They are a force to reckon with and take inspiration from
There is no field of work or arts where women are not breaking the glass ceiling. Even when it comes to the prestigious field of work to serve in fighting for the country, women are not behind. Creating history, women have reached the top ranks in the Indian armed forces. From protecting the waters of India to guarding the rocky and cold terrains and the Indian air spaces, women defence officers are a force to reckon with. Here we take a look at a few of those gallant women of India.
Lieutenant PriyaSemwal
This brave woman wrote history by becoming the first Army jawan’s wife to join as an officer in the armed forces. Lieutenant Semwal lost her husband NaikAmit Sharma, who was inducted into the Corps of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (EME) of the Army as a young officer in a 2012 counter-insurgency operation in Arunachal Pradesh. The 26-year-old mother then, with a four-year-old, Semwal, who was well qualified, felt overwhelmed about the future. Then at that time, with encouragement from his husband's bosses, Semwal took the leap of faith and joined the forces.
Squadron Leader DeepikaMisra
A flight cadet, DeepikaMisra’s love story with the aerobatic displays started in 2006. During her passing out parade at Air Force Academy in December 2006, Squadron Leader DeepikaMisra had her first encounter with the aerobatic display by IAF’s fixed-wing and rotary-wing aerobatic display teams: Surya Kirans and Sarang. She decided then that this was what she wanted to do, and so she did. Then in 2010, Misra joined the Sarang team and was the first woman to be inducted into the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter squad. DeepikaMisra became the first IAF woman pilot to train for the helicopter aerobatic team, Sarang.
Air MarshalPadmavathyBandopadhyay
Air Marshal PadmavathyBandopadhyay was the first woman Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force. Bandopadhyay was the first woman to be promoted to the rank of Air Marshal in the Indian Air Force and second in the Indian Armed Forces to be promoted to a three-star rank, after Surgeon Vice Admiral PunitaArora. For her conduct during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, She was awarded the VishishtSeva Medal. The Padma was the first woman officer to become an aviation medicine specialist and to conduct scientific research at the North Pole.
A few others are Flight Officer GunjanSaxena- IAF officer to fly in a combat zone, Flight Lt NiveditaChoudhary from IAF to summit the Mt. Everest,PunitaArora was second-highest rank, Lieutenant General of Indian Armed Forces, as well as the rank of Vice-Admiral of Indian Navy and Lt Col Sophia Qureshi of the Corps of Signals.
