The Rashtriya Indian Military College (abbreviated RIMC; formerly known as Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College) is a military school for boys and girls situated in Doon Valley,

Dehradun Dehradun () is the capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Dehradun district, district and is governed by the Dehr ...

in India. The RIMC is a feeder institution for the

National Defence Academy The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defence service training institute of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the three services i.e. the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force train together before they go on ...

, Indian Naval Academy and subsequently the Indian Armed Forces. Rimcollians, the name by which alumni of the RIMC are usually denoted, have gone on to hold the highest ranks in the Army, Navy and the Air Force of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

and

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...

.Pages 22 and 23, Where Gallantry is Tradition: Saga of Rashtriya Indian Military College, By Bikram Singh, Sidharth Mishra, Contributor Rashtriya Indian Military College, Published 1997 by Allied Publishers,

History

The origins of RIMC, formerly the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, lie in the long-pending demand of Indian nationalists to Indianise the officer cadre of

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which cou ...

. The first concrete step towards Indianisation of the officer cadre came from Viceroy

Lord Curzon George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), styled Lord Curzon of Kedleston between 1898 and 1911 and then Earl Curzon of Kedleston between 1911 and 1921, was a British Conservative statesman ...

, in his "Memorandum on Commissions for Indians" on 4 June 1900. Against much opposition he had established the Imperial Cadet Corps first at Meerut and then at Dehradun in 1901. This Imperial Cadet Corps (ICC), popularly known in the Doon Valley as the Rajwada Camp, was the forerunner to the present day RIMC. During the recruiting drives, especially in Punjab, which was the main recruiting area and provided one third of the strength of the Army, people were cajoled and even threatened to join the Army. Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab during the World War I had toured from district to district exhorting the martial races to come forward. The promise of commission was the most effective way to get more Indians to join the Army. On 4 May 1918 he reiterated, " As regards the further grant of King's Commissions the Government of India have already made their proposals before the Home Government and we may be sure they will receive early and sympathetic consideration."The demand to Indianise the officer cadre grew more strong in the post World War I years, and finally resulted in the formation of the Military Requirements Committee by Lord Rawlinson, the Commander-in-Chief in 1921. Based on the recommendations of this committee and the proposal by Lt Gen Sir John Shea, it was decided to open a pre-Sandhurst institution in the old campus of the Imperial Cadet College with a capacity of 27 cadets. It was meant as a military school for training the Indian boys for an entry into the

Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town ...

. The British believed that to be officers in the British Indian Army, the Indian boys had to be first given British public school education before sending them for pre-commission training. Finally, the PWRIMC was inaugurated in March 1922. The Prince Edward, The Prince of Wales, inaugurated the school on 13 March 1922, naming it the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College (PWRIMC). The name was changed in 1947 to RIMC when India became independent. The prefix of Prince of Wales was dropped, and Royal Indian Military College became Rashtriya Indian Military College, and thus the PWRIMC became RIMC, retaining the essence of the original name and the spirit of the name. It was located on the premises of the Imperial Cadet Corps (also called Rajwada Camp), set amidst of lush-green countryside adjacent to the Garhi Village in

Dehradun Cantonment Dehradun Cantonment is a cantonment town in Dehradun district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It was established in 1913. Demographics India census, Dehradun Cantonment had a population of 30,102. Males constitute 52% of the population an ...

. The purpose of the school was to provide boys with education and training for the Indians being sent to the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town o ...

, as part of the Empire's policy to make the officer cadre of the Indian Army more indigenous. RIMC was intended as a feeder institution to

along the lines of an English Public School. The government order appointed a military Commandant of the rank of Lt Colonel, a civilian Headmaster, senior or junior British Masters and Indian Masters. The first commandant was Lt Col H.L. Haughton of the

Sikh Regiment The Sikh Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Sikh regiment is the highest decorated regiment of the Indian Army and in 1979, the 1st battalion was the Commonwealth's most decorated battalion with 245 pre-independence and 8 ...

who took charge of the College on 22 February 1922. JGC Scott was appointed headmaster and the first group of British masters were JM Allen, CA Phillips and Kitter-master. The First Adjutant & Quarter Master was Risaldar (Honorary Captain) Sardar Khan of 20 Lancers. The first mess contractors were MS Hazir and Co and the mess staff consisted mostly of Goans. Later the mess was taken over by the Army Service Corps.

