The Hon’ble President of India and the Supreme Commander of Indian Armed Forces, Shri Ram Nath Kovind will award the President’s Colour to Indian Naval Academy on Wednesday, 20 November 2019. The President’s Colour is the highest honour that is bestowed upon a military unit.
Before India became a Republic, the Military Custom was to parade the King’s Colours – a regimental flag, on special ceremonial occasions. On 27 February 1951, the Commander in Chief of the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Sir Edward Parry wrote to the Defence Minister that “It would be a privilege of which the service would be extremely proud, if the President would honour the Indian Navy by presenting it, a special flag which would be paraded on important occasions in a ceremonial parade”. Following this, Indian Navy became the first amongst the three services to be presented with the President’s Colour on 27 May 1951 by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of India. The President’s Colour has thus far in the Indian Navy been awarded to Southern Naval Command, Eastern Naval Command, Western Naval Command, Western Fleet, Eastern Fleet and the Submarine Arm.
Award of the President’s Colour to Indian Naval Academy is a recognition of the yeoman service rendered by the institution in training and shaping Indian Naval officers over the last fifty years at three different locations – Kochi, Goa and Ezhimala. The Naval Academy was first established at a temporary location at Kochi in 1969. With the increase in strength of the trainees, the Naval Academy was relocated to INS Mandovi at Goa in 1986. The Indian Naval Academy found its permanent home at Ezhimala, Kerala and was inaugurated on 08 January 2009.
The event on Wednesday, 20 November 2019 will be marked by a parade by the cadets of INA, and will be attended by several dignitaries including the Hon’ble Governor of Kerala, Chief of the Naval Staff, Members of Parliament, State Ministers and Senior Officers of the Indian Navy. A Special Postal Cover will also be released to commemorate the occasion.
