Armed forces academy opens in Fatehgarh Sahib

Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, April 4

Lt Gen KJ Singh, GOC-in-C Western Command, inaugurated the armed forces preparatory academy at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College here today.

Lauding the SGPC for starting such an academy, Lt Gen Singh announced that the Western Command and 38 Armed core Patiala would have their respective trophies in Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Armed Forces Preparatory Academy.

He urged the students to get inspired from the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh as he was the role model of sacrifice, sense of humility and character building. He added that Baba Banda Singh Bahadur on whose name this academy had been named was a General who could inspire a lot of people.

Lt Gen Singh said earlier there were 4,000 officers in the Army out of 24,000 in the country. He rued that at present there were only 1,000 officers in the Army while the total number of officers had gone up to 38,000. He said two academies — Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Mai Bhago Academies — have been started by the state government.

The institute, which is expected to function as a counterpart to the existing Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute for Men in Mohali, envisages a two-year programme, wherein besides pursuing academics, students would be equipped with skills required to become officers in the Army, Navy and the Air Force.

For the inaugural batch, the academy has shortlisted 60 students from nearly 572 who had applied for admission.

SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar, Political Advisor to Chief Minister Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal and college Principal Maj Gen Dr GS Lamba (retd) addressed the gathering.