The Hindu : Kerala News : Academy par excellence: The dedication of the Naval Academy to the nation is a dream come true for the Navy.

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Thursday, Jan 08, 2009
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Academy par excellence: The dedication of the Naval Academy to the nation is a dream come true for the Navy.

The facilities being developed here beautifully synthesizes the intricacies of complicated structural designs with traditional local architecture and modern amenities. The buildings completely blend with the abundant greenery of the gentle hill features of Ezhimala.

The Indian Navy’s prestigious Naval Academy at Ezhimala regarded as the biggest officers’ training institution in Asia will be dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on 8th January 2009. The world-class project worth over Rs.720 crore, surrounded by a picturesque seven kilometers-long stretch of beach and by seven hills, is unique in many ways and is located in Kerala’s north Malabar coastline.

The institution is now all set to commence various basic training programmes including four year B.Tech in Electronics and Communications and Mechanical Engineering in June for all newly inducted trainee officers. The courses, recognised by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) have been structured with the help of Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Many friendly overseas naval powers including Japan and Korea have evinced interest to join the training programmes at Ezhimala.

The academic curriculum is tailored to keep pace with the technological advancement. The academy will also condition the young aspirants with mental and physical attributes enabling them to exercise self-discipline, perform efficiently under stress, think and react quickly and develop leadership qualities.

Set up at the foot of seven hills of which 260 metre high Mount Dilli is the tallest, the sprawling Academy is spread over an area of 2,452 acres with a perimeter of 22km of which seven kilometre stretch is beach.

The serene Kavvayi backwaters forms part of the Academy which also has Ezhimala, the place where the Academy is located and has derived its name from the Malayalam word ‘Ezhu Mala’ which means seven hills.The Academy comprises of the state of the art training and administrative infrastructure.

The facilities being developed here beautifully synthesizes the intricacies of complicated structural designs with traditional local architecture and modern amenities.

The buildings completely blend with the abundant greenery of the gentle hill features of Ezhimala. As such, the serene ghats of the breathtaking coastline of the Malabar is witnessing a furious pace of construction activity, as the Naval Academy, one of the premier defence establishments of the country, takes shape amidst some of the most beautiful landscapes.

The prominent facilities being developed in the Academy include an extremely eye- catching trainees’ accommodation and mess complex and other administrative facilities for various staff, such of accommodation, messes and institutes for sailors and officers. The complex also has the proud privilege of having the highest flag mast in the country, which stands majestically at a height of 45 m in the main parade ground. Various world class sports and other training facilities are also being developed.

Interestingly most of these facilities are being developed by a Kerala based builder, M/s RDS Project Ltd. The project has been successfully completed in spite of several adversities such as difficult climatic and terrain conditions, shortage of labour and remoteness of the area. All this, because of dynamic leadership of the Chief Engineer, Naval Academy & Director General, Naval Academy, who are co-ordinating all the activities in the Academy.

The Academy is now in the final stages of completion and is scheduled for inauguration by the Honourable Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh on 8th January 2009.

Inaugural ceremony being planned for the occasion will indeed be a befitting finale to the fulfilment of a long cherished dream of the people of Malabar and also a tribute to extra ordinary efforts of the project team in developing an institution symbolic of India’s growing might and significance in the global scenario.

- Sunil

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