Breaking Barriers!

In October 2015, the government decided to permit women pilots to join the fighter stream of the IAF. This decision was taken on an experimental basis for a period of five years after which it would be reviewed. The three women — Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh — broke yet another glass ceiling and created history as India’s first women fighter pilots in the IAF when they were conferred with the President’s Commission on June 18 this year. A career as a fighter pilot in the IAF is undoubtedly most challenging and rewarding as well!

The achievement of these three courageous young women, who are in their early 20s, is a significant milestone for the Indian military as a whole as this is the first time that women have been assigned combat role in the Indian armed forces.