friendly countries of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

This time, the maximum number of officers was from Uttar Pradesh (74), followed by Haryana (67), Uttarakhand (29) Bihar (29), Rajasthan (29), Kerala (28), Punjab (28), Maharashtra (24) and Chhattisgarh (23).

The passing-out parade began at the drill square of the IMA with the call of the markers.

General Singh, who joined the function as the reviewing officer, was welcomed by Officiating Commandant of IMA, Major General YS Mahiwal.

The reviewing officers gave away the medals and honours to the graduating cadets of the IMA.

In his address to the cadets, General Singh said he was filled with his own memories of the academy 42 years back as a cadet. He also reminisced the time spent here later in 1986-1987 as a company commander for 15 months.

Later at the south campus of the IMA, the parents of the newly ordained officers removed the covering on the badges to reveal the stars as part of the ‘Pipping’ ceremony.

The IMA which trains cadets to become Army officers was built in Dehradun in 1932 and conducts two passing-out parades a year — in June and December. So far, 56,510 Indian cadets from IMA have become officers while the number of foreign cadets stands at 1,863.