We have been blessed to be born in a nation with many great women who bring us the hope that every girl can achieve whatever she wants to. They have risen to the top in their fields and are reminders of the legacy they leave behind and guiding light of hope for future generations. In the recent past, we have been inspired by the life journey of determined women from across India, making their presence felt in varied fields and their stellar achievements bring laurels to the nation.
In an important news for Indian women defence personnel, the Centre had informed that the Supreme Court that a decision has been taken to allow the induction of women into the Armed Forces through the National Defence Academy (NDA).
The National Defence Academy (NDA) has informed that about 20 women cadets from around the middle of next and paving the path for doing training in the premier tri-service military training institution for the first time. The revolution will the Army would have the largest intake of about 10 women officers, followed by the Indian Air Force and the Navy at about five each.
The glass ceiling was broken this year when the 8,009 candidates who have cleared the exam, from which 7,007 are men and 1,002 are women. This means 12.51% of the people who cleared the test are women. The next step in their path is to clear a personality and intelligence assessment and physical and medical tests before being admitted into the NDA.
Next year, NDA will admit total of 400 cadets from which 208 candidates will join the Army, which will consist of 10 women. While the Navy will have an intake of 42 candidates, including three women, on the other hand, the IAF will admit 120 candidates, of which six will be women.
During the Rajya Sabha session minister of state for defence, Ajay Bhatt was quoted saying that the total number of applicants for the exam was 5,75,856, of which 1,77,654 were women. To accommodate an new era, the NDA has made few changes such as its infrastructure, putting in place a strong security apparatus and initiating appointments of women instructors, doctors including gynaecologists, and other requisite support staff, and taking other steps to welcome the women cadets into its campus next year for the first time.
So far, women officers joined the Army from Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, and the Navy and IAF from the Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy, where they got admitted after their graduation.
The NDA has already been working to add two more squadrons to its existing 18 and increase the annual intake of military cadets.
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