PUNE: In the 52nd batch of medical graduates, a total 103 cadets of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) got commissioned into the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) on Wednesday.
Lt Gen Bipin Puri, Director General, AFMS, was the chief guest at the commissioning ceremony, which is the only ceremony in the country in which officers are simultaneously commissioned into the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Air Marshal CK Ranjan, Director & Commandant, AFMC, accompanied the DGAFMS in reviewing the parade and commissioning officers.
According to the Commandant, 103 medical graduates including 80 male officers and 23 women officers were commissioned into AFMS. Eighty-nine graduates joined the Army, six the Navy and eight the Air Force.
Since 2008, the commissioning ceremony parade has been commanded by a newly commissioned officer. This year the parade was commanded by medical cadet (now Surg Sub Lt) Abbas Ghazi Naqvi. He hails from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh.
As part of this landmark event, the parade was concluded with a display of skydiving by the ‘Akashganga’ team representing the IAF, the martial art ‘Kalaripayatu’ by a contingent from Madras Regimental Centre representing the Indian Army and a performance by the Central Naval Band.
The commissioning ceremony was followed by the academic awards presentation ceremony. The prestigious 'President's Gold Medal' was awarded to Flg Offr Shailaza Tripathi and ‘Kalinga Trophy’ was awarded to Flg Offr Harish Pant. A large number of trophies, prizes and medals were awarded by the DGAFMS. A ‘hobbies exhibition’ was on display.
ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS
- Shailaza Tripathi was awarded 'Best all round outgoing medical graduate' for the year 2018. Hailing from Lucknow, she has done her schooling from KV Gorakhpur. Her father is a retired police officer and her mother a homemaker. She secured distinction in 13 out of 14 subjects in MBBS. She stood first in MUHS in Pathology.
- Harish Pant was awarded 'Best outgoing medical graduate in academics.' Hailing from Nainital, Uttarakhand, Med Cdt Harish Pant completed his schooling from Navodaya Vidyalaya Nainital. His father is a farmer and runs his own business and his mother an entrepreneur. He holds 12 distinctions and highest marks in community medicine in MUHS. He secured 1st position in final MBBS in the college in both part 1 & 2 examination. He is was awarded Kalinga Trophy for best academic performance and Karani Trophy for second best outgoing cadet.
- Abbas Ghazi Naqvi commanded the parade. He studied at Delhi Public School, Moradabad. His father is a banker and mother a teacher. He initially joined the National Defence Academy in 2012 as a Naval Cadet. In 2013 he joined the AFMC. “I wanted to be a soldier and my mother wished that I become a doctor,” Naqvi said.
