India gets its first women fighter pilots

The three women were commissioned in the IAF at a combined graduation parade

GN Bureau | June 18, 2016


#indian air force   #defence   #IAF   #pilot   #Women  
India gets its first women fighter pilots
India gets its first women fighter pilots

India’s first three women fighter pilots were formally commissioned in the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a ceremony presided over by defence minister Manohar Parrikar.

The three fight cadets, in their early 20’s – Avani Chaturvedi from Madhya Pradesh, Bhawana Kanth from Bihar and Mohana Singh from Rajasthan – along with cadets from other IAF branches were together commissioned at the combined graduation parade at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal.

These women, who created history, have cleared the first stage of training with about 150 hours of flying. After this graduation parade, they will begin training on advanced jet trainer — British built Hawks at Bidar in Karnataka. They need another 145 hours on the Hawks before they get to fly fighter jets like Tejas next year.

Avani Chaturvedi, hailing from Satna in MP, comes from a family of army officers. She wanted to be in the army like her brother. She did her schooling from Adarsh School in Rewa and BTech in computer science from Banasthali University, Jaipur. She was always passionate about flying and joined the flying club of her college.

Bhawana Kanth hails from Darbhanga. Daughter of an officer in the Indian Oil Corporation, she wanted to become a fighter pilot and serve the nation.  Bhawana did her schooling from Barauni Refinery DAV Public School and BE in Medical Electronics from BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore.

Mohana Singh comes from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. Her grandfather was a flight gunner in Aviation Research Centre and father is a warrant officer in the IAF. Mohana did her schooling from Air Force School, New Delhi and BTech in Electronics & Communication from Global Institute of Management and Emerging Technologies, Amritsar.

In February 2016, president Pranab Mukherjee had announced that all military combat roles would now be open to women.
 

Twitter reacts:

 

Comments

 

Other News

Dharmendra Pradhan tenders resignation

Dharmendra Pradhan, education minister at the centre of the storm of the NEET paper leak, offered his resignation to the prime minister on Saturday.   He posted a two-page letter on X, saying he was pained by the events of the last ten days. "This is not a matter of personal

Cabinet approves scheme of chemical parks

The union cabinet chaired by the PM has approved Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana Rasayan or BHAVYA - Rasayan Scheme for establishing three dedicated Chemical Parks in the country. The Scheme was announced in the Union Budget of FY 2026–27.   The Scheme will have a total financ

Anurag Jain, IAS appointed as Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog

 Anurag Jain, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog for a two-year term after serving as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh. A distinguished administrator with extensive experience in infrastructure, industrial de

Shri Ashok Barnwal, IAS has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh

 Ashok Barnwal, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, succeeding Anurag Jain following his appointment as CEO of NITI Aayog. Prior to assuming the state`s top bureaucratic position, Barnwal served as Additional Chief Secretar

PM announces fast-track courts for paper leak cases

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stated that the government has decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks. Emphasising that nothing is more important than the welfare and future of the youth, he noted that h

Making India’s textile & apparel sector sustainable

India’s textile and apparel sector sits at the heart of the economy but is constrained by traditional manufacturing approach. It contributes close to 2% of GDP and around 11% of manufacturing gross value added, with GDP share expected to reach 5% by the end of the decade. The sector employs around 45

Upcoming Conferences





Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter