INDIA. Mumbai: In an outstanding event performed on Friday, President of India Ram Nath Kovind gave the prestigious President’s Colour to INS Valsura, an Indian Navy shore establishment located in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Lt Arun Singh Sambyal of the ‘Nishan Adhikari’ received the President’s Colour on behalf of the unit, which provided a 150-man Guard of Honour to India’s President. On this occasion, almost 800 officers and men from the INS Valsura marched proudly to the melodies of the Naval Band.
The event was attended by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command Vice Admiral MA Hampiholi, and other top civil and military officials.
The President’s Colour is awarded to a military unit in honour of outstanding service to the country in both peace and conflict. On May 27, 1951, Dr. Rajendra Prasad presented the President Colour to the Indian Navy, which was the first Indian Armed Force to receive it.
The President complimented and praised the officers and sailors of the INS Valsura for their professionalism and dedication to protecting our maritime borders in his speech.
The President also congratulated the personnel of INS Valsura, both past, and present for the meritorious service rendered to the nation for the past 79 years. He praised the unit’s unwavering commitment to achieving national goals and developing capable sea fighters.
The President further emphasised the Indian Navy’s critical position as the Indian Ocean Region’s “Preferred Security Partner,” and asked the men in white to continue their selfless and dedicated service to the country. He wished all personnel of INS Valsura, encouraging them to reach even greater heights in the era of rapidly changing technology.
The President also issued an unique postal cover to honour the occasion. The award of the President’s Colour represents a watershed moment in the history of the INS Valsura. As is customary at INS Valsura, the President’s Colour will be prominently displayed and carried at all Ceremonial Parades. It is a mark of exemplary service and will serve to inspire Indian Navy commanders and troops.
The history of INS Valsura dates back to 1942, when the Royal Indian Navy’s strength was bolstered with the installation of an upgraded Torpedo Training Facility. After India became a Republic, the unit was renamed INS Valsura on July 01, 1950.
Thereon, INS Valsura has transformed itself into an epitome of professional technical training and has exponentially grown to keep pace with the Indian Navy’s modernization plans, an official statement said.
The unit has always been ahead of the curve in terms of providing the Indian Navy’s commanders and sailors with the necessary skill sets to maintain and ensure battle worthiness of increasingly complex weaponry and electronic systems, as well as keeping up with technological breakthroughs.
The unit imparts quality training on contemporary and niche technologies through progressive augmentation of training infrastructure.
The setting up of Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Medium Voltage labs in recent years exemplify its quest for technological excellence in contemporary technology also in training officers and sailors.
In total, the facility offers over 262 courses per year, with an annual training throughput of over 750 officers and 4200 sailors.
INS Valsura has also emerged as the preferred training destination for India’s friendly foreign Navies. 1800 trainees from 15 friendly foreign Navies have been trained till date from this premier institution.
As part of social outreach programs in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, INS Valsura has initiated several welfare measures in the recent past. It rebuilt the Navy Moda village post the devastating earthquake of 2001. In September 2021, during the floods in Jamnagar, over 400 citizens were rescued by the teams of INS Valsura.
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