Commandant of Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) Lieutenant General P S Minhas inaugurated the newly-constructed concrete airstrip at the Army Adventure Nodal Centre on Thursday. The work for construction of the airstrip was undertaken in March this year.
According to the press release issued by OTA, “The Army adventure nodal centre (microlight) is a premier adventure flying training establishment of the Indian Army, located at OTA, Gaya. The node recently celebrated the silver jubilee of its existence, during which it has trained approximately 2,500 personnel. It is one of the two nodes, apart from the other one at Mhow in Indore, which imparts training in flying microlight aircrafts.”
Earlier, the microlight aircrafts used to take-off and land at an improvised landing ground, which involved fair amount of risk for the aircrafts and the pilot. Due to the airstrip in use being improvised, it also hampered training of pilots during monsoon and bad weather condition. The newly-constructed airstrip would facilitate all weather take-off and landing and provide added safety for the pilots and the aircrafts throughout the year.
The Lt. Gen complimented Colonel Laxmi Kant Yadav and all ranks of the team ‘Flying Rabbits’ of the Army Adventure Nodal Centre (Microlight) for completing the airstrip project as per specifications of the flight safety norms in record time.
All About Officers Training Academy (OTA) Gaya:
Officers Training Academy (OTA) Gaya is a premier Pre-Commission Training Academy (PCTA) of the Indian Army, established in the erstwhile location of Army Service Corps (ASC) Centre (North). Gaya Military Station, in the pre-independence days, had a historical distinction of being the Operation Centre of Sir Archibald Wavell, Commander-in-Chief of British India Army who steered the initial operations of the Burma Campaign from here. He later became the penultimate Viceroy of India.
The motto of the Officers Training Academy (OTA) Gaya – ‘Shaurya, Gyan, Sankalp’
A Gentleman Cadet on joining OTA, Gaya, undergoes Basic Military Training aimed at overall development into a tough soldier and innovative intellectual. The Gentleman Cadets undergo rigorous military training for a period of one year at OTA, Gaya. A continuous, quantified, structured and systemic training is imparted and Gentleman Cadets are assessed in major discipline such as officer qualities, service subjects, physical training, drill, academics. They also undertake mutual assessment.
OTA Gaya, set up in 2011, is located amid an estate of approximately 870 acres in the hilly terrain of Paharpur at Gaya. The academy is located en route from Gaya to Bodhgaya, approx 7 km from Gaya railway station. The international airport of Gaya is adjacent to the academy. In its vicinity is Bodhgaya, an international tourism destination. Gaya Cantonment dates back to World War II, as one of the headquarters of the British Army.
To mark the commencement of the academy, a flag hoisting ceremony was solemnised and the consecration of the raising of the academy was carried out in true secular tradition of the Indian Army, with recital of scriptures from holy books of different religions.
The academy has been equipped with state of the art training facilities, at par with other pre-commissioning training institutions.
The insignia of Officers Training Academy, Gaya has a two-colour background, with upper half as grey and the lower half blood-red, having two cross swords superimposed with the Dharmchakra.
The first batch of 149 trainee-officers underwent training in the academy during the period July 2011 to Jun 2012 and the first passing out parade was conducted on 8 June 2012. The second batch after successful completion of their training (January 2012 – December 2012) passed out on 8 December 2012. A total of 176 cadets from TES 26 and SCO 29 courses passed out on 8 December 2012. The academy had capacity to train 350 cadets. Lt Gen Sunil Srivastava, VSM (double bar) is the current commandant of the academy, having taken charge in 2018.
In December 2019 the Defence Ministry gave the go-ahead to shut OTA Gaya due to lack of intake.
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