A billion hopes rest on your young and brave shoulders, President tells Army Officers at Ota Chennai

Addressing the Officers, the President said an onerous task awaits them as they go on to don the mantle of great responsibility and authority bestowed upon them by the Constitution of India.

They have been through a gruelling one year of training to equip them with the requisite mental and physical skills required to lead troops in extremely challenging conditions, Mukherjee said.

The President told Officers that their honour and integrity is not just theirs: they should always remember there are more than a billion Indian fellow citizens looking up to them every moment with admiration, awe and respect for what they are, the great Institution they serve in and what they are expected to do for this Nation at the time of reckoning.

The President said more than ever before India requires young men and women to take up the challenge of guiding the nation through troubled waters.

They need to work tirelessly and selflessly even at the peril of their lives in the service of our Motherland, he said.

When they are battling odds that seem insurmountable, they should remember there are a billion hopes pinned on their young and brave shoulders.

The President expressed happiness to see Officer Cadets from friendly countries of Afghanistan, Bhutan, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Lesotho.