Some days are just about a job. And then there are days like Saturday at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun — where 515 young men and women didn’t just graduate, they became Army officers, and an entire nation’s worth of pride was packed onto one parade ground.
A Parade That Was Really About Families
The IMA’s Spring Term 2026 Passing Out Parade saw 515 officer cadets, including nine women, formally commissioned into the Indian Army on Saturday — and the emotion on the grounds was impossible to miss. In the traditional pipping ceremony, families gathered on the lawns to personally pin the new officer ranks onto the shoulders of their sons and daughters — turning a military ceremony into something far more intimate: generations of sacrifice, finally paying off, in front of everyone who mattered.
The Women Who Are Rewriting the Story
This batch marked a milestone for an institution that has been training Army officers since 1932 — nine women officer cadets were commissioned, a significant moment for the academy.
One of them, Shanan Dhaka, has been posted to eastern Ladakh — one of the most challenging terrains an officer can serve in. “Coming from a military family, joining the Army was not just a career choice but a way of life,” she said, adding that both her father and grandfather served in the Army. Her message to anyone watching from the sidelines? “I would tell everyone to dream big and keep working hard. One day, all your hardwork will pay off and you will achieve what you are aiming for.”
Her father had a message of his own — urging every parent to encourage their daughters to join the armed forces, calling it “a respected profession through which you can serve the country and fulfill your aspirations.”
The Topper Who Dreamed of This Since Childhood
Every passing out parade has its star performer, and this time it was Academy Cadet Adjutant Vishal Kumar, who walked away with both the prestigious Sword of Honour and the Gold Medal for topping the Regular Course. Kumar credited his success to a childhood dream of joining the military, and had a refreshingly simple piece of advice for the next generation: “Morals and leadership by example.”
Right behind him, Academy Under Officer Prince Raj took the Silver Medal for second place, while Senior Under Officer Tejas Bhatt secured the Bronze. And the talent wasn’t limited to the Regular Course — Officer Cadet Hrishabh Mishra earned Silver in the Technical Graduate Course, Officer Cadet Bodh Raj Thapa topped the SCO Course, Officer Cadet Karan Pandey led the TES Course, and Junior Under Officer Zaif Sadid Alvy was named Best Foreign Officer Cadet — finishing first among 34 cadets from 16 friendly nations.
Three Generations, One Uniform
If there’s a story that captures what this day really means, it’s Lieutenant Saurabh Chaudhary’s. Commissioned into the Corps of Engineers and hailing from Bihar, Chaudhary called it “a moment of immense pride and happiness,” adding that the journey had its share of ups and downs — which only made the achievement sweeter.
Watching him take the oath was his father — a serving soldier who couldn’t hold back tears of joy as his only son carried the family legacy forward. “Our family’s third generation is now serving in the Army. My father served in the Army, I am currently serving, and now my son has carried the legacy forward. This is one of the proudest moments of our lives,” he said.
The Family That Just Keeps Enlisting
Then there’s Aryan Gill, commissioned into the 3rd Battalion of the Punjab Regiment — and if anyone needed proof that service runs in the blood, this is it. Gill’s father is an Army officer, his grandfather retired as an honorary captain, his maternal uncle is currently serving, and — get this — his younger brother is training at the very same academy right now.
“The spirit to serve the nation runs in our blood and that is what motivated me to join the forces,” Gill said, reflecting on how the academy reshaped him: “There is a tremendous change in all of us. The academy trains us in a manner that makes us more disciplined and responsible.”
From IIT Dreams to Army Greens
Not every cadet walked a predictable path. Cadet Abhay Singh Raghav spoke about the maturity the academy instilled in him, while his mother — present for her only son’s big day — shed tears of joy throughout the ceremony.
And then there’s Lieutenant P K S Kushwaha, who had cleared JEE, NEET, and NDA — three of India’s toughest competitive exams — and chose the Army anyway, completing a four-year training cycle that ended with his commissioning on Saturday. Engineering college, medical college, or the Army — he picked the path fewer people dare to.
A President’s Salute
The day carried full state honours. President Droupadi Murmu reviewed the passing-out parade of the 158th Regular Course and the 141st Technical Graduate Course, while Uttarakhand Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (retired), Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Army Training Command GOC-in-C Lt General Devendra Sharma, IMA Commandant Lt General Nagendra Singh, senior military officers, and hundreds of families filled the historic grounds.
For 515 cadets, Saturday wasn’t just a passing out parade. It was the moment childhood dreams, family legacies, and years of grit finally came together — under one uniform, on one parade ground, in front of the people who’d waited the longest to see it happen.
