Defense Ministry to induct Women fighter pilots into IAF permanent scheme

The defence ministry has decided to make the Indian Air Force's trial scheme for inducting female fighter pilots permanent. On Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the decision demonstrates India's 'Nari Shakti' (women power) potential and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to women empowerment.

"The MoD has decided to convert the Experimental Scheme for Induction of Women Fighter Pilots in the Indian Air Force into a permanent scheme," he said on Twitter.

"It is a testimony to the capability of India's 'Nari Shakti' and our PM Shri@narendramodi's commitment towards women empowerment," he added.

The ruling came months after the Supreme Court cleared the door for women to enrol at the famed National Defence Academy (NDA), which had previously been a male-dominated institution, for recruitment into the three services.

In 2018, Indian Air Force flying officer Avani Chaturvedi made history by becoming the first Indian woman to fly a fighter plane solo.

In her first solo flight, she piloted a MiG-21 bison.

Chaturvedi was commissioned as a flying officer as part of a three-woman team in July 2016, less than a year after the government chose to open the fighter stream to women on a trial basis.

The Navy plans to deploy its first batch of female pilots on the Dornier maritime aircraft in 2020.

It has placed 28 female officers on board 15 frontline vessels, including the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, and the number is expected to rise as further appointments are made.

In a momentous development, the Army began inducting women into the military police force in 2019.

The military police's responsibilities include policing cantonments and army installations, stopping soldiers from breaking rules and regulations, ensuring the movement of soldiers and logistics during peace and conflict, and assisting civil police when needed.