Maldives defence force chief urges passing cadets to keep up with new technologies

CHENNAI: The chief of defence forces of Maldives National Defence Force Major general Abdulla Shamaal urged cadets who passed out of Officers Training Academy (OTA) to keep abreast of emerging technologies and its impact on soldering.
Speaking after reviewing the passing out parade at Officers Training Academy on Saturday, Shamaal said that "There have been sweeping technological advancements in the form of sophisticated weapon systems, electronic warfare devices and force multipliers which have changed the face of conflicts. It is therefore necessary for you to keep abreast with these changes and continuously improvise, innovate and adapt to these emerging trends."
Stressing on the importance of decision making in the changing times, he said "In the future, with modern technology shaping the nature of conflict, the influx of information, opinions and options would enhance exponentially but it would be the leader who is expected to synthesize all this information and take a timely and pragmatic decision."
The nations across the world are facing challenges because of the pandemic and officers of defence forces carry a greater responsibility towards men and units while meeting these challenges, he added.
He referred to the 75 anniversary of India's independence and said that "There are great lessons to learn from India in the areas of international relations, diplomacy and all inclusive political and democratic evolution."
The passing out parade saw 125 gentlemen cadets and 41 women cadets getting commissioned into the Indian army. Four gentlemen cadets and 26 women cadets from Maldives and Bhutan also passed out.
Among the cadets, Neha Sharma received gold medal, Abhinav received silver medal, Krishan Kumar received bronze medal. The sword of honour for the course went to A Vishwa Kumar.
Among the cadets commissioned into the army were those from families that have served in the armed forces and those who had come from humble backgrounds. There were four cadets from Tamil Nadu.
T Vimala, hailing from Pollachi, who was commissioned into the army, said that not many from Tamil Nadu were aware about officer training. "I was in NCC for three years. My father is in the navy. That exposure helped. But many are not aware about OTA in Chennai and the course it offers. We have to create awareness in schools and colleges."
Suman Singh, hailing from a poor family in Bhopal, said that an admission in Kendriya Vidyalaya and a scholarship to study engineering where she joined NCC inspired her to join the army. "I was part of the NCC air wing because of my dream to fly an aircraft. I decided to write the short service commission examination and got through at the third attempt."