GUARD OF HONOUR: Southern Naval Command Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Rajender Singh receiving the guard of honour at a passing-out parade at the Naval Academy at Ezhimala in Kannur on Saturday.

EZHIMALA (KANNUR): Southern Naval Command Chief Rear Admiral Rajender Singh has said the economic well-being and future prosperity of the country depended on Indian Navy's ability to safeguard national interests at sea.

Addressing the passing out parade of cadets of the third Naval Orientation Course at the INS Zamorin at the Naval Academy here on Saturday, Admiral Singh urged the cadets to keep in mind the national interests, as 90 per cent of India's trade was maritime. The country also had tremendous natural resources to be protected at sea, he added.

Stating that the Indian Navy was entrusted with the job of ensuring peace and stability around the country, Admiral Singh said the Navy was in the process of transformation. This was part of the Navy's efforts to be at par with the most technologically advanced navies of the world. The Indian Navy had an important role to play in the process of assimilating the advanced technologies, he added.

He emphasised the importance of trust in the functioning of the force. "The cadets should fight as a team and should have profound concern for and knowledge of the men they command," Admiral Singh said.

A total 92 trainees, including 87 Sub Lieutenants of Technical, logistics and education branches, passed out on completion of the 16-week course that had commenced on August 7. There were 17 women cadets.

Commanding Officer of INS Zamorin and Academy Station Commander Commodore K. Sivakumar administered the oath of allegiance to the cadets. The Chief of Naval Staff Trophy was awarded to Cadet Sumeet Kumar Suhag for standing first in the Overall Order of Merit. The trophy for the best woman trainee was awarded to Sub Lieutenant Rashmi Pannu.

A press release issued as part of the function said the Naval Academy being set up here was scheduled to be complete by the end of 2008. The academy was set to be the biggest Naval training establishment in Asia with state-of-the-art facilities, it said.

The parade was followed by `shipping the stripe ceremony' in which parents of the cadets placed the stripes of Sub Lieutenant, on the shoulders of their children. On completion of the training here, the cadets would proceed for short attachments on board frontline ships of the Navy followed by specialised training in various fields for which they were selected.

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