The Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun will hold the passing out parade of its gentleman cadets for spring term without their family members due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said on Wednesday. Lieutenant Colonel Amit Dagar, IMA’s spokesperson, said the decision was taken “to ensure the health safety of the GCs and the staff” of the academy, one of the premier training institutes of Indian Army officers. “The PoP for the spring term will be held on June 13.

However, this time the family members and the dear ones of the passing out GCs would not be able to attend the event at the academy due to the pandemic. This would likely be for the first time in our academy’s tradition,” Lt Col Dagar said. He said the institute will try that the event is covered as much as possible in real time.

“Because this time the family members would not be attending the event, we would put in maximum efforts to ensure that it is covered extensively in real-time through media so that they could witness their dear ones gloriously passing out as officers of Indian Army,” the spokesperson said. The number of those who will join the parade will be “completely ascertained in a few days along with the decision of whom to invite as the reviewing officer of POP.”