It was on 8th October 1932 that the Indian Air Force was established, even though back then it was to support the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom. Since then, Air Force Day is celebrated every year on this date in India, celebrating the aerial arm of defence forces that keep our country safe and secure.
Indian Air Force secures the Indian airspace, performs aerial functions in times of conflicts and also provides assistance during natural calamities. It is a matter of pride to note that the Indian Air Force is the fourth largest in the world, smaller only than that of the US, China, and Russia. And while we are at it, let’s take this opportunity to pay homage to the women in the IAF who are out there, being perfect role models.
Here are women in the IAF that are making us proud.
Dr Padmavathy Bandopadhyay
India’s first woman Air Marshal in the Indian Air Force, Bandopadhyay joined the IAF in 1968. She served as the medical officer in the armed forces. She broke the glass ceiling and became the second woman in the Indian armed forces to be promoted to a three-star rank. Bandopadhyay has also received several awards including the Param Vishisht Seva, Ati Vishisht and Vishisht Seva Medals.
Gunjan Saxena
While it was the movie on the Kargil veteran that refreshed our memory of her story, her achievements are etched in history forever. Gunjan Saxena had joined the IAF in 1994, and just five years later, she became one of the first two women to enter the Kargil War. Saxena helped immensely in evacuating the casualties from the war zone, as well as in the transport of supplies. Her career ended in 2004, due to the unavailability of permanent commissions of women in the air force.
Sreevidya Rajan
The biopic on Gunjan Saxena may have implied that she was the only female pilot flying into the war zone, but the reality is that there were not one, but two. Sreevidya Rajan was Gunjan Saxena’s course mate, and she claims that she was the first one to enter the combat zone during the Kargil War. Irrespective of who went first, the fact remains that both women successfully and fearlessly worked through the war as brilliant pilots. Rajan’s contributions must not be forgotten.
Avani Chaturvedi
The 27-year-old Flight Lieutenant was inducted into the Indian Air Force fighter squadron in 2016 as a fighter pilot. She had received her training from the Hyderabad Air Force Academy. In 2018, she became the first Indian woman to fly solo in a supersonic fighter jet. After that, she was promoted to become a Flight Lieutenant.
Bhawana Kanth
Kanth is one of the first three female pilots inducted into the Indian Air Force. She also became the first woman fighter pilot to take part in the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) tableau at the Republic Day parade at Delhi’s Rajpath this year. Kanth was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar for her achievements.
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