Introduction
Great Nations are built by great leaders, but they protected by greater Navies. The Indian Navy has accrued tremendous focus and importance owing to the ever geo political stances in South Asia. The Indian Sub-Continent is now the most widely travelled sea route in the world which has increased the security quotients as well.
Armed with deadly aircraft carriers, frigates, and submarines, our seas are made safe by the officers of the Indian Navy.
Located in Ezhimala, Kerala, Indian Naval Academy (INA) is the apex training institute grooming out warriers of the seas.
Brief history of INA
Before independence, Indian naval cadets were trained at Dartmouth, England with Royal British Navy. In 1969 a temporary facility was established at Kochi. A full-fledged Officer Training School was established at Goa in 1976 named as INS Mandovi. But with INS Mandovi also being used as an operational base, the need for a base which functions exclusively as a training institution was felt. Thus, the naval academy project was launched with the foundation stone being laid in 1987. But due to the economic crisis of 1991, the project was delayed and construction finally resumed in 1997-98. The INA at Ezhimala, Kerala became operational in 2005 and is named as INS Zamorin. INHS Navjivani, a naval hospital has been established inside the campus of INS Zamorin. INA, Ezhimala is also Asia’s largest Naval Academy.
Role of INA
The naval orientation course is common to all cadets, irrespective of which branch in Indian Navy they are inducted for. This course is a 22-week training program which familiarize cadets with service knowledge and administration.
Branches in Indian Navy
- EXECUTIVE BRANCH
As an officer of the Executive Branch one can exercise command of ships, submarines and aircraft. Executive officers can specialise in any of the following:-(a)Gunnery & Missiles
(b)Navigation and Direction
(c)Anti-Submarine Warfare
(d)Communications
(e)Pilot
(f)Observer
(g)Submarine
(h)Hydrography
(j)DivingThe other cadres that form part of the Executive Branch are – Law, Air Traffic Control, Naval Armament Inspection, Information Technology and Logistics.2. ENGINEERING BRANCHModern ships, submarines and aircraft are fitted with advanced technology machinery and propulsion systems. As an Engineer Officer, you will be responsible for keeping all these Hi-tech systems serviceable. Opportunities exist to work in gigantic naval dockyards and indigenous production units. In no other career is an engineer exposed to such a wide spectrum of opportunities and to keep abreast of modern developments. An Engineer Officer’s career is interspersed with technical courses up to post-graduation level in India/abroad.
You can also join in the Naval Architecture Cadre of the Engineering Branch. The Indian Navy today employs the largest pool of trained Naval Architects in India. A Naval Architect is involved in design, construction, quality control, repair and new construction work of naval vessels. With the Navy going for more and more sophisticated warship production within the country, the Corps of Naval Architects offers excellent opportunities to keep abreast of the advancement in ship building technology and implement your innovative ideas.
- ELECTRICAL BRANCH
A warship is a mini floating city with an integral power generation and distribution system. In addition, complex missile systems, underwater weapons, radar and radio communication equipment form major part of a warship’s equipment. A majority of these are either computer-based or computer aided and incorporate the latest trends in electronics engineering. For a ship to be able to fight effectively, all these equipment must be kept working at peak efficiency. Electrical Officers have this responsibility and other challenging tasks. To sharpen their skills, the Navy offers excellent opportunities for post-graduate courses in India/abroad to deserving candidates.Note: Officers of the Engineering and Electrical Branches can also volunteer for the Aviation/ Submarine Arm.
- EDUCATION BRANCH
Any service will be as good as the training its officers and men receive. As an Education Officer you will play a major role in the training of naval officers/sailors. Education Officers are responsible for scientific and methodical instructions, including theoretical aspects of technical subjects of all branches of the navy and also for general education. An Education Officer can specialise in almost all specialisations of the Executive Branch. In addition, some officers also get specialization in Oceanography & Meteorology. - ENGINEERING BRANCH Modern ships, submarines and aircraft are fitted with advanced technology machinery and propulsion systems. As an Engineer Officer, you will be responsible for keeping all these Hi-tech systems serviceable. Opportunities exist to work in gigantic naval dockyards and indigenous production units. In no other career is an engineer exposed to such a wide spectrum of opportunities and to keep abreast of modern developments. An Engineer Officer’s career is interspersed with technical courses up to post-graduation level in India/abroad.
You can also join in the Naval Architecture Cadre of the Engineering Branch. The Indian Navy today employs the largest pool of trained Naval Architects in India. A Naval Architect is involved in design, construction, quality control, repair and new construction work of naval vessels. With the Navy going for more and more sophisticated warship production within the country, the Corps of Naval Architects offers excellent opportunities to keep abreast of the advancement in ship building technology and implement your innovative ideas.