Hira Lal Atal Hira Lal Atal (26 January 1905 – 23 January 1985) was an Indian soldier in the British Indian Army from 1925 until 1947 and the Indian Army from 1947. He became a Major General and the first indigenous Adjutant General of independent India ...

was the first Cadet Captain and later as Adjutant General of the Indian Army, He was responsible for designing India’s highest award for bravery in combat, the Param Vir Chakra, of which the first recipient was another Old Boy of the College Maj Somnath Sharma. Among the early cadets were K.S. Thimayya, Asghar Khan and others, who had illustrious military careers. An excellent account of the life in early days of RIMC can be found in book

Thimayya of India General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya (31 March 1906 - 18 December 1965) was a distinguished soldier of the Indian Army who served as Chief of Army Staff from 1957 to 1961 in the crucial years leading up to the conflict with China in 1962. Gen ...

by Humphrey Evans, while accounts of the Imperial Cadet Corps can be found in numerous books written by ex Royals, particularly from

Rajputana Rājputana, meaning "Land of the Rajputs", was a region in the Indian subcontinent that included mainly the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, as well as parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, and some adjoining areas of Sindh in modern-day ...

. After India gained independence in 1947, the school continued to train young men to become a part of the

Indian Armed Forces The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by th ...

. The major difference is that instead of serving as a public school whose boys joined the RMA, RIMC now offers an excellent public school life, oriented towards joining the NDA and INA. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehra Dun (1922-1997) 2.00 "Cradle of Excellence" stamps were produced; The First Day Covers were issued on 13 March 1997. The College celebrated its Centenary on 13 March 2022, making it the oldest officer training institution of

Institutional framework

The school is spread over 54 hectares (139 acres) and has an enrollment of 250 cadets. A

Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-Ro ...

jet aircraft gifted to the College by The Air Chief Marshal N.C. Suri is placed in front of the Cadet Mess. Recently a Sea Harrier presented to RIMC by the navy was inaugurated by the CINCAN Bimal Verma.It is located in front of the Thimayya auditorium. RIMC has a 1:14 teacher student ratio. Candidates for the school are selected from all over India through a national level competitive exam, the RIMC Entrance Exam that is held twice a year in each state. Successful candidates in the entrance exam have to go through a medical fitness test to be admitted to the school. Every year about 50 students are selected in two intakes from all over India and admitted into Standard VIII at the RIMC. The PWRIMC in 1922 was run on the lines of an English public school - Wellock College, a feeder to Sandhurst. The 37 cadets forming the first batch were divided into three Houses, called Sections at the RIMC, These were called Rawlinson, Roberts and Kitchener named after the three Commander-in-Chiefs of

who was also the first cadet at RIMC was appointed the first College Cadet Captain with Ali Asghar Khan, Tara Singh and Sheikh Hussain the first Section Commanders, or House Captains, of the three Sections. After Independence in 1948, the names of the three Sections were changed to Pratap, Ranjit and Shivaji from the former Rawlinson, Roberts and Kitchener. The new names represented the three great Indian warriors

Maharana Pratap Pratap Singh I, popularly known as Maharana Pratap (c. 9 May 1540 – 19 January 1597), was a king of Mewar from the Sisodia dynasty. Pratap became a folk hero for his military resistance against the expansionism of the Mughal Empire under A ...

, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and

Chhatrapati Shivaji Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adilsh ...

. Strength of the College increased significantly in 1960 and it was decided to keep the new entrants in a Holding Section to give them a chance to settle down. In 1965, the strength of the College rose to 200 and it became necessary to turn the Holding Section into a new House, which was called the Chandragupta Section after the Indian Emperor

Chandragupta Maurya Chandragupta Maurya (350-295 BCE) was a ruler in Ancient India who expanded a geographically-extensive kingdom based in Magadha and founded the Maurya dynasty. He reigned from 320 BCE to 298 BCE. The Maurya kingdom expanded to become an emp ...

. Cadets at the RIMC follow the 10+2 pattern curriculum of Indian

Central Board of Secondary Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...

(CBSE), New Delhi over the next five years. A cadet, during his stay at the RIMC, gets a full glimpse of the life of an Indian Armed forces Officer. The hallowed portals of RIMC is the only School to hold Boards exams twice a year. Cadets sports include

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

, squash,

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...

and

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...

