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Sri Lanka Army

Defender of the Nation

Published on - 9/25/2003

First batch of Master Degree graduates pass out 120 officers graduated at KDA

The 13th Convocation of the Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy (KDA), held at BMICH on Wednesday (24) saw 120 Cadet Officers of Armed Forces graduate after completion of their three year course.

This year\'s Convocation, for the first time in KDA history awarded Master\'s Degree to 17 Senior Officers of Security Forces.

The ceremony at BMICH, held under the patronage of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, was graced by three Service Commanders, Defence Minister Thilak Marapana, Defence Secretary Austin Fernando, KDA\'s Chancellor Lt. Gen. J.E. D Perera, Commandant Air Vice Marshal G. Y de Silva and a host of distinguished invitees and lecturers.

The President in her address on the occasion after awarding the trophy to Best All-round Student Second Lieutenant S. P Dewage commended the Armed Forces personnel who sacrificed their lives for the country and stressed the need to safeguard the territorial integrity of the island-nation.

'We should educate our children to live in harmony with their neighbours. If conflicts arise, they should be resolved through humane means and not through violence, \' she said.

The General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy was established in 1980 to educate young men to be officers in the Armed Forces and to have a first degree recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

To date 1129 male Officers and 49 female Officers have passed through the portals of this academy with their first degree. This was the 17th intake and the first batch of the Master\'s Degree Officers.