Kannur (Kerala): Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated the Naval Academy at Ezhimala in Kerala today. The foundation stone of the institute was laid down by the former Prime Minister of India Late Rajiv Gandhi.

Inaugurating the academy, Manmohan Singh said, "It is my profound pleasure to be present here today at this magnificent campus overlooking the Arabian Sea. There could not have been a better place for the establishment of India's Naval Academy."

The inaugural function was also attended by the Defence Minister and Chief Minister of Kerala. The Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta presided over the ceremony. Earlier, the Prime Minister inspected a Guard of honour and released a special cover on the occasion.

Dr. Singh expressed his gratitude to the Government of Kerala for providing all the facilities to the institute.

"The Mumbai terrorist attacks have highlighted the need for heightened vigilance and response to asymmetric threats emerging from the sea. We face such threats not only in the Arabian Sea area but also in the Indian Ocean. There is a marked increase in the attempts by various terrorist and other groups to use the blue waters around India for their nefarious purposes. This is a matter of great concern to all of us," Manmohan Singh said.

"It is essential for Navy, Coast Guard and the intelligence agencies to coordinate their efforts much more effectively on a real time basis", he added.

Dr. Singh praised the Indian Navy for the recent initiative to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia.

"Today naval power is not just about fighting wars. It has an integral role to play in international diplomacy, commerce, energy security, exploitation of sea resources and ensuring order at sea. In such a scenario naval interactions have an increasingly important role to play," further said Dr. Singh.

In his concluding remark, the Prime Minister said, "I am confident that the Naval Academy will produce graduates with the latest scientific and technical skills, and a broad awareness of our national interests. Such institutions are better known by the quality of their alumni than by their stone facades and no doubt, the naval academy, Ezhimala will, year after year, send out future generations of naval officers of whom the country will be proud."

Located in Kannur district of Kerala, this academy will not only be the premier officer training establishment of the Indian Navy, but also would be the largest Naval Academy in Asia. Commencing June 2009, all officers inducted into the Indian Navy under various schemes will undergo basic training at this academy.

The Indian Naval Academy would function under the Southern Naval Command based at Kochi headed by Vice Admiral Sunil K Damle. The Project Management Authority which was entrusted with the planning and execution of the Naval Academy is headed by Commodore T.K. Ashokan.

The complex civil works under difficult conditions were executed under the able guidance of Brigadier Sunil V. Gopande and his team from the Indian Army's Corps of Engineers.

The academy covers an area of 2452 acres along the North Malabar coastline including the Kavvayi backwaters where watermanship training would be conducted.

The academy would have state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories and workshops, a well stocked library and a modern auditorium. Physical fitness training facilities include indoor swimming and diving pools, athletics track and stadium, a variety of play fields and courts, a firing range and a waterman ship training centre.

A comprehensive IT network interconnecting various facilities is also being set up.

Whilst Naval Orientation Courses are being conducted at Ezhimala since 2005, full fledged training will commence from June 2009. The Academy would be conducting a four year B.Tech programme for all newly inducted trainees.

Courses would be offered in Electronics and Communications and Mechanical Engineering. The syllabus and the curriculum has been drafted keeping in mind the current technical advancements and the skill sets that will be required in handling the future acquisitions of the Indian Navy.

Naval Orientation Courses of 20 weeks duration for other direct entry scheme (after graduation) in various branches will also be conducted here.

The total envisaged strength of the Academy in June 2009 would be approximately 450 trainees which would progressively increase to about 1100 trainees by 2013.

This would include officer trainees from the Indian Coast Guard and friendly foreign countries.

The Naval Academy will be manned by a mix of uniformed and civilian personnel for conduct of training and other administrative support functions.

There would be 161 officers, 47 professors / lecturers, 502 sailors and 557 civilians. Along with the families of staff, the campus would have a population of about 4000. A well designed township would provide living spaces for these personnel.