. Horse riding and rifle shooting are other popular activities. After the cadets complete the 12th grade, they graduate from the RIMC and most of them join the Indian Armed Forces by entering the

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

. The cadets then spend three years at the NDA with other students from the rest of the country and eventually get commissioned as officers in the Indian Armed Forces.

Academic

Rashtriya Indian Military college is administered by the Union Ministry of Defence, through the Army Training Command, Shimla. RIMC (Limca Book of Records confirm) is perhaps the only institution in the country where exams for Class X and XII are conducted twice a year, in May and November. These exams/certifications are recognized by CBSE. The college offers only the science stream at the +2 level along with Informatics Practices. However, to prepare cadets for the UPSC examination for entry into NDA, Social Sciences are also taught. After the term end examination, each Cadets position in class is decided; both curricular and extracurricular achievements of a term are recorded in his dossier. Weightage is given to the sessional work done by a cadet both in terms of class work and homework for his promotion to the next class. Cadets are prepared for the UPSC Examination for entry to the NDA.On Average RIMC has sent between 70-80% cadets to NDA from each course (as compared to the national average which stands at 0.6%).RIMC has two terms both of which run on the same syllabus line and has remedial quid pro quo for qualifying measures.

Admission

25 Cadets are admitted every six months. Rashtriya Indian Military College conducts an admission process in Class VIII. Candidates are studying in Class VII and the age of the candidate must be between 11.5 and 13 years at the time of commencement of term. The written examination consists of a test paper consisting of three parts: English (125 Marks), Mathematics (200 Marks), and General Knowledge (75 marks). Candidates have to score at least 50% in each subject to qualify. Candidates are then shortlisted through the written test and called for Viva-Voce which is of 50 marks, and have to pass a medical test.

Alumni

Alumni of the RIMC are called " Rimcollians". Rimcollians have held exalted positions in the Armed Forces, many becoming the Chiefs of Staff in the Indian and Pakistani Armed Forces. The cadets enrolled at RIMC are known as "Rimcos" to distinguish them from the alumni. A rare distinction of the RIMC is that some of its alumni have also headed the Armed Forces of

, a feat made possible by Rimcollians of the pre-partition Subcontinent era. The RIMC has produced five Army Chiefs, four of the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the Land warfare, land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Arm ...

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

K. S. Thimayya General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya (31 March 1906 - 18 December 1965) was a distinguished soldier of the Indian Army who served as Chief of Army Staff from 1957 to 1961 in the crucial years leading up to the conflict with China in 1962. Gen. ...

, General Sundararajan Padmanabhan, General G. G. Bewoor, General

Vishwa Nath Sharma General Vishwa Nath Sharma, PVSM, AVSM, ADC (born 4 June 1930) was the 14th Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army, serving between 1988–1990. He was the first Indian COAS to have begun his career in the post-Independence Indian Army. ...

, and one of the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...

- General Gul Hassan Khan. It has also produced four Air Chiefs, two of the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct ...

Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admi ...

N.C. Suri, Air Chief Marshal B. S. Dhanoa, and two of the

Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...

- Air Marshal Asghar Khan and Air Marshal Nur Khan. Other senior officer include Lt. Gen

Khwaja Wasiuddin Khwaja Wasiuddin (1920–1992) was an army general and diplomat. He started his career as a young officer in the British Indian Army and later became a senior general in Pakistan Army. He was the permanent representative of Bangladesh to the Uni ...

(

MGO Magnesium oxide ( Mg O), or magnesia, is a white hygroscopic solid mineral that occurs naturally as periclase and is a source of magnesium (see also oxide). It has an empirical formula of MgO and consists of a lattice of Mg2+ ions and O2− ion ...

Pakistan Army), Maj General Muhammad Anwar Khan (Pakistan Army Engineer), Lt. General

Sahabzada Yaqub Khan Lieutenant General Sahabzada Yaqub Ali Khan ( ; born 23 December 1920 – 26 January 2016) was a Pakistani politician, diplomat, military figure, pacifist, linguist, and a retired general in the Pakistani Army. Born into an Indian nobil ...

