Prime Minister Inaugurates Indian Naval Academy
The Indian Navy crossed crossed a significant milestone today when Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala was inaugurated by the Prime Minister here. Located in Kannur district of Kerala, this Academy will not only be the premier officer training establishment of the Indian Navy, but also would be the largest Naval Academy in Asia. Commencing June 2009, all officers inducted into the Indian Navy under various schemes will undergo basic training at this Academy. The inaugural function was also attended by the Defence Minister and the Chief Minister of Kerala. The Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta presided over the ceremony. Earlier, the Prime Minister inspected a Guard of honour and released a Special Cover on the occasion.
In his inaugural address the honourable Prime Minister reminded the audience that Naval Power is not just about war fighting but also about diplomacy, commerce and energy security among other things. In the light of recent events at Mumbai, the Prime Minster exhorted the Indian Navy and Coast Guard to ensure co ordinated action against threats from the sea. Dr Manmohan Singh also reminded the audience about competitive forces operating in the region and exhorted the Navy to be the preeminent maritime power of this region. He also spoke about the requirement of re adjusting military preparedness and promised Navy the best of hardware to fulfill its increasing role.
The Indian Naval Academy would function under the Southern Naval Command based at Kochi headed by Vice Admiral Sunil K Damle. The Project Management Authority which was entrusted with the planning and execution of the Naval Academy is headed by Commodore TK Ashokan. The complex civil works under difficult conditions were executed under the able guidance of Brigadier Sunil V Gopande and his team from the Indian Army's Corps of Engineers.
The Academy covers an area of 2452 acres along the North Malabar coastline including the Kavvayi backwaters where watermanship training would be conducted. The academy would have state of the art classrooms, laboratories and workshops, a well stocked library and a modern auditorium. Physical fitness training facilities include indoor swimming and diving pools, athletics track and stadium, a variety of play fields and courts, a firing range and a waterman ship training centre. A comprehensive IT network interconnecting various facilities is also being set up.
Whilst Naval Orientation Courses are being conducted at Ezhimala since 2005, full fledged training will commence from June 2009.The Academy would be conducting a four year B Tech programme for all newly inducted trainees. Courses would be offered in Electronics and Communications and Mechanical Engineering. The syllabus and the curriculum has been drafted keeping in mind the current technical advancements and the skill sets that will be required in handling the future acquisitions of the Indian Navy. Naval Orientation Courses of 20 weeks duration for other direct entry scheme (after graduation) in various branches will also be conducted here. The total envisaged strength of the Academy in June 2009 would be approximately 450 trainees which would progressively increase to about 1100 trainees by 2013. This would include officer trainees from the Indian Coast Guard and friendly foreign countries.
The Naval Academy will be manned by a mix of uniformed and civilian personnel for conduct of training and other administrative support functions. There would be 161 officers, 47 professors/ lecturers, 502 sailors and 557 civilians. Along with the families of staff, the campus would have a population of about 4000. A well designed township would provide living spaces for these personnel.
NKS/PRR
(Release ID :46467)