Women from Haryana Lead the Charge at NDA with Highest Cadet Count
New Delhi/Pune, 18th March 2025: Women from Haryana, who have already excelled in wrestling, are now making strides in the defence sector. Currently, 34 women cadets from the state are undergoing rigorous training at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla, Pune.
Following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in 2021-22, allowing women to appear for the NDA entrance exam after Class XII, the number of female cadets in the academy has risen to 121. However, five cadets have dropped out since then.
Apart from Haryana, other states with a strong representation include Uttar Pradesh with 27 cadets, Rajasthan with 13, Maharashtra with 11, Madhya Pradesh with six, and Punjab with four, according to a written response by junior defence minister Sanjay Seth in the Rajya Sabha.
“The NDA entrance is conducted through a nationwide competitive exam by the UPSC, followed by a selection process comprising interviews and physical fitness assessments by the Services Selection Board. There is no state-wise quota or reservation. The first batch of women cadets joined NDA in August 2022,” Seth stated.
Women have been part of the Indian Armed Forces since the early 1990s but were previously inducted only after graduation and through academies like the Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. They were initially enrolled under short-service commissions.
While women officers are now eligible for permanent commission and can rise to the rank of Colonel as commanding officers following Supreme Court intervention, they still constitute a small percentage of the armed forces. Excluding those in the medical branch, women account for only around 3,900 officers in the approximately 70,000-strong officer cadre within the 14-lakh-strong Indian Armed Forces.