(Indian army Later Pakistan Army), Lt. Gen. Fazle Haq (former Governor North West Frontier Province, Pakistan), Air Marshal D.C.Kumaria, Maj Gen Balbir Singh Malik (Sword of Honour 1955 IMA, former commandent Armoured Corps of Indian Army), Maj Gen Dewan Misri Chand, Maj Gen Kunwar Zorawar Singh, Maj Gen M R Rajwade, Maj Gen Karam Singh, (Indian Army, Dogra Regt, Ex - Dy Adjutant General), Lt Gen H M Khanna, (Indian Army - GOC-in-C Command), Lt Gen N S Brar, (Indian Army - Artillery, GOC Corps; Administrative Member Armed Forces Tribunal), Lt Gen S.K.Singh, (Indian Army - Infantry, VCOAS), Lt Gen Gautam Dutt, (Indian Army - Engineers, Engineer-in-Chief), Lt Gen CP Mohanty(Indian Army, VCOAS), Lt Gen AS Bhinder(Indian Army, GOC-in-c), Lt Gen JS Varma (Indian Army, GOC-in-c). Gallantry awards have been awarded to Rimcollians including the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

Premindra Singh Bhagat,

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...

and the Param Vir Chakra to

Major Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...

Som Nath Sharma. Royals were highly inspired by the College and most royals from Indian Princely States joined the College. Jagaddipendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur, K.C.I.E (15 December 1915 – 11 April 1970), Maharaja of Cooch-Behar was an alumnus of the College. The

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

Sawai Maharaj Sahib Shri Deshpal Singh Ju Deo of Ajaigarh cousin of H.H. Sawai Maharaja Punya Pratap Singh Sahib Bahadur of Ajaigarh passed out from the same and was classmate of General GG Bewoor. Cadets namely Piyush Sunil Deshmukh (Equestrian), Jaikant Mishra (Mountaineering), Praveen Kumar (Mountaineering) have earned the "Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card" for achievements in their fields respectively during their tenure at the school itself. The school has an alumni network called the Rimcollian Old Boys Association (ROBA). The alumni also have mailing groups on the internet through which they interact.

Sports

Sports and games played at RIMC include boxing, football, cricket, athletics, horse riding, hockey, squash, swimming and shooting. RIMC has produced International level sports persons in the games of squash, shooting and horse riding. It has produced great squash players like Ritwik Bhatacharya, Brig. Raj Manchanda and Lt Col Shakti Singh. Alumni Poshuk Aluwalia has represented India in shooting in 2010 SAF games at Dhaka where he won a medal. RIMC alumni Piyush Sunil Deshmukh also represented India in an International Horse Show at Sydney, Australia. He fetched four medals at a young age of just 16 years. Achudev S an alumnus of RIMC and a cadet at NDA had represented India in International Services Athletic Meet in Turkey. Not only this but RIMC is adjudged India's best school in sports education by '' The Times Magazine''. RIMC has a 50-metre

Olympic-size swimming pool An Olympic-size swimming pool conforms to regulated dimensions that are large enough for international competition. This type of swimming pool is used in the Olympic Games, where the race course is in length, typically referred to as "long cour ...

, an indoor swimming pool, five basketball courts, three squash courts, and numerous football and hockey fields. Major Ashish Malik also represented India at the

2018 Asian games The 2018 Asian Games ( id, Pesta Olahraga Asia 2018 or ''Asian Games 2018''), officially known as the 18th Asian Games and also known as Jakarta-Palembang 2018 or Indonesia 2018, was a continental multi-sport event that was held from 18 Augus ...

and won a team silver medal there

Section system

The school is divided into four houses. Each cadet is assigned a house at the start of his time in the school and will remain in that house for the whole of their school career. These houses were earlier called Rawlinson, Kitchner and Roberts and the new names were given in the post-independence years. Each house is looked after by one House Master (called Section Master) who is assisted by one or two Section Tutors. There is fierce competition between the houses which well continues for the rest of the life among the Old Boys or the Rimcollians. The houses are:

References

External links

Official websiteAdmissionsAlumni
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rashtriya Indian Military College Schools in Colonial India Boys' schools in India * Military schools in India Military of British India High schools and secondary schools in Uttarakhand Boarding schools in Uttarakhand Schools in Dehradun Educational institutions established in 1922 1922 establishments in India