INS Dronacharya, the Gunnery School of the Indian Navy, is being awarded the prestigious President's Colour on 16th March 23 by the Hon'ble President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu. The President's Colour or the Nishan is considered the highest honour that the Supreme Commander, President of India, bestows on a unit for its exceptional service to the Nation.

INS Dronacharya is entrusted with the training of officers and sailors of the Navy, Coast Guard and friendly foreign maritime forces on all aspects of gunnery and missile warfare. Training of Officers and sailors to deliver ordnance on target effectively is the core focus of INS Dronacharya. It forges sea warriors and equips them with the professional acumen and unyielding spirit to man our powerful warships. The unit is also the nodal centre for training of Sagar Prahari Bal and Navy's centre for training in constabulary operations for several Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Nations. The unit is also the training authority for drill and ceremonials in the Navy and Coast Guard. INS Dronacharya was designated as the Centre for Excellence in Gunnery and Missile Warfare in 2004. The unit is affiliated with the Indian Army School of Artillery in the spirit of jointmanship. The alumni of the institution have distinguished themselves in war and peace through exemplary acts of courage, unwavering commitment and impeccable professionalism. The alumni include one Mahavir Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Yudh Seva Medal, five Veer Chakra and seven Shaurya Chakra awardees. 

The Gunnery School has evolved over a period of time to become an institution of international repute providing training on all facets of gunnery and missile warfare. In recognition of the Gunnery School's yeoman service to the nation, the President's Colour is being awarded to INS Dronacharya on 16 Mar 2023. The ceremonial parade for the presentation of colours would be held at 1620 h and reviewed by the Hon'ble President of India. Hon'ble Governor of Kerala; Chief Minister of Kerala; Chief of the Naval Staff, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command and other senior service and civilian dignitaries will also be present on the occasion. Live streaming of the parade will commence at 1550 h on DD National and Indian Navy YouTube channel.

VM/PS 

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