Breaking Barriers: The First Women Graduates Of NDA March Into History

Breaking Barriers: The First Women Graduates Of NDA March Into History

Breaking Barriers: The First Women Graduates of NDA March Into History

In a historic moment that resonated far beyond the parade ground, the National Defence Academy (NDA) witnessed its first batch of lady cadets pass out alongside their male coursemates. As they marched with pride across the 2Lt Arun Khetrapal Drill Square of Khadakwasla, they carried not just rifles and regimental colours, but the legacy of generations of women who fought to wear the olive green.

The journey of women in the Indian Armed Forces began in 1888, when the British Indian Army raised the Indian Military Nursing Service, marking the first formal entry of women in uniformed service. During World War II, in 1943, the role of women expanded further with the commissioning of lady medical officers into the Indian Medical Service, a significant step towards full-fledged officer status.

Post-independence, women continued to serve in the Armed Forces Medical Services, but it wasn't until 1992 that the Indian Army opened its gates to women in non-medical roles through the Short Service Commission (SSC). For nearly three decades, these appointments remained time-bound, with no pathway to Permanent Commission (PC). It took sustained legal intervention and determined officers like Col Leena Gurav to bring the change. Their efforts culminated in a landmark Supreme Court judgment in 2020, directing the Army to grant PC to eligible women officers, recognising their service and merit on par with their male colleagues.

Today, women not only serve but command combat support units in Signals, Engineers, Intelligence, Ordnance and the Army Aviation Corps. In the medical domain, trailblazers like Lt Gen Madhuri Kanitkar have reached the highest echelons of military leadership, breaking gender ceilings with quiet dignity and professional excellence.

The induction of women into the NDA was a long-awaited step that finally aligned the training pipeline of future officers. With gender-neutral training and common standards, the lady cadets of the first batch have proven that competence and resilience are not defined by gender. From obstacle courses to fieldcraft and academics, they have matched their male counterparts stride for stride.

The Indian Army’s own visual narrative during Operation Sindoor, which responded to high-altitude conflict escalation, offered powerful testimony. A widely circulated image of the Integrated Air Defence Command and Control Centre revealed lady officers manning critical warfighting roles, silently asserting their contribution in national defence during crisis.

Reflecting on this evolution, Gen MM Naravane (Retd), former COAS, had remarked, “There is no doubt in my mind that one day, we will have a lady officer as COAS.” His words were not a prediction — they were a recognition of the widening horizon of possibilities.

The passing out of the first batch of women from NDA is not merely a ceremonial milestone. It is a symbolic rectification — a long-overdue acceptance that 50 percent of our society deserves equal opportunity to lead, serve and protect. In this march forward, the uniform is not changing its colour. It is simply growing broader shoulders — to carry a more inclusive future.

Brig Sangram Dalvi, SM (Retd) 
Commandant