First batch of NDA-trained women cadets commissioned as Army officers

📌 Summary:

• The first batch of 17 women cadets trained at the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune, was commissioned on Saturday, a year after crossing the symbolic 'Antim Pag' (final step)
• President Droupadi Murmu presided as nine of them were commissioned as officers in the Indian Army at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun
• This is the first time women officers join the forces with a permanent commission via the NDA route
• It was enabled by an interim Supreme Court order of August 2021, allowing eligible women to sit the NDA and Naval Academy entrance exams conducted by the UPSC
• The first women cadets joined the NDA in July-August 2022 as part of its 148th course

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS1 (Society — women empowerment) and GS2 (role of judiciary in expanding rights); a landmark in gender integration in the armed forces.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• NDA is in Khadakwasla, Pune; IMA is in Dehradun
• Women were allowed into the NDA following an August 2021 Supreme Court interim order; first batch joined in the 148th NDA course (2022)
• NDA/Naval Academy entrance exams are conducted by the UPSC

🔑 Key Term: Permanent Commission — a tenure allowing an officer to serve until retirement (with pension), as distinct from a Short Service Commission's limited tenure.