Institute of National Integration: 29 religious teachers inducted into Army

At the INI, trainees in religious teachings of various faiths underwent an 11-week-long course.

29 recruits of the 80th religious teachers course at the Institute of National Integration (INI) were commissioned into the Indian Army as junior commissioned officers at the passing out parade ceremony on October 1. Naib Subedar Neel Kamal was awarded general officer Commanding-in-Chief, army training command’s gold medal for being the best recruit religious teacher and Naib Subedar Ved Prakash was awarded Commandant’s silver medal for the best discourse during the course.

INI Commandant Brig K Birendra Singh presented mementos to the parents of trainees during the ceremony. The trainees, in religious teachings of various faiths, are selected through a separate selection process and undergo the 11-week-long course at the INI, after which they are commissioned as junior commissioned officers (JCOs) with designations like maulvis, pundits, priests, monks or granthis.

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The INI, which is a one-of-its-kind institute in the entire country, was established in 1985 and conducts primary and refresher training of the religious teachers who are posted along with the units of the army and territorial army, and also trains the selected personnel in behavioural and social sciences. The INI trains approximately 300 personnel every year and is located within the campus of the College of Military Engineering (CME) in Dapodi.