In a landmark moment for the Indian armed forces, the first batch of 17 female cadets graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, marching alongside over 300 male cadets during the 148th Passing Out Parade held on Friday at the Khadakwasla campus.
These cadets entered the prestigious tri-services institution in 2022 following a Supreme Court interim order that opened the doors of the NDA to women for the first time. Their graduation marks a significant step toward gender inclusion in India’s military training framework.
The women cadets were part of a broader cohort that included cadets from the Science, Computer Science, Arts, and B.Tech streams. Division Cadet Captain Shriti Daksh secured the top rank in the Bachelor of Arts stream, while Cadet Lucky Kumar, Battalion Cadet Captain Prince Kumar Singh Kushwaha, and Cadet Captain Udayveer Singh Negi led their respective academic streams in Science, Computer Science, and B.Tech.
Degrees were formally conferred on Wednesday through the NDA’s affiliation with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). In total, 84 cadets received Bachelor of Science degrees, 85 were awarded degrees in Computer Science, 59 graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees, and 111 received B.Tech degrees.
Following the completion of their training, cadets will proceed to their respective pre-commissioning academies: the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun, the Indian Naval Academy (INA) in Ezhimala, and the Air Force Academy (AFA) in Dundigal.
Since the inclusion of women in 2022, a total of 126 female cadets have joined the NDA across six batches, with five having resigned during training. The institution maintains that training remains largely gender-neutral, though select activities have been adapted to accommodate physiological differences.