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My divisional officers

As cadets the Divisional officers have a tremendous impact on our personality and training . Since it is initial training they play a major role in shaping us as an officer . They are our mentors, guides and Gurus. More so because it is a new world which we enter and the relationship with the…

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Training on big ship Amba

We cadets  sailed on INS Amba somewhere in April 1981 from Bombay for our sea training as our ship Mysore was tied along side and was sailing no more.  Getting Acquainted  Amba( A 54) was a ‘Submarine Depot’ ship and was acquired from Soviet Union. It’s main role was logistics support to the submarines as…

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Boxing day!

As cadets in Naval Academy Kochi in 1980 among our various activities there was ‘Boxing’ too. ‘Novices Boxing’ was held somewhere in the middle of the term by which time we all were well grooved in the training system. All cadets were to participate and practice and preparation commenced in full flow for a week…

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What binds the Navy?

What is it that binds the Navy as an integrated service and a formidable Arm of the Armed Forces? What is the glue which has held her so well since its inception and rise as the guardian of our Seas, our Ambassador to the world and our insurer of economic independence through the sea routes?  …

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Sailing on sail ship Varuna

The first sail ship of our modern Indian Navy INSV Varuna was commissioned in April 1981 and was berthed alongside INSMysore our Training ship in Mumbai. The purpose of having a sail ship was to instil a spirit of adventure, to remain connected to our roots and to imbibe the fundamentals of sailing among Naval…

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Sailing on sail ship Varuna

The first sail ship of our modern Indian Navy INSV Varuna was commissioned in April 1981 and was berthed alongside INSMysore our Training ship in Mumbai. The purpose of having a sail ship was to instil a spirit of adventure, to remain connected to our roots and to imbibe the fundamentals of sailing among Naval…

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Naval leadership lessons

Naval leadership lessons are less in classrooms and more demonstrative at work! More action-oriented and less sermonising. It shows more than it says and therefore is simpler to understand, imbibe and follow. There are leadership schools for officers and senior sailors, and military leadership and modern leadership lessons are imparted to all at various stages….

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Cadet training on Warship Mysore

We passed out of Naval Academy Kochi in December 1980 and left on vacation to our homes. I had started liking the bounty of nature and its serenity and we were to return to Kochi on a number of occasions during our career, being the Training Command. For our second phase of afloat training, we…

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Holding my father’s fingers

My father would sometimes take me out with him when I was growing up. Perhaps in earlier times, this was a common practice. However, these are ‘digital times’ where emotions have been kept in the backburner. What was the reason for him to do so? Maybe to show the world outside or just an outing,…

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Student politics

The recent elections in Jawaharlal University Delhi were in the news. How Left and Right ideologies clashed and the election were contested intensely as ever. I was immediately reminded of my days in the University of Allahabad in the late seventies where I had an engrossing peripheral view of the ‘student Politics’ of those days…

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