Maiden batch of 17 female cadets graduates from NDA; Passing Out Parade on May 30
Marking a historic moment for women in Indian armed forces, the first batch of 17 female cadets graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune on Thursday (May 29, 2025) and were conferred degrees along with more than 300 male cadets.
The convocation ceremony of 148th NDA course was held at the academy, widely known as the "cradle of leadership", which provides officers to the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
NDA Commandant Vice-Admiral Gurcharan Singh hailed the graduation of the maiden batch of female cadets and expressed hope that they will carve out names for themselves as exemplary leaders.
A total of 339 cadets, including the female cadets, were conferred degrees from the Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Of them, 84 cadets were awarded with the Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, 85 with Computer Science degree, 59 with Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and 111 with Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degree.
Professor Poonam Tandon, Vice-Chancellor of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, who was the chief guest at the event, said, "...I have been informed that over the decade, the NDA has produced more than 40,000 officers who went on to bring glory to India, both in times of war and in peace. They have carved an illustrious path, upheld the highest traditions of the law and service, and written chapters of courage in golden letters."
"Today, I had the privilege of conferring degrees upon the cadets of the 148th course and awarding deserving individuals with honours and trophies," she said. She congratulated all the cadets for achieving this significant milestone.
"I hope that this foundation stone will pave the way for a glorious and fulfilling career. I am especially elated to learn that tomorrow marks the passing out of the first batch of female cadets from NDA. Girls, your achievement today is not just your own. It is a breakthrough for thousands of young women across India who look up to you. You are the torchbearers of change, courage, and capability," Ms. Tandon said.
Only one woman cadet from Karnataka undergoing training in NDA
"You have proven that the pursuit of excellence and service knows no gender. Your presence here is historic, and your example will inspire generations to come. I salute your grit, grace, and determination," she said.
Cadet Lucky Kumar secured the first position in the Science stream. Battalion Cadet Captain Prince Kumar Singh Kushwah topped the Computer Science stream, while Division Cadet Captain Shreeti Daksh, one of the 17 female cadets, stood first in the Arts stream. Academy Cadet Captain Udayveer Singh Negi emerged as the topper in the BTech stream. The Passing Out Parade (POP) of the 148th course will be held at the NDA on May 30.
In 2021, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) allowed women to apply to the defence academy following a Supreme Court direction.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Meet NEET UG topper who got 720 marks out of 720, cleared JEE with 99.9 percentile, not only by studying but..., name is...
Meet NEET UG topper who got 720 marks out of 720, cleared JEE with 99.9 percentile, not only by studying but..., name is... It's not a cup of tea for anyone to crack the toughest entrance examination, especially NEET. Lakhs of students appear for the competitive examinations such as NEET, JEE, CUET to get admission in their desired colleges and institutions. After Class 12th, students who wish to pursue an engineering degree appear for the Joint Entrance Examination. At the same time, students aiming for an MBBS must qualify through the NEET examination. Have you ever heard of anyone who has cleared both JEE and NEET? Of course, yes, there have been a few exceptional students who have cleared both JEE and NEET, India's two toughest entrance exams for engineering and medical studies, respectively. This Indian genius studied just 4 hours a day, scored a perfect 720 marks out of 720 in the NEET exam, cracked the JEE exam with 99.9 percentile, and he is… Mrinal Kutteri, who hails from Hyderabad, spent his childhood there along with his parents, younger brother, and grandparents. Though his family hailed from Kerala, it is interesting to note that none of his close relatives are medical professionals. Mrinal Kutteri developed an interest in biology and chemistry from Classes 8 and 9. His serious preparation for NEET commenced in Class 11 and continued for 3.5 years, with guidance from Aakash Institute. During an interview with India Today in 2021, the NEET topper revealed, 'I wanted to initially become an army doctor and live a life of medicine and adventure, but that gradually turned into an interest mainly in medicine. Also, the pandemic had an impact as it was inspiring to see doctors all across the world on the frontlines. Mrinal Kutteri has been a passionate gamer since Class 8. Speaking of his educational qualification, Mrinal Kutteri has got 98.16% in his ICSE Class 10 boards and 88.6% in Class 12 boards. Though he wrote some Olympiads, SpellBees, and quizzes in Class 10, he devoted his major attention to NEET preparation from Classes 11-12. The transition from offline to online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic affected many students' learning experience. But Mrinal enjoyed the change first. Mrinal remembered how, at first, he used to enjoy having much free time during the time of lockdown so that he could give more importance to his hobbies than to his studies. But later his studies went down, and ultimately, he had to experience some time of adjustment before getting back to his routine. Unlike most of the high scorers, he never followed a rigid study schedule. Mrinal admitted that he liked an open style of learning more than sticking to a routine. He felt that spending time creating and attempting to stick to a strict schedule, only to realize it was hard to keep up with, would be a waste of time. In class 12, he had given KVPY and JEE Main without any other preparation apart from his NEET studies. In spite of that, he scored an impressive 99.9 percentile in his JEE Main exam. Hyderabad's Mrinal Kutteri was the NTA NEET 2021 entrance exam topper with All India Rank 1 and a score of 720 out of 720. While speaking with India Today(2021), the NEET topper shared, 'So, I went for a free-form and flexible pattern. I set a goal for each day and how I achieved it was up to me. There were many days when I couldn't achieve the goal, but it was not about getting demotivated or discouraged. Being okay with this free form is what I think really helped me.' Mrinal noted that his study hours fluctuated greatly from day to day. While there were times when he felt extremely productive, there were also days when he couldn't study at all. Despite the variations in his study pattern, Mrinal stated that on average, he studied for around 4 hours each day, and on especially productive days, he managed around 5 hours, in addition to his college duties. But he never went beyond that. As per a Zee News report, Mrinal successfully balanced academics with leisure. To unwind and stay motivated, he often turned to comedy series on Netflix and Prime Video, using light-hearted entertainment as a way to relieve stress. Music played a key role in Mrinal's daily routine, with artists like Taylor Swift and Linkin Park topping his playlist. Their songs served as both motivation and a tool to maintain focus during study sessions. A passionate gamer from Class 8, Mrinal had to pull back from playing during Classes 11 and 12 as he concentrated on his studies. But after NEET, he came back to his favourite pastime eagerly, immersing himself in games such as Rainbow Six and Battlefield on his PlayStation 5.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
