Rajiv Dubey is set to receive the first Sword of Honour at the passing-out parade of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) on March 15. A total of 91 medical graduates will be commissioned into the Armed Forces Medical Services after the parade. AFMC Commandant Lt Gen DP Vats,told mediapersons on Friday that Lt Gen NK Parmar ,director-General,Armed Forces Medical Services,will be the chief guest and medical cadet Vishal Jha command the parade. The Sword of Honour will be presented for the first time by the AFMC . The institution of the Sword of Honour underscores the unique position occupied by AFMC,Pune,as one of the finest medical colleges in India and a premier Tri-services training establishment of the Armed Forces,said a release. According to Vats,out of the 91 newly commissioned officers,77 will be joining the Army,seven will be joining Navy and seven will join the Air Force . Twenty students have decided not to join the forces,he said. Vats however ruled out that there was a shortage of students joining the services. There will also be a display by the IAF Air Warrior Team. Lt Gen N K Parmar will award the Presidents Gold Medal,Kalinga Trophy and 40 other trophies,prizes and medals,to recognise outstanding achievement in academics and all round performance by undergraduates. The Presidents Gold Medal will be awarded to medical cadet K V Vinu Balraam . This year,AFMC is also inducting two of its academicians - Lt Col G W G Bird and Prof V R Mysorekar - into the Hall of Fame. Lt Col George William Gregory Bird established the department of Transfusion Medicine,at AFMC,Pune and carried out his pioneering research in blood transfusion and iImmuno-haematology. He was chosen to administer blood transfusion to Dr Rajendra Prasad,the first President of the country,in 1961. Prof Viswanath Ramrao Mysorekar was professor and Head of the Department of Anatomy,at AFMC,who established the Anatomy Museum and created the Embryology Section. Mysorekar is the first member of the faculty of the Armed Forces Medical College,Pune to be awarded the prestigious Dr BC Roy National Award for the category of Eminent Medical Teacher.
