Twelve More AFPI Cadets Become Officers on 12 June

Saturday 12th June 2021 at 6:56 pm

Earned their commission in the Indian Army in the rank of Lt.

S.A.S Nagar: 12th June 2021: (Kartika Singh//Punjab Screen):: 

Twelve AFPI alumni cadets passed out on completion of training at the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun today and earned their commission in the Indian Army in the rank of Lt. The parade was reviewed by Lt Gen RP Singh, Army Commander Western Command. Due to Covid 19 restrictions, parents of the cadets were not invited to witness the parade.

So far 162 cadets from the first eight courses have joined NDA or other service academies and of these 83 have earned their commission in the armed forces. 68 cadets have joined the Army; eight have gone to the Navy and seven to the Air Force. Two more cadets are expected to join the Air Force on 19 June when the passing out Parade of the Air Force Academy is to be held.

These cadets had joined the Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, Mohali in 2015 as part of the Fifth AFPI Course. They joined the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla in 2017 as part of the 138th NDA Course. On completion of three years of rigorous training at NDA they joined the IMA for the final year of service training.

Academy Cadet Adjutant Loveneet Singh distinguished himself by winning the Bronze medal for standing third in the overall order of merit of the passing out course. Loveneet belongs to Jalalabad East and his father Sardar Bhupinder Singh is a farmer. His mother Smt Parveen Kaur is a house wife. He will be joining the 7th Battalion of the Sikh Light Infantry.

In the past cadets of AFPI have distinguished themselves by winning various medals in service academies. Lt Harpreet Singh (Scinde Horse) was awarded the Sword of Honour and Gold medal at the Officer’s Training Academy in Mar 2020 and Lt Gurvansh Singh Gosal (Sikh Regiment) was awarded the Bronze medal at the Indian Military Academy in Dec 2018. Alumni of AFPI who are now officers are earning great laurels in the service of the nation. Capt Vishavdeep Singh who is in the Special Forces was awarded a Sena Medal for gallantry in Jan 2021 and Lt Jasmeet Singh Bamrah, Jak Rif, was awarded the Chief of Defence Staff Commendation Card for operations in Galwan Valley.

Currently three courses are undergoing training at AFPI. The Ninth Course of 39 cadets has completed its two years of training recently. Selected cadets of this course will be joining the NDA shortly once the merit list is released by UPSC. The Tenth Course of 50 cadets is now studying in Class 12 and will be appearing for the NDA entrance exam in Sep this year. The Eleventh Course of 42 cadets has recently joined AFPI and commenced training last month.

Since March last year all training has been in the online mode due to Covid 19. This severe restriction notwithstanding, the Institute has been able to send as many 28 cadets to NDA and other academies during the period Jan 2020 to May 2021.

With effect from this year AFPI has commenced the long awaited Cadet Training Wing programme. This programme envisages reaching out to various selected schools in Punjab for training and motivating students of these schools for joining the armed forces. Over 100 students studying in Class 11 and Class 12 have already enrolled in this new venture which is expected to substantially increase the number of young men joining the armed forces in the years ahead.

An India-led multinational exercise

  Participating in Malabar  

U.S., Australian, Indian and Japanese vessels participate in Malabar, an India-led multinational exercise, in the Arabian Sea, Nov. 17, 2020.

Seminar on motivating students to join Arm

Event organized for Meritorious Students

Ludhiana May 21, 2015: (Punjab Screen Bureau)::

A seminar to educate and motivate the students about joining the Indian Armed Forced was organised at Senior Secondary Residential School for Meritorious Students, Ludhiana today. Col Kanwarpreet Singh Brar (Retd), District Defence Services Welfare Officer, Ludhiana delivered a lecture in which more than 300 students participated.

      The students were educated about all three Indian armed forces- Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy by Col Kanwarpreet Singh Brar (Retd). He urged the students to join armed forces. He informed the audience about the salient features of the army. He spoke about the challenging life, professionalism, unit ethos, secularism and other aspects of the army. Students of the school interacted with Col Brar and asked questions related to different branches of the armed forces.