A mural painting project in Fort Kochi brings queer realities to a public space
A large, colourful mural is taking shape on one of the walls in Fort Kochi's Poovath Street. Members of the queer community are painting their stories and lived experiences on it. Led by Mia, a transwoman and a visual artist, the four-day mural will reflect the queer community's realities, hopes and dreams of the future. Mia held a workshop earlier in the week for the members of the queer community in Kerala, which discussed issues including that of representation. 'The narratives that emerged at the workshop will be the ones that make it to the mural,' says Mia. 'Being queer, one often has to deal with apathy, indifference and even violence. Most of us have lost homes; but we have found homes and families, too. It was among the most common narratives that emerged at the workshop,' Mia adds. The project is a partnership between the Fearless Collective, a movement that works towards creating spaces for collective imagination, creative thinking and social discourse, and Sahayatrika, a Thrissur-based support group for individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB). Mia, who is working as a freelance artist in Delhi, has a fellowship from the Fearless Collective. The mural project is part of the fellowship. She decided to conduct it in her home State, to understand the current realities here and connect with trans persons and those belonging to gender minorities. Mia was chosen as the Fearless Ambassador after a mural project she did with the collective in Sri Lanka. The idea is to work with communities and provide a platform for its members to bring their narratives to a public space. 'The mural is intended to reclaim public spaces, not only by being visible, but also by having an open space for dialogue and community engagement.' Mia collaborated with Sahayatrika, which has been working as a helpline for the female gender assigned community and has a strong network of people from the community. While Kerala is among the progressive states when it comes to the transgender community in India, the policies tend to remain more on paper than in practice, says Yadhav S R, advocacy co-ordinator of Sahayatrika, which has been at the forefront of crisis interventions for the community. 'Gender minorities still don't have freedom over their bodies, or freedom of expression; many of them still face familial violence and that from the larger community' says Yadhav. The mural project will help many in expressing their trauma in a creative way. 'We do have queer creators advocating for the rights of the community through social and we are are hopeful. But we need to reclaim our space, voice and visibility in every little way we can,' Mia adds. The mural project is not exclusive to the queer community and does not require experience with art . It welcomes anyone who wants to express themselves creatively and declare their solidarity. The mural at Poovath Street, Fort Kochi, will be unveiled on June 8.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
What my kitchen taught me about Pakistani cuisine: Lahori namak, Kasuri methi, and more
For years, I've had a long-standing argument with a friend over whether there is such a thing as Pakistani cuisine. His stance is that Pakistan has no distinctive culinary identity – it's all Indian food, or a mix of North-West Frontier and Afghani cuisine with minor tweaks, rebranded as Pakistani. I disagree. Having cooked many dishes from Pakistani recipes, I believe that while it may not boast entirely unique dishes, Pakistani cuisine has a distinct flavour profile. It can be more robust, with a deeper use of whole spices like brown and green cardamom, and, of course, the country is the birthplace of my favourite aromatic herb, Kasuri methi. There's been a surge of anti-Pakistan sentiment in recent weeks, but I take a slightly John Lennon-ish view – that there must be peace after a point. All the talk about Pakistan made me think of the ingredients in my kitchen that hail from there and have become staples. First up: Lahori namak – what the fancypants call the Himalayan rock salt. It's a better alternative to regular table salt, especially good in salads since it has a delicate flavour of its own. Himalayan black salt or kala namak or Lahori namak is mined from the salt ranges in the Himalayan foothills, primarily in Pakistan. It's not just about the taste either – Lahori namak has a unique mineral composition. Unlike refined salt, which is stripped of its natural elements, this salt retains sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron. I don't usually cook with it, but I do use it in salads, where its delicate umami flavour shines. Now to my favourite ingredient: Kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves. I had never really given its antecedents much thought, until the recent Indo-Pak tensions turned Facebook groups into battlegrounds. Someone posted a passionate appeal titled 'Stop calling dried methi leaves Kasuri methi.' I, innocently, assumed it was a nomenclature debate, but no, the point was that we should stop using the word 'Kasuri' because Kasuri methi comes from the Kasur region in Pakistan, where unique soil conditions give the fenugreek leaves a particularly fragrant quality. It's an ingredient I can't recommend enough. A teaspoon is enough to elevate any curry or sabzi – just rub the dried leaves between your palms to release their oils, and add them at the end of cooking, almost like you would with fresh coriander. If you're using Kasuri methi, skip the coriander or curry leaves. Another Pakistani pantry staple I swear by: Shan masalas. Whether it's biryani, kebabs, raan or chholey, if you want flavours that rival the best restaurant or even a top Amritsari dhaba, this is your shortcut. I've used Shan masalas since I started cooking. Each packet includes whole spices and pre-measured salt. If you're not a confident cook or don't want to experiment, just follow the instructions on the box, and you'll feel like you're a chef at a five-star North West Frontier Province restaurant. Author of The Sweet Kitchen, and chef-owner of Food For Thought Catering ... Read More
