Lt Bawa, Lt Katoch bring laurels to Palampur

Our Correspondent

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Palampur, May 30

Lt Arzoo Bawa was commissioned into the Indian Armed Forces yesterday in an impressive POP ceremony held at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. She is the first woman from Palampur to join the armed forces.

Arzoo was born in Palampur and is the daughter of Simmi and Col Gurpreet Bawa, residents of Ghuggar. She did her graduation in psychology from Delhi University in 2019 and completed her master’s degree in psychology from Panjab University in Chandigarh. She was an NCC cadet in Rajasthan Girls Battalion.

She won the national school-level cooking competition in 2014 and was nominated to represent India in London. She won the “May Queen” title for three years consecutively at the Army cantonment in Jaipur.

An ace horse rider and swimmer, Arzoo has won many competitions. Her father Col Gurpreet Bawa served the armed forces for 35 years in the Brigade of Guards. Her mother is a teacher in DPS, Jaipur.

Her uncle Wing Commander Dilpreet Bawa also served the Air Force.

Meanwhile, Lt Abdesh Katoch of Garh Jamula village, 20 km from Palampur, who was commissioned in the Army yesterday from the Officers Training Institute (OTA), Chennai, brought laurels to the state by securing a gold medal and the Sword of Honour.

In the passing-out ceremony, Lieutenant General YK Joshi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Northern Command, presented the Sword of Honour and gold medal to ACA Abdesh Katoch for his best performance in 11-month training.

Dr Kailash Katoch and Lata Katoch, parents of Abdesh, said due to Covid, parents of the graduating officer cadets were not able to witness the event. However, the OTA had made arrangements for live streaming of the parade and piping ceremony on DD Bharati and YouTube channels for their families.

Abdesh had done his schooling from local Mount Carmel School and later completed his B-Tech from HP University, Shimla, before joining the armed services. Abdesh hails from the family of Army officers — his great grandfather, grandfather and uncles had also served in the Army.