I am Cadet Abhiraj Anand, currently pursuing Marine Engineering from IMU Kolkata, erstwhile DMET/MERI.
My journey as a cadet has been nothing short of a roller coaster. I had always studied in convent schools that were fairly lenient in terms of discipline and routine. Apart from academics, school life had little impact on the way I lived. Everything changed in 2024 when I stepped into this institution and was given a new title, a title much heavier than it sounded. I was no longer just a student. I was a cadet, a “सैन्यछात्र”.
A civilian student had suddenly become a cadet, with absolutely no idea what cadet life really meant. The answer came the very next morning. At exactly 0530 hours, the hooter rang. I woke up startled, half asleep, half confused, and completely unaware that this sound would soon become a part of my everyday life. There were only thirty minutes before the next hooter, and by then everyone had to be ready for physical training. For the first time in my life, a student accustomed to a comfortable and rather lousy lifestyle had his first taste of cadet life. At 0600 hours, the hooter rang again, and we headed for PT. We returned, had breakfast, and then came another moment that still remains etched in my memory. I wore the uniform for the very first time. I still remember the weight of the epaulettes on my shoulders. The shoes were shining so brightly that one could almost see a reflection in them. The moment I put on the beret, something changed within me. Maybe it was pride, maybe responsibility, or maybe simply the excitement of beginning something new. We were introduced to the quadrangle of the Old Junior Hostel. That was where my journey as a cadet truly began.
The seniors whom I would have called “Bhaiyya” or “Didi” elsewhere became “Sir” and “Ma’am” here. Along with the wardens, they taught us our very first lesson in cadetship: discipline. A cadet wakes up at the same time, no matter where he is. Etiquette, eating habits, time management, and sleeping schedules were taught from the basics. At first, it felt strange. Slowly, it became a habit. And before we realised it, it became a way of life. Integrity among batchmates, respect towards professors, and the way we spoke and conducted ourselves, every lesson was imparted with both affection and firmness. Slowly and steadily, we were shaped from civilians into cadets. Our day began before sunrise and often ended long after sunset. We attended morning fall-ins, had classes from 0930 hours onwards, and completed every responsibility that came our way. On one hand, our professors shaped us academically. On the other, cadet life shaped us as individuals. A cadet is transformed physically, mentally, and perhaps most importantly, in character. About nine months into college, I suffered an injury in my leg and was completely unable to run. I was advised to stop physical activities. For a week, I stayed away from PT, until it was not an option to skip PT and I had to attend it no matter what. Had I been the same student I was before coming here, perhaps I would have accepted my limitations and stopped there. But by then, I was no longer just a student. How could a cadet surrender? I returned to training, carved my way through the pain and emerged anew. That was the day I understood what cadet life actually teaches you. Your body is often capable of much more than your mind believes. A cadet is not merely trained physically; he is trained mentally. A cadet learns to find ways where none seem to exist. He learns to lead people, acquire skills, endure hardships, and most importantly, overcome himself. Beyond the training and discipline, this journey gave me some of the finest people I have ever met. I was introduced to individuals from every corner of India, different cultures, languages, traditions, and beliefs. Yet all these differences eventually dissolved into a single identity: Indians, Cadets, Under Training Officers of DMET.
Whether it was a hectic schedule, endless assignments, or complicated equations in class, everything seemed manageable with my batchmates beside me. From eating together and rushing for fall-ins to playing sports and enduring punishments, your batchmates slowly become something much more than friends. They become family.
Cadet life is largely residential. In the first year, six of us stayed in a room, with four rooms sharing a common passage. Every passage belonged to a Sadan and carried names like Edison, Marconi, Newton, and others. My room was in Marconi. Although our registration number is our official identity, every cadet is also issued a roll number, a legacy unique to this institution. A roll number is not just a number. It tells you which cadet you are in the long history of this college. It tells you your roll family, 17, 27, 35, 01, 00, and many others. The last digit decides your Sadan. In many ways, your roll number becomes a part of who you are.
Then came the second year, and suddenly the juniors looking at us with curiosity reminded us of our own first days on campus. Now, we were the seniors. We were expected to follow the teachings we had received and pass them on to the next generation of cadets. We became mentors, guides, and examples. This senior-junior bond is one of the most beautiful aspects of cadetship. We were supported by our seniors, and now it is our responsibility to carry the same legacy forward. Cadet life extends far beyond classrooms and hostels. We participated in cleaning drives on Sunday mornings, marathons, blood donation camps, and events like DMET Samvaad. These experiences taught us that leadership is not only about command; it is equally about service. And then there is Tempest. Tempest is not merely college fest; it is an emotion. Recognised as Asia’s Largest Marine Fest, it is a three-day celebration during which the entire campus comes alive. Sleep schedules disappear, corridors remain crowded till late at night, and every corner of the campus carries an excitement that is difficult to describe. The fest is built upon three pillars. Propulsion, the technical segment, challenges innovation and engineering creativity. Chakravyuh brings out the spirit of sportsmanship and teamwork. And Cacophony, the cultural segment organised by Enigmas, reminds us that behind every white uniform is a person filled with talents, dreams, and stories. For three days, cadets become organisers, artists, sportspersons, leaders, and problem-solvers. For us, Tempest is not simply an event marked on the calendar. It is three days of sleepless nights, endless running around, laughter, stress, teamwork, and memories that remain long after the fest ends.
Parade training also forms an integral part of cadetship. In the first year, a few cadets are selected as “Sainyatris” and receive exceptional parade training for special formations and ceremonial events. The remaining cadets also undergo parade training and march during the Passing Out Parade alongside the senior batches. The Passing Out Parade, held every year for the graduating fourth-year cadets, is perhaps one of the most emotional traditions of this institution. As shoes strike the ground in perfect synchronisation and commands echo across the parade ground, one realises that the parade is not merely a march. It is discipline in motion. It is unity made visible. It is hundreds of individuals moving with a single purpose.
Cadet life is demanding. It tests your patience, your discipline, your body, and your mind. But somewhere between the 0530-hour hooters, the morning fall-ins, the endless staircases, the punishments, the laughter in hostel rooms, and the friendships forged through hardships, something remarkable happens. You change. You walk into this institution as a student and one day, without even realising when it happened, you stand a little straighter, think a little differently, and carry yourself with a little more responsibility than before. That is cadetship. It does not simply prepare you for a profession. It prepares you for life. And years later, when the uniform has been folded away, when the hooters have gone silent and the parade grounds have been left behind, a part of you still remains here, in the quadrangle, in the hostel corridors, and in the memories made with your batchmates. Because being a cadet is not four years of life.It is a way of life.
“Once a cadet, always a cadet.”
