The Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) [formally the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College] is a military school for boys situated in Doon Valley, Dehradun in India. The RIMC is a feeder institution for the National Defence Academy. Rimcollians, the name by which alumni of the RIMC are usually denoted, have gone on to hold the highest ranks in the Army, Navy and the Air Force of India and Pakistan. RIMC was established in 1922 by the British for training native Indian cadets for an entry into the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to be trained as officers of the British Indian Army. The Prince Edward, The Prince of Wales, inaugurated the school on 13 March 1922, naming it the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College. The name was changed in 1947 when India became independent. It was located on the premises of the Imperial Cadet Corps (also called Rajwada Camp), set amidst 55 hectares (140 acres) of countryside adjacent to the Garhi Village in Dehradun Cantonment. The purpose of the school was to provide boys with education and training for the Indians being sent to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, as part of the Empires policy to make the officer cadre of the Indian Army more indigenous. RIMC was intended as a feeder institution to Royal Military Academy Sandhurst along the lines of an English public school. The government order appointed a military commandant of the rank of Lt Colonel, a civilian headmaster, senior or junior British Masters and Indian Masters. The first commandant was Lt Col H.L. Houghton of the Sikh Regiment who took charge of the college on 22 February 1922. JGC Scott was appointed headmaster and the first group of British masters were JM Allen, CA Phillips and Kitter-master. The first mess contractors were MS Hazir and Co and the mess staff consisted mostly of Goans. Later the mess was taken over by the Army Service Corps. Hira Lal Atal was the first Cadet Captain and later as Adjutant General of the Indian Union, Major General Hira Lal Atal designed India’s highest award for bravery in combat, the Param Vir Chakra. Among the early cadets were K.S. Thimayya, Asghar Khan and others, who had illustrious military careers. After India gained independence in 1947, the school continued to train young men to become a part of the Indian Armed Forces. The major difference is that instead of serving as a public school whose boys joined the RMA, RIMC now offers an excellent public school life, oriented towards joining the NDA. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehra Dun (1922-1997) 2.00 Cradle of Excellence stamps were produced; The First Day Covers were issued on 13 March 1997.
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 12:15:00 +0000
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