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3mo ago

India’s NDA Graduates First Female Cadets

Their graduation seals women’s full integration into the three-year NDA programme following a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2021.

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The first batch of 17 female cadets marches alongside more than 300 male counterparts in a spectacular display of integration at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune on Friday. (Mahendra Kolhe/HT photo)

Overview

  • On May 29, 2025, 17 women completed the NDA’s three-year course at Pune’s Khetrapal Parade Ground, marching past ‘Antim Pag’ alongside 322 male cadets.
  • The women joined the 148th NDA course in 2022 after the UPSC opened applications for female candidates under a Supreme Court order.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru University conferred degrees on 339 cadets this year, awarding 84 BSc, 85 Computer Science, 59 BA and 111 BTech qualifications.
  • General V.K. Singh reviewed the Passing Out Parade, praising the women as ‘Nari Shakti’, unveiling a commemorative magazine titled 'Breaking Barriers: Female Cadets'.
  • Parents, serving officers and alumni witnessed a flypast by Su-30 fighters, motorised gliders and Chetak helicopters that capped the Passing Out Parade.