‘Have they managed to destroy NDA we knew and loved so deeply?’

Victory India is a compilation of veteran officers' views on selection and training in military Academies

When we first heard of this (alleged recruitment scam of class IV employees) disaster at the NDA, it left us dumbfounded. The first reaction of most alumni was that this could not be true... Have they finally managed to destroy the NDA we knew and loved so deeply?" Maj Gen (Retd) G D Bakshi, military analyst, posed this question in his essay titled Destruction of National Defence Academy (NDA), his alma mater that he fondly remembers as Temple of Mars.

Bakshi's essay is one of many such views and recommendations by veteran tri-services' officers towards betterment of training at premiere training institutions in the country that have been compiled in the book Victory India by city-based Colonel (Rtd) Vinay B Dalvi.

The book was released by Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, Chief of Air Staff and Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) at Air HQ, New Delhi on Tuesday.

The 300-page book is an outcome of views expressed by about 20 authors — former commandants of the NDA, OTA a DGMT, Chief of Naval Staff, SSB psychologist, lecturers and faculty at the NDA. It is a constructive criticism on the state of affairs pertaining to selection and training of officers at the NDA, Indian Military Academy (IMA), Naval and Air Force Academies and the Officers Training Academy (OTA). And what weaves the views together is immense concern towards the state of affairs of military training in the country — most importantly the NDA.

In his essay NDA at crossroads — realist dilemma, Admiral S C S Bangara, former FOC-in-C, Southern Naval Command and former commandant, NDA, throws light on his much talked about Vision 2020-NDA and problems, solutions and what remained unaddressed due to procedural and bureaucratic delays.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Apex court rejects petition, traders to continue stir

NDA vice-principal resigns, says nothing to do with row

WB-assisted centres of excellence a matter of honour, says CoEP

Collector takes stock, serves notice on over 500 traders