First Batch Of Women Officer To Be Inducted In Indian Military Academy

The first batch of women cadets is set to graduate from the National Defence Academy (NDA) in May after completing three years of training, as reported by Hindustan Times.

These cadets joined the tri-services academy in August 2022. Currently, the NDA trains 126 women cadets at various stages of their training.

“One of the significant changes is that the Indian Military Academy (IMA) will induct women cadets for the first time in almost 93 years, marking a historic milestone. It is currently the only military academy in the country that does not train women,” said an official.

This development comes nearly three decades after women were permitted to serve in select branches of the armed forces as short-service commission (SSC) officers and 18 months after the Supreme Court ruled that women officers joining the Indian Army through SSC are entitled to permanent commission and command roles.

In August 2021, the Supreme Court directed the government to allow women to take the NDA entrance exam, leading to the induction of the first batch in 2022.

At the Indian Military Academy (IMA), separate accommodation has been allocated for women officer cadets, though they will train alongside their male counterparts in different companies.

According to another official, IMA representatives have visited several training academies, including the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai, the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, and the Indian Naval Academy in Ezhimala, to assess various aspects of training women and address gender-specific needs.

Students in Class 12 become eligible to take the NDA and Naval Academy Examination, which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Candidates who pass the exam undergo a five-day personality and intelligence test by the Services Selection Board.

Finally, the selected candidates undergo a medical examination before the UPSC publishes the final merit list.