New Delhi: May 30 will witness a landmark moment for the Indian armed forces and the women of the nation with the graduation of the first-ever batch of women cadets from the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA). Seventeen trailblazing women will pass out alongside nearly 300 male cadets at the NDA’s Khadakwasla campus near Pune, marking a new chapter in the Academy’s 75-year history.
This milestone follows a pivotal Supreme Court verdict in August 2021 that directed the government to open the NDA entrance examination to women. The court was responding to a petition urging that eligible female candidates be permitted to appear for entrance tests conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for both the NDA and the Naval Academy.
The inaugural NDA exam welcoming female applicants was held in November 2021. Out of approximately 570,000 applications, 178,000 were submitted by women. Of these, 1,002 cleared the written examination, and ultimately, 17 were selected for the first-ever intake.
Of the 17 women cadets set to graduate, nine are slated to join the Army, three the Navy, and five the Air Force. Each will proceed to further training at their respective service academies before being commissioned as officers.
Cadet Ishita Sharma, one of the Army inductees, shared her experience, saying, “We were always given equal opportunities and our gender never came in the way.” She and her peers emphasized the camaraderie that developed over the course of their training, rooted in mutual support and a shared determination to succeed. “Always hold each other’s hands and complete the task no matter what: either running, walking, or crawling,” they said.
Addressing the adjustments made for the inaugural batch of women, Sharma explained, “We all understand that there are physiological differences between men and women. So, in line with other academies, changes in the standards were made here too. For example, the physical training standards are different. But the idea was to have equity rather than equality in these standards and to challenge every cadet in their own way.”
Air Force cadet Ritul reflected on the broader significance of their journey, stating, “It is an ongoing process and the development will continue. Academy has changed so much since we have come here. When our course joined, the Academy had not seen female cadets in the 75 years of journey. Our journey here has the potential of inspiring women asserting that nothing is impossible. Women can achieve all the standards and nothing as such is gender specific. In the military everything will be seen in terms of merit.”
As the first cohort of women prepares to graduate, their presence marks not just a change in numbers, but a profound shift in perspective, one that signals greater inclusivity and opportunity in India’s defence forces.