By Our Special Correspodent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, May 9: After hosting 78 naval batches over 23 years, India’s leading naval training academy, INS Mandovi, today had the last passing out parade passing on the baton to Ezhimala in Kerala.
 
The academy labeled as vital officers’ training academy for Indian navy was established in 1986 and since then have been a major trainer for Indian Navy, whose most of the officers on ship are trained here.
 
“INS Mandovi has done a magnificent job of conducting ab-initio training of our officer cadets for over 23 years. I am sure that every officer who has passed out from this great institution, will look back on today as the end of era,” Vice Admiral S K Damle, Flag officer commanding southern naval command, said addressing a passing out parade, this morning.
 
One hundred and five officer cadre trainees passed out from the academy today, which made the last batch to be trained at this academy, tucked on the hillock overlooking Panaji city.
 
“The only thing that is permanent in life is change and thus it is only befitting that the baton of officers training passes on to Ezhimala from now on,” the Vice Admiral said.
 
The Kerala-based academy was inaugurated in January this year by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The new academy is spread over 2,800 acres of land as against the existing Goa academy of 300 acres.
 
Talking to reporters after the passing out parade, Vice Admiral Damle said that INS Mandovi will host higher seat of learnings after shifting of naval academy from here.
 
“The Indian navy has plans to bring in higher seat of learning here. At the moment this was only a basic training,” he said.
 
The vice admiral said that the commissioning of new schools will take little time as the infrastructure required for the same is being developed.
 
“We have to develop the infrastructure; college of naval warfare will come here, the flag officer who actually develops concepts and doctrines, he is also supposed to shift here.  Till the infrastructure is in place we have immediately taken steps to shift the regulating school which trains our naval policemen we also are going to shift our physical training school which was presently operating from Cochin,” he said.
 
Vice Admiral Damle said that over the period INS Mandovi will get importance as high level thinking place.