Date:18/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/18/stories/2007031818260400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Two cadets bag top honours at OTA passing out parade

K. Manikandan

One is a son of a soldier who died during the IPKF's operation in Sri Lanka

WINNERS: Lt.-Gen. Adithya Singh, GOC-in-C, Southern Command, greeting Lt. Shyam Sundar Bisht and Lt. Anupreksha Rawat who won top honours at the passing out parade of the Officers Training Academy on Saturday. — PHOTO: A. Muralitharan

TAMBARAM: Shyam Sundar Bisht, son of a soldier martyred during the Indian Peace Keeping Force's operation in Sri Lanka in 1988, received top honours at the passing out parade at the Officers Training Academy here on Saturday.

He bagged both the Sword of Honour for best all round gentleman cadet and the Gold Medal for standing first in the order of merit.

"I was three years old when my father was killed," said Lieutenant S.S. Bisht, who hails from Chamoli in Uttarakhand. His father, Rifleman Balwant Singh Bisht, was in the 16 Garhwal Regiment. The young officer too will join it.

His mother Leela Devi accompanied the officer at the pipping ceremony that followed the parade.

Lieutenant General Adithya Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, congratulated Lt. Bisht on his achievement.

Lt. Bisht studied at the Army School in Chhail, Shimla and graduated from Rajhans College, Delhi. Joining the Indian Army was his life's ambition, he said.

Lt. Anupreksha Rawat from Delhi, who bagged both the gold and silver medals among the lady cadets, said she never worked with the sole objective of winning the top honours, but did not deny that "there is a charm in getting the medals."

Daughter of Jagmohan Singh Rawat, a civilian employee in the Ministry of Defence, and Shakuntala, a homemaker, Lt. Anupreksha is the eldest of three daughters. The officer, attached with the Signals 33 AD Regiment, has been posted in Hissar. Her family could not make it to the ceremony.

Low representation

Tamil Nadu's representation was low: four gentleman cadets and two lady cadets.

Lt. P.Amarnath of Melur in Madurai attributed the reason to very low levels of awareness among students of the State. An engineering graduate from Madurai Kamaraj University, the young officer said he succeeded in his fourth attempt to join the Army.

Lt. Vijay Manikandan did his schooling in Montfort School, Yercaud and graduation in Coimbatore. Son of a high school teacher in Poonamallee, Lt. Manikandan said his father insisted that he join the Army.

Both the officers from Tamil Nadu were of the opinion that the Armed Forces gave a tremendous opportunity to serve the nation.

Among the 235 cadets who passed out, the maximum number was from Uttar Pradesh with 39, followed by Maharashtra (28), Rajasthan (23), Haryana (19) and Punjab (16). There were seven each from Kerala and Karnataka and three from Andhra Pradesh.