The Aryavarth Express
Bhopal: More than four decades after it was shut down, one of the Indian Army’s most formidable yet little-remembered technical training institutions has returned to national attention. The Apprentice Training School (ATS) of the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Bhopal — once regarded as a cradle of soldier-technicians, field leaders and battlefield innovators — is set to be commemorated as its alumni reunite for the first-ever Global ATS Alumni Summit on March 21–22, 2026.
Established in 1966, ATS combined uncompromising military discipline with intensive, hands-on technical instruction, producing generations of apprentices who played a pivotal role in the Army’s modernisation journey. In just 12 years of active training between 1968 and 1980, the institution trained nearly 3,500 apprentices — its influence far exceeding the brief span of its existence.
Almost one-tenth of its trainees went on to become commissioned officers, a record rarely matched by any comparable military training programme. The ATS fraternity went on to produce one Major General, nine Brigadiers and close to 350 Colonels, alongside hundreds of specialist technical leaders who strengthened operational readiness across theatres and formations. Among its distinguished alumni was Brigadier Rumel Dahiya (Retd.), recipient of the Sword of Honour in 1976 — a reflection of the discipline, leadership and professional excellence that defined the school.
Though ATS closed in the early 1980s, its spirit endured through its alumni, remembered across units for their technical mastery, professionalism and deep sense of camaraderie. The 2026 summit is expected to be both an emotional reunion and a moment of historical recognition, while also serving as a platform to document the institution’s legacy and honour its instructors and mentors.
Major General V.P.S. Bhakuni, VSM (Retd.) — the only ATS alumnus to rise to the rank of General Officer — has been appointed Patron of the summit. His journey from apprentice trainee to Major General stands as the school’s most powerful testament to merit, resilience and leadership by example.
But the gathering goes beyond remembrance. A clear call is emerging from the fraternity for the revival of an Army-oriented Apprentice Training School, in view of the growing technological demands of modern warfare. In an era shaped by automation, advanced weapon systems and complex mechanical platforms, alumni argue that India cannot afford to lose the disciplined and highly skilled cadre of military technicians that ATS once produced.
Reviving such an institution, they contend, would bridge the widening gap between civilian technical education and operational defence needs, inspire young talent to serve the nation and strengthen India’s pursuit of self-reliance in defence preparedness.
For the ATS community, the global meet is therefore not merely a reunion — it is an appeal to the nation and its leadership to rebuild what they describe as a critical pillar of the Army’s technological backbone. As veterans prepare to gather in 2026, their message is emphatic: the bricks and walls of ATS may no longer stand, but its values, discipline and leadership culture remain etched in the Army’s story — and, they believe, must now return to shape its future.
