First Batch of Women Cadets Passes Out from IMA, Marking a New Chapter

The first batch of nine female officer cadets (OCs) was commissioned as Army officers at the Passing Out Parade (POP) of the 158th Regular Course and the 141st Technical Graduate Course held in Dehradun on Saturday, in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, adding a historic chapter to the rich legacy of the 93-year-old Indian Military Academy.

After completing their NDA training, the first batch of female officer cadets, marking a historic first for the IMA, joined the academy. They were among the 515 officer cadets who graduated and were commissioned into their respective armies, including 34 foreign officer cadets from 16 countries.

President Droupadi Murmu, who presided over the ceremony as the POP’s reviewing officer, praised the IMA gathering, calling it a ‘major milestone.’

The President said,

The passing out of the first female cadets from the academy is an important step toward women’s empowerment. I hope that this will encourage many more young women to join the Army in the years to come.

From college partners to serving officers

Robin Singh Talan and Swati Kumari were college partners who dreamed of serving in uniform. Their journey reached what they described as ‘its most blissful chapter’ on Saturday when Robin was commissioned into the Army. His wife, already a Navy officer, was in the audience, applauding proudly.