Allowed to take the examination for admission to the National Defence Academy in November after the Supreme Court smashed the glass ceiling at the premier military school, 1,002 women have cleared it, striking a huge blow for equality in the armed forces.
“Of the 8,009 candidates who have cleared the exam, 7,007 are men and 1,002 are women,” an official said on condition of anonymity. Women account for 12.51 percent of those who passed the test. Before being allowed to the NDA, they will have to pass a personality and IQ examination, as well as physical and medical testing.
Only around 5% of the men who passed the written exam made it through every year.
After the Supreme Court, in a momentous judgement on August 18, opened the academy's doors to women, this was their first attempt at the entrance exam being conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) at centres across India.
"Nearly 570,000 applications have been received," a second official stated on condition of anonymity. "Of them, 178,000 are women."
The Supreme Court's decision to allow women to join the NDA, which was formally established 66 years ago and had previously been a male-dominated force, came nearly three decades after they were allowed to serve as short-service commission (SSC) officers in select branches of the army, air force, and navy.
Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane set the tone for inviting female cadets into the Khadakwasla-based academy a fortnight before the exam. The academy now has a maximum training capacity of roughly 2,000 cadets per year.
Over the last six years, the number of women serving in the military has nearly tripled, with more opportunities opening up all the time. There were 9,118 women serving in the Army, Navy, and Air Force as of February.
