Chennai, Mar 8— Cadet Madhav Sharma of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (AFPI) was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army’s Regiment of Artillery during the passing out parade at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. The event was inspected by Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Lieutenant General Johnson P. Mathew.
Punjab Minister Aman Arora extended his best wishes to Sharma, praising his achievement and dedication to national service. “Lieutenant Madhav Sharma’s commissioning is a proud moment for Punjab,” Arora said. Sharma, a cadet of AFPI’s 8th course, is the son of Gopi Ranjan, headmaster of Government High School Jogi Cheema, and the late Hatinder Sharma. Before joining OTA, he served as a Security Assistant in the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Amritsar.
With Sharma’s commissioning, the number of AFPI cadets who have become commissioned officers in the armed forces has risen to 170, according to institute director Major General Ajay H. Chauhan (Retd). By the end of the month, two more cadets will join the SSC Tech-64 course at OTA, Gaya.
In December 2024, 14 cadets from the institute joined undergraduate training academies, and 32 cadets have cleared the SSB interview, awaiting their joining letters for courses beginning in June 2025. In September 2024, a record 26 out of 34 cadets who passed the NDA written examination also cleared the SSB interview.