New Delhi: Seventeen female cadets on Friday graduated a historic first graduation with 322 male counterparts from the National Defense Academy (NDA) in Pune, marking the successful passing from the Maden Co-Aid batch from the Tri-Services Institution.
It follows a historic decision by the Supreme Court in August 2021, in which the verdict was given that women should be allowed to appear for the NDA and Naval Academy Entrance Examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The court directed came on a petition filed by women aspirators, who argued that since the armed forces had opened a permanent commission for women officers, the same occasion should be extended to women cadets in entry level training institutes.
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The NDA began to accept women in 2022.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, a total of 1,341 cadets, including 336 from the graduate Kohrket, attended the passing out parade (POP) at Khetarpal Parade Ground in Khadakvasla. The ceremony was reviewed by General VK Singh (retired), former Army Chief and the current governor of Mizoram.
General Singh said, “It is a historic milestone in our collective journey towards more inclusion and empowerment,” General Singh said, “These young women are a symbol of ‘women power’, not only the development of women but also the development of women.”
Sharing his trips, Cadet Ishita Sanghwan told the ANI news agency that he was the first time in his family to join the armed forces. “For the last three years, I dreamed of passing ‘Anant Pag’ (final step). Every day here was felt like a new box filled with surprise and learning. The training created a sense of unity among all of us,” she said.
Another cadet, Harsimran Kaur, told the agency that the NDA was not originally part of its plans. “I was preparing for JEE Main and planning to take the CD (Joint Defense Services) exam when a friend informed me about the inauguration of the NDA for women. It came as a surprise.”
The NDA is widely called the ‘cradle of leadership’ as it produces officers for the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. After completing her syllabus at the NDA, 17 women will proceed to their respective pre-commercial training academies for the final phase of training before the Cadet Commissioning.
During the convocation, 339 cadets, including 17 women cadets, were awarded degrees by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi. These included 84 Bachelor of Science (BSc), 85 Computer Science, 59 Bachelor of Arts (BA), and 111 Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degrees.
Responding to a query in the Rajya Sabha earlier this year in March this year, Defense Minister Sanjay Seth said in a written statement that a total of 126 girls from 17 states and center areas were included in the NDA as women were allowed. Haryana topped the list with 28 women cadets, followed by Uttar Pradesh (28), Rajasthan (13) and Maharadatta. Punjab and Himachal Pradesh sent five and four cadets respectively.
The first batch initially consisted of 19 women, selected for 10 army, six for the Air Force, and three for the Navy. Seventeen of them successfully completed three years of training.
Seth also stated that sufficient infrastructure and facilities were provided for women cadets, with their male counterparts, to support training and ensure spontaneous integration.
Nearly three decades later the armed forces came after the inclusion of women as the Small Services Commission (SSC) officers to allow women in the NDA with the apex court verdict. It also gave eligibility for command roles to the Permanent Commission and the Indian Army, even after the 2020 verdict of the court.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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