Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, GOC-in-C, Southern Command visited Apshinge Military Village, Satara on 01 May 23 & inaugurated a Learning Centre and Gymnasium to facilitate training and further recruitment in the Indian Armed Forces.

Village Apsinghe, Satara, Maharashtra, 01 May 2023. Districts of Satara, Sangli, Karad, Solapur and Kolhapur have been the traditional catchment areas for recruitment to the Indian Army. Apshinge village in Satara District has a population of about 3000. 350 families that reside in the village have at least one serving member in the armed forces. 46 soldiers from Apsinghe Village sacrificed their lives during World War I. In recognition of their services, British Government built a Vijay Sthambh in the Centre of the village. Several men from the village sacrificed their lives during the Indo-China war of 1962 and the two wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971. The children of the village are encouraged from an early age to pursue career in the Indian Armed Forces and are trained accordingly. In recognition of this unique contribution of the village, the Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha conferred the Sri Shanmukha Shaurya Ratna Award 2022 on Apshinge Village. 75 war veterans from the village were honoured on the occasion.

Recently introduced Agnipath Scheme for recruitment in the Indian Armed Forces requires exacting standards of eligibility beyond physical fitness. With a view to mobilise and equip the youth of these districts, at the request of the ex-servicemen of the village, Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha and the South Indian Education Society have jointly, as part of Institutional Social Responsibility (ISR) set up the facility centre at a cost of about Rs. 80 lakhs.

The event was attended also by Lt Gen H S Kahlon, AVSM, SM, GOC, MG & G Area, and Dr V Shankar, President, SIES & Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha, along with residents of Apsinghe Military Village, Distt Satara, Maharashtra.

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M.Iyengar/P.Kor

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