Nine women cadets on Saturday created history by winning another battle against the glass ceiling, graduating alongside their male counterparts in a passing-out parade after completing their rigorous year-long training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun.

In 2020, the Supreme Court directed that women officers be granted permanent commission, describing their exclusion as discriminatory. A year later, the court ordered the opening of the NDA to women, paving the way for their entry into the country’s premier tri-services training institution. The first batch of women cadets joined the NDA in 2022.

Having entered the IMA after passing out from the National Defence Academy (NDA), they became the first batch of women officers (Lieutenants) to receive direct permanent commissions in the Indian Army, marking a landmark moment for the 93-year-old IMA.

President Droupadi Murmu reviewed the passing-out parade of 515 officers, including the nine women cadets who marched alongside their male counterparts across the historic Chetwode Drill Square to earn their stars. Terming the induction of the first batch of women officers for permanent commission as a “watershed moment” in the IMA’s history, the President hoped that many more women would follow suit.

The traditional pipping ceremony transformed the academy’s hallowed ground into a scene of celebration, with families gathering on the lawns to pin the new ranks on the shoulders of their sons and daughters.

Shanan Dhaka, who has been posted to eastern Ladakh, was elated. “Coming from a military family, joining the army was not just a career choice but a way of life,” she said. Both her father and grandfather had served in the army. “I would tell everyone to dream big and keep working hard. One day, all your hard work will pay off and you will achieve what you are aiming for,” Dhaka said.

Her father urged parents to encourage their daughters to join the armed forces. “It is a respected profession through which you can serve the country and fulfil your aspirations,” he said.

The historic commissioning also included 23-year-old Sai Jadhav from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, who became the first female cadet to pass out of the IMA to join the Territorial Army, carrying forward a four-generation military legacy. Her great-grandfather served in the British Army, her grandfather was in the Indian Army, and her father, Sandeep Jadhav, is currently a serving Indian Army officer.

“I am especially delighted to see the nine women cadets. This is a watershed moment in the history of IMA. It is not only a milestone in the history of India’s defence forces but also an inspiring example of India’s march towards women-led development. I am sure that many more women cadets will join the Academy,” President Murmu said.

This was the first time in the academy’s history that women graduated to be directly commissioned as officers in the army. Earlier, women could only serve through the Short Service Commission route.