The Indian Naval Academy (INA), which offers various courses ranging from the basic level to the B.Tech. is all set to be a full-fledged institution equipped to accommodate 1,200 cadets as efforts are now on to get the remaining projects under construction completed without any further delay.
The INA which offers academic training that includes four-year B.Tech. course to cadets is now gearing up to become a full-fledged institution with state-of-the-art facilities. The institution that became fully functional with trainee strength of 433 cadets in its inaugural term will be expanded further to accommodate 1,200 cadets with the completion of the ongoing works.
?There was some delay in completing the remaining projects primarily because the construction firms have not been able to complete the project due to various problems, including shortage of workers,? said Vice Admiral Anurag G. Thapliyal, Commandant of the INA.
Interacting with presspersons on the INA campus here on Thursday, he said that in spite of the delay, the INA would have everything ready by 2011. The construction firms should have originally completed the works by December 2009, he said.
The INA located on a vast area totalling 1,027 hectares, including the coastal strip and the undulating hills, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on June, 2009. It has been developed as a national prestigious institution to train naval cadets with special emphasis on fitness, command and leadership and inculcating a spirit of adventure and competition.
Apart from the B.Tech. course, the INA is offering a three-year B.Sc. course in naval sciences and 22-week Naval Officers' Course. At present, there are 498 cadets undergoing training at the INA. Infrastructure facilities on the expansive academy include the headquarters wing, auditorium, parade ground, stadium, aqua-sports complex and a library, among other things.
The syllabus for the four-year training includes naval subjects such as seamanship, navigation, naval value system, meteorology, oceanography and maritime history in addition to main subjects such as mechanical engineering and electronics and communication.
Officers at the INA said importance was being given to practical hands-on training in watermanship, or damage control and fire-fighting. Outdoor training consisting of physical training and swimming is imparted to all trainees. The training schedule gives ample opportunities to trainees to participate in maximum number of troop games and other sports activities, they said adding that inter squadron championships are held regularly.
At present there are four squadrons at the INA, each equipped to accommodate nearly 150 cadets. The academy also gave emphasis to various adventure activities, the officers said. A number of extra-curricular activities were also being conducted with the objective of personality development of the trainees, they said.
The entire infrastructure developed on the INA campus comprises three zones: administration zone, training zone and accommodation zone. The INA headquarters is the heart of the academy. The squadrons are connected to the mess and to the training zone through covered links to ensure that the training is not affected during the rainy season.
The cadets' mess is built to accommodate 900 cadets at a time. The other facilities include an Olympic-size covered swimming pool, large physical training sheds with sports equipment and indoor sports facilities. The entire INA complex has been planned on a various levels as per the lay of the land. The academy is expected to be a township with all associated facilities with a population of 5,000, they said.
