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INS JAWAHARLAL NEHRU

INS Jawaharlal Nehru, located at Ezhimala in Kerala, was commissioned on 08 January 2009 by the Prime Minister - Dr Manmohan Singh - and is keeping in view the requirements of the 21st century and an integrated approach towards officers' training, with practically every possible training mechanism available under one roof. The naval academy will witness a sea change and give physical expression to the seafaring traditions of Ezhimala, the Malabar region, Kerala in particular and the country at large. The aspirations of the Indian Navy are to set up an outstanding institution of maritime learning and it is expected that Ezhimala will be one of the most modern naval academies in the world.

The foundation stone for INS Jawaharlal Nehru was laid by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on 17 January 1987. The base covers an area of 2452 acres along the coastline of Kerala and is currently the largest naval academy in all of Asia. INS Zamorin - a depot base for supporting the construction and coordinating the training & administrative matters for the new naval academy - was commissioned on 06 April 2005 [1]. Naval orientation courses for officers have commenced in 2005 [2] and are 20 weeks in duration. With the new academy at Ezhimala, training activities at INS Mandovi have ceased, with the last class graduating from there on 09 May 2009 [3]. In due course, the Naval College of Engineering at INS Shivaji in Lonavla will also be transferred here. A 64-bed base hospital - INHS Navjeevani - commissioned in December 2008 [4] and a Station Health Organization has also been added.

The naval academy will be incorporated under a full-fledged university and will have an engineering college and other technical naval schools. Simulators and life-size models of equipment will form the essential elements of practical training. In addition the campus will be a planned township with all modern amenities. The site has tranquil backwaters to the north for seamanship training while Ettikulam to the south will provide access to the sea for ocean sailing. The academy features modern classrooms, laboratories and workshops, a well stocked library and a modern auditorium. Training facilities for physical fitness include indoor swimming and diving pools, an athletics track & stadium, a variety of playfields and courts, a firing range and a watermanship-training centre with several types of boats. A state-of-the-art IT network is also present, which interconnects a range of services.

The naval academy will be manned by a mix of uniformed and civilian personnel for conducting training and other administrative support functions. There would be around 161 officers, 47 professors/lecturers, 502 sailors and 557 civilians. Along with the families of staff, the academy will have a population of around 4000 people. In June 2009, a first batch of 450 cadets would commence their naval careers at INS Jawaharlal Nehru and this is set to progressively increase to about 1100 cadets by 2013. It is expected that this number will include officer-trainees from the Indian Coast Guard and from friendly foreign nations. This teaching institution offers a four year B.Tech program for all newly inducted trainees and courses are offered in electronics, communications and mechanical engineering. The syllabus and the curriculum has been drafted keeping in mind the current technical advancements and the skill sets that will be required in handling the future acquisitions of the Indian Navy.

Sources

[1] INS Zamorin commissioned at Ezhimala project site

[2] Navy's role in economic progress stressed

[3] Goa's naval academy says final goodbye to state, travels to Kerala

[4] State to meet promises on Ezhimala