DW BUREAU / MOHALI Two cadets of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed forces Preparatory Institute (AFPI) earned their commission as officers in the Armed Forces today. With this, the total number of AFPI cadets commissioned as officers has gone up to 71. This number is expected to further increase on June 12 when the IMA passing out parade will be held. Gentleman Cadet Barjot Singh Dhillon passed out from the Officers Training Academy Chennai on completion of his training with the 111 SSC Course. Barjot had joined AFPI in 2011 as part of the first AFPI course. He hails from Patiala. His father, Kuldeep Singh is a technician and mother Gurpreet Kaur is a teacher in a government school. The passing out parade was reviewed by Lt Gen YK Joshi, Army Commander Northern Command. Cdt Vishvajit Singh joined AFPI as part of the fifth AFPI course in 2015. On completion of his training at AFPI he joined the National Defence Academy as part of 138 NDA course. Thereafter he went to the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala for one final year of training. His father Vikram Singh is a hotelier and mother Man Mohinder is a housewife. His grandfather late Lt Gen Gurinder Singh was a former Army Commander of Northern Command. The parade was reviewed by Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Eastern Naval Command. Passing out Parade of the 140th NDA course was held at Khadakwasla. The parade was reviewed by the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh. As many as 16 cadets from AFPI passed out from NDA on completion of their training there. They will do one more year of training at respective service academies before being commissioned as officers in the armed forces. So far 162 AFPI cadets have joined NDA and other service academies from the first eight courses. Of these 71 have become officers and the rest are under training. Currently there are three courses undergoing training at AFPI. Cadets of the 9th AFPI course are in Class 12 and awaiting their final board exams for which dates are expected to be finalized soon. Cadets of the tenth AFPI course are studying in Class 12 and are now busy preparing for the NDA entrance exam scheduled to be held in September this year. Forty-two boys have been selected as part of the 11th AFPI course which commenced training on May 24. Due to Covid-19 restrictions all training is being carried out online. (editor@dailyworld.in)