NDA Women Cadets: 17 Graduate in Historic Milestone
Why in the news
Seventeen women cadets graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA), a step seen as opening the way for women to reach the top of the armed forces in future.
Key facts
- NDA graduation: 17 women cadets passed out, a milestone for gender-inclusive military leadership.
- Women cadets were first admitted to the NDA in 2022; the Agnipath scheme also covered women recruits that year.
- Women form only about 4% of the Army, which has around one million personnel.
- Around 1,700 women officers serve across different arms and services.
Women in the forces: timeline
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 1888 | Military Nursing Service brings women into service |
| 1958 | Army Medical Corps takes women doctors on regular commissions |
| 1992 | Women Special Entry Scheme opens non-medical short service roles |
| 2008 | Permanent Commission in limited branches |
| 2015 | Air Force begins experimental induction of women in combat roles |
| 2020 | Supreme Court mandates Permanent Commission across eligible arms |
| 2022 | Women cadets inducted into the NDA |
Exam angle
- Remember the sequence: Women Special Entry Scheme (1992), Supreme Court Permanent Commission order (2020), NDA entry (2022).
- Questions may ask the year women were first inducted into the NDA.
- Link with gender equality and women in defence for descriptive papers.