125 new BSF recruits pass out after 44 weeks of training at Indore centre

A passing-out parade of 125 new BSF constables (tradesmen) of Batch No. 211 was held at the BSF Auxiliary Training Centre in Indore on Friday. The recruits have completed 44 weeks of rigorous training.

At the parade, the recruits took an oath before the national flag to defend the Constitution, unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country. The chief guest was the centre's Inspector General, Tejinder Pal Singh Sidhu.

During training, the recruits were taught weapons handling, drill, physical training, fieldcraft, map reading, combat skills, marksmanship and border surveillance. They were also given special military training for counter-terror operations. After training, they will be deployed on different borders of the country and on internal security duties.

Recruits who performed well were honoured with medals and citations. Ajay Shrivas was the parade commander. Kartikeya was honoured for the best performance in drill, Pavitra Mandal for physical fitness and Monu Kumar for marksmanship. In overall performance, Akhilesh Pal stood first and Sarvan Kumar S second.

Parents and other family members came in large numbers. Seeing their children in uniform, the families looked excited and also emotional. Many parents and relatives were seen posing for photographs with the passing-out recruits. The recruits had family members wear their ceremonial turbans and spent memorable moments with them. Parents were also eager to be photographed with their children.

An exhibition of weapons was also held at the ceremony and drew much attention. It displayed the weapons and security equipment used by BSF personnel. Visitors were told how the weapons are built, what they are used for and what role they play in border security. Family members and young people examined the weapons closely and showed interest in learning about them. The exhibition gave visitors a chance to understand how the BSF works and how prepared its personnel on the border are for security.

After the oath parade, the recruits performed Oyilattam, a traditional folk dance of Tamil Nadu, and Bhangra, a folk dance of Punjab. At the end of the programme, chief guest Tejinder Pal Singh Sidhu congratulated all the recruits on the parade.