Mohali armed forces preparatory institute to get major facelift

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 17

The premises of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (AFPI), Mohali, which has made a pioneering effort in training boys from Punjab to join the armed forces, is in for a major facelift.

Approvals have been granted to have a synthetic tennis court and a basketball court for the cadets. A walking track will be constructed alongside the perimeter wall and the tuck shop selling snacks will be expanded and upgrade to provide better facilities.

In addition, the buildings, which are about four-year-old, will undergo requisite repairs and modifications and the car parking area will be spruced up with shelters.

AFPI Director General Maj Gen BS Grewal said the Army had agreed to hand over a decommissioned T-55 tank for displaying at the institute. It already had a MiG-21 and a Vijayanta tank.

The MRAFPI was established by the Punjab Government in 2011 to check the dwindling number of youths joining the armed forces from Punjab. The first batch of the cadets completed its two-year training in 2013. Since then, 51 cadets from the institute, who do their schooling alongside from Shemrock School, have joined the armed forces. This year 22 cadets from the institute have joined the National Defence Academy and the Naval Academy. Cadets of the fourth and fifth batches are currently preparing for the NDA entrance exam.

Addressing the past and present cadets of the institute at the annual alumni lunch today, Maj Gen Grewal said the two-year in-house personality development programme conducted by the AFPI was also of immensely beneficial to those who were unable to make it to the NDA.

He also exhorted the alumni who were unable to join the NDA to try joining the services after graduation.