It is a tradition of the Indian Military Academy (IMA) the instructors of the Gentlemen Cadets (GC) offer the first salute to the GCs after they receive commission in the Indian Army. The instructors, most of whom are Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO), are drawn from different regiments of the Indian Army.
A gleam of satisfaction in the eyes and benign smile on otherwise grim visages of the instructors was clearly visible during the peeping ceremony of the GCs. One of the Drill Instructors said, “For the families and GCs, it is a special moment. But for us too, these moments are worth keeping in fond remembrance. We bear witness to the complete transformation that the cadets have undergone during their stay in the academy. We feel proud of being part of the transformation process which converts a college- going student to a fine young officer.’’
Another instructor confided that the GCs from the NDA and ACC background rise up to the challenge of the rigorous training schedule easily. The training of these cadets (Ex-NDA. Ex ACC) is for a period of one year while for others it is for one and half year.
The young officers too appreciate the role played by these instructors in shaping their career. “The instructors of the IMA are inspiration incarnate. They are really hard task masters. But we learn a lot from them,’’ said one of a GC.
The instructors are selected by an elaborate process. The IMA has a drill course for the instructors and the three to four selected candidates from each regiment are sent for this course. After the completion of this course, the instructors are placed for a period of three years in the prestigious training academy. After transfer from IMA, services of these trainers are taken in by their respective regiments at regimental training centres. The IMA has Drill Instructors (DI), Physical Instructors (PI), Weapon Instructors (WI) and Field Instructors (FI).