Passing Out Parade of 148th course: First women cadets speak of battles fought, injuries that tested limits and bonds that held them through

Cadet Swati Dusad said, “it is a historic moment for all of us and this is an outcome of dedicated work put in by innumerable people including NDA officers, faculty, support staff. And it is not just our course, even before we came here, there were many women officers, who wanted this to happen. There is a long battle that was fought for us to reach here and it will be fought even in future. There are many battles which will have to be fought ahead.”

Cadet Swati, who is an Army cadet and is set to join the Indian Military Academy, said, “I am from Agra and I have a defence background.

My father is serving as Subedar in 9 Rajputana Rifles. He has been my motivation since the beginning. I have closely seen what life in the defence forces is. Earlier, I used to think of becoming an engineer but after a while forces attracted me like a magnet. I am moving to IMA from here and I want to join an arm of the Indian Army where I can prove my mettle and make my alma mater proud.”

Cadet Sheetal said, “It was difficult initially, especially the physical training part and managing the time. But we all overcame those difficulties together — both female and male cadets — through the bonds and camaraderie we developed.” When asked about the integration of female cadets with the squadron, where they started living in individual squadrons, “It felt different initially but it turned out to be very good – beyond our expectations. We all did our training, camps, PT, drills together.”

When asked about the challenges, Sheetal said,”When we are to start something which is new, there are apprehensions whether we would be able to do it or not, whether things will be tough on a physical level. But when we actually start doing it, you realise it is all about mental strength and agility. There are many barriers we have broken which we still can’t believe that we have. It is a great feeling that all 17 of us are passing out from here together.” With both of Sheetal’s parents from civilian background, she is set to become the first armed forces officer from the family. She is set to join the Army.

Cadet Srishti Singh said, “There have been injuries that happened in the journey. At that moment, you know your limits. So the academy is also a place that helps you understand your limits and ensure that you don’t exceed those. But also teaches you how to overcome those in a methodical way. My grand uncle, my mother’s maternal uncle, was an Ex-NDA who was martyred in 1962. I grew up listening to his stories. That left a very deep imprint about the NDA in my mind.”

Cadet Ishita Sangwan said, “The journey as the NDA is like a challenging trek. There are injuries, even I had a serious injury. But when we look at the bigger picture, you realise these were part and parcel of that journey. So then you learn from them, you start knowing yourself better. And during these phases, we always have officers and coursemates to support you, stand by you. I never had the feeling that I was lagging behind. I had help from coursemates in academics and in every aspect of training.” Ishita added, “An Ex-NDA officer is always told whenever you are going through hard times, just think of your academy and you will feel that it is a small issue. That is how NDA prepares you.”