Pranab Mukherjee visits Wellington

Ooty: Mr Pranab Mukherjee, President of India and Supreme Commander of the armed forces, visited the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) at Wellington on Friday evening and bestowed the coveted President’s colours upon the DSSC in a spectacular ceremony.

The DSSC is the first military officers’ training institute in the country to have been bestowed with this honour. Delivering his address on the occasion, Mr Mukherjee said that the DSSC, which came into being in Wellington in 1948, has emerged as a premier tri-services institution in the country and epitomizes military academic excellence.  

The staff college founded on the principles of jointmanship and military leadership has played an instrumental role in enhancing the professional capabilities of officers of the tri-services to face future challenges, the President said.

“The most critical and sensitive leadership has been given by the alumni of this institute,” he noted. “I am delighted to learn that 40 officers from 31 friendly countries are undergoing the present course,” he said and underscored that the college provides a stimulating environment for analytical thinking towards creativity and intellectualism.