I take this opportunity to greet all Rimcollians and their families, on being elected as President ROBA, I feel honoured and proud, and will endeavour to put in my best for our alma mater and ROBA.

While the basic aim and purpose of ROBA remains strengthening the Rimcollian bond, we have a deep moral obligation to ensure the well being and constant improvement of the Alma Mater.  It is towards this end I wish to address every Rimcollian.  What have we done to strengthen that bond and towards improving the Alma Mater? For all that we have received from RIMC it is time to give back a little.  Let us make every effort to bring all Rimcollians on board the ROBA band wagon and to do our utmost in upgrading RIMC to be the unbeatable.

Presently there is a void of Masters at RIMC.  Enrolment through UPSC is a long drawn, time consuming process and at the end of the day the quality of teachers made available is suspect.  ROBA Trust is doing its bit by hiring a few teachers, but is constrained by the availability of funds.  If we Rimcollians can organize Rs 50 lakhs in the Masters Fund then ROBA will be eligible for a grant of Rs 2 crores from Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.  We have barely been able to achieve 15% of the target.  I presume this is primarily due to lack of awareness.  I would therefore request the Regional Secretaries and Senior Rimcollians to make the Rimcollians in their vicinity aware of the activities of ROBA Trust and the purpose of their contributions.

Towards enrolment, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of His Excellency, Lt Gen (Retd) MM Lakhera, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, Col (Retd) HN Handa, Col PC Dhanraj, VSM and Cdr NAJ Joseph.  In order to give a concerted impetus towards the functioning of ROBA, I would propose that the senior most serving officer in each Command be closely linked with all the regional secretaries and be a part of the Committee.  This would synergise the coordination and functioning of the ROBA activities both at the micro and macro level.

I also request every one, including our spouses/children to send in reports of Rimcollian get together and Reunion Celebrations for publication in the Newsletter and the website – www.rimcollians.in .

The new and young volunteers should come forward to handle   and/or help the Regional Secretaries.  It is by taking such tasks I feel, we all would come more closer.  Lastly, but most importantly I would like the Rimcollian fraternity to come up with suggestions for improvement, for which my doors are always open.

I wish all Rimcollians and their families the very best.