      Col Kanwarpreet Singh Brar (Retd) also informed that the Punjab government is starting Mai Bhago Armed Forced Preparatory Institute at Mohali, in which 25 girl students will be enrolled every year. He informed that the students taking admission in this institute will get free of cost education of graduation.

      Mr Anup Passi, principal, Senior Secondary Residential School for Meritorious Students, Ludhiana, said that many of their school students are interested in joining the armed forces and this particular seminar would certainly help them in choosing their career.

A Tale of 3 Generations Connected By Heart Surgery

Armed Forces men hate to be tied down

Ludhiana,5th March, 2014: (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria):

Wg Cdr (Retd) HS Bhullar was in a bit of a worry. He had suffered a heart attack and his tests showed that he had severe heart disease with a risk of a further heart attack. He came to DrHarinder Singh Bedi , Head of Cardio Vascular, Thoracic and Endovascular Surgery, CMC College & Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India. And that started a chain of events.

In DrBedi’s words – “Cdr Bhullar walked into my Clinic – ramrod straight – a dignified elderly fit man. I knew immediately that he was from the Armed Forces–you can retire a man from the Armed Forces but you cannot take the Armed Forces culture out of the man. “Doc–I need bypass surgery“he said in a no nonsense way. I went through his records. He had suffered a major heart attack and his angiogram showed critical blocks. His heart functioning was labored. He was a retired Wing Commander (WgCdr) of the Indian Air Force (IAF). “Just fix me up good“– was all he said. No questions about risks, complications etc. His wife–a graceful lady–maintained a brave stoicfront too–though I could make out that she was very worried.”

Cdr Bhullar successfully underwent a bypass surgery .The surgery went well. His heart bounced back to normal. He was ‘fast tracked’ in the ICU. Armed Forces men hate to be tied down. Action and discipline is in their blood. These qualities stay for life – thank God for that!  By Day 1 – he was sitting in a chair reading the paper. Day 2 – he combed his hair and tidied himself up. He had to look smart to the nurses – you see! He went home on the 6th day.

On his 1st post op visit he was smartly turned out (Pic 1). “I tied my turban myself” – he proudly told Dr. Bedi. All systems were good. In Dr.Bedi’s office his eyes alighted on Dr.Bedi’sfather’s (Major retd KMS Bedi) photo (Pic 2). CdrBhullar recollected that he had flown him in his Dakota with a bunch of paratroopers in Dec 1971. Armed forces men (i e Army, Air Force, Navy) have an unwritten code of mutual respect for each other. CdrBhullar was referring to the war of liberation of Bangladesh. Dr.Bedi also recollected that he was in school then in Dehradun and that somehow all children found it fun although he knew that his dad was in the thick of battle. There was curfew in Dehradun, the children dug trenches in school, had mock drills, and had total enforced blackout at night while preparing for final school exams in candle light.

Major (retd) KMS Bediwas a paratrooper (a.k.a – the red devils – because of their maroon turbans / berets) in the SFF of India (the then secret and decorated Establishment 22) and had been parachuted behind enemy lines in Chittagong with his men. They were part of the brave effort by the Indian Army and MuktiBahini in getting the Pakistani forces to surrender. Anyway the WgCdr (then Flt Lt) flew the DC3 popularly called the Dakota which was used in the 1971 war. As per his memory – it was a twin prop piston engine aircraft which could seat 28 fully armed paratroopers. It had a cruising speed of 150 Mph and range of over 1000 miles. Thus it could fly nonstop from Delhi to Bombay! CdrBhullar said that he remembered the sortie where he dropped Major Bediand his troops. Both the Armed Forces men (separated by 25 years in age) waxed nostalgically about the war days.

DrBedi remarked that it was the nice coincidence of heart surgery which had brought these 3 generations together . The other members of the Heart Team involved in the surgery are Dr S Garg, Dr A Joseph, Dr Jedidiah, Dr P Jain, DrArlin, DrAnjali ,DrJesina , Mr William Prem and MrJairus .

DrAbrahan G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – reiterated the commitment of the CMC to serve the Armed Forces who have done so much for safeguarding the integrity of our Country.

A Tale of 3 Generations Connected By Heart Surgery