An hour-long documentary on the Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhimala here featuring the infrastructure, training programmes and cadets of the Indian Navy's prestigious institution will be telecast on the National Geographic channel at 9 a.m. on Independence Day.
The INA, located in a picturesque surroundings in a locale known to the seafarers of yore, is Asia’s largest naval academy where future officers of the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard are trained.
The documentary, the official trailer of which was launched by Chief of Personnel Vice Admiral A.K. Chawla in New Delhi on Thursday, explores the life inside the INA, an institution built to shape the Indian Navy's future leadership, according to officials of the INA.
The documentary showcased the strength and determination of naval officers who were tasked to protect the country, a press release by the INA here said. It showed the life of cadets undergoing training in all aspects, the release said adding that the goal of the documentary was to apprise India's youth of the prestigious institution and of the career in the Indian Navy on a path of growth and expansion to protect the country's maritime interests.
At present, the number of intake of cadets at the INA is 1,200. The academy has plans to increase the intake to 1,700 by 2020 when the second phase of its development is completed.
When contacted, an INA official here quoted Vice Admiral Chawla's observation at the launch of the trailer of the documentary that ‘‘the purpose of the documentary is to inspire the youth to join the Navy.’’
The documentary captures how the young cadets are being trained to be the Navy's future leaders.
The foundation stone for the academy located on a 2,500 acre land at Ezhimala was laid in 1989 by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and it was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009.