The new vanguard: India's first women graduates from the NDA

National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune since its establishment in 1954, witnessed a historic march on May 30, 2025, when the first batch of 17 women cadets alongside the 300 male cadets walked past the 'Antim Pag (Final Step) at the parade ground of the tri-services academy during the Passing Out Parade of the 148th course of NDA.

- COL DEV ANAND LOHAMAROR

This day marked not only a ceremonial triumph but a tectonic shift in India's defence establishment – the formal induction of women into the country's premier tri-service training institution.

FROM TOKENISM TO TRANSFORMATION:

India has gradually opened its armed forces to women since the late 20th century. Women were first inducted into the Military Nursing Service in 1958 and later commissioned as officers in non-combat roles in 1992. However, these roles were often framed as support functions.

Real transformation began with judicial interventions in the 2010s and was further propelled by sustained public discourse.

I remember when on August 13, 2021, in a nationally broadcast video conference, I urged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to institutionalise gender parity in military recruitment and training, to which he responded positively.

National women President Bhootpurva Sainik Vikas Samiti Captain Amrit Kaur added further moral and strategic weight to the cause.

Their voices, amplified by media and civil society, catalysed the government's policy turnaround.

A Legacy Rewritten:

For over six decades, the NDA symbolised elite military training – exclusively for men. From 1954 until 2021, its gates remained closed to half of the nation's population. Women aspiring to become officers were relegated to other entry paths, primarily via the Short Service Commission.

This exclusion was not merely procedural; it mirrored deep-seated institutional barriers that equated leadership with masculinity.

DETAILED TIMELINE OF WOMEN'S ENTRY INTO THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES

1888 – Indian women were inducted into the Military Nursing Services, a legacy inherited from the British.

1950 – After the establishment of the Republic of India, it was recognized as a permanent and regular service in the Indian Army under the name Military Nursing Service (MNS).