Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi reviewing the 150th Passing Out Parade of NDA cadets, at the Khetarpal Parade Ground, Pune, on Saturday. (Express Photo/Pavan Khengre),General Upendra Dwivedi, the Chief of Army Staff, while reviewing the Passing Out Parade (POP) of the landmark 150th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA) on Saturday, said that Operation Sindoor set a benchmark for India’s response to provocation. He also urged the passing out NDA cadets to uphold that standard.As the reviewing officer of the parade, Gen Dwivedi will inspect the cadets lined up for their final parade. He addressed the passing-out cadets and ceremonially pinned medals on those who had earned top honours.Gen Dwivedi said in his speech, “Dear officer cadets of the spring term, the world you are stepping into does not pause for introductions. The boundary between competition and conflict has blurred. Threats today do not always arrive in uniform or on a declared front. From contested gray zones to high-velocity hybrid warfare, today’s security environment demands that those who serve must think sharply as they act. Operation Sindoor demonstrated that and set the benchmark when national will was expressed with precision and resolve, defining how Bharat responds to provocation. That standard now belongs to you to uphold.”He said the integrated response in Operation Sindoor was built on the kind of foundation NDA lays down: jointness, not as a concept studied, but as an instinct lived alongside soldiers of all three services from day one. “As our defense services deepen their integrated structures, remember, irrespective of the uniform we wear next, you will serve shoulder to shoulder again—both men and women,” he said. The passing-out parade of NDA cadets being held at the Khetarpal Parade Ground in Pune on Saturday. The ceremony marked the commissioning of 355 cadets into the armed forces after completion of three-year training at NDA. (Express/Pavan Khengre)Each year, India’s premier triservices academy witnesses the graduation and passing out of two batches of cadets.Situated amidst the scenic foothills of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra, the NDA is often hailed as the cradle of military leadership. Upon completing their three-year training at the NDA, the cadets proceed to their respective armed forces’ academies for an additional year of pre-commissioning training. This includes the Indian Naval Academy in Ezhimala, Kerala; the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun for the Army; and the Air Force Academy at Dundigal.The passing-out 150th course comprised the third batch of female cadets.Story continues below this adThe first batch of women cadets was admitted to the NDA in June 2022. This first batch, which was part of the 148th course, passed out of the academy in May last year, while the second batch passed out in November last year. An interim order passed by the Supreme Court of India in August 2021 paved the way for the admission of women cadets into the NDA.