India to get its first Muslim woman fighter pilot

Sania Mirza, who will train at the country’s premier defence institute, is the daughter of a television mechanic

A girl from India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state has been selected to become the country’s first female Muslim fighter pilot.

Sania Mirza is the daughter of a television mechanic and will soon on 27 December join the country’s National Defence Academy (NDA), a premier joint defences training institute located in Pune city, reported news agency ANI.

“I was inspired by Flight Lieutenant Avani Chaturvedi and seeing her, I decided to join the NDA. I hope the younger generation will someday get inspired by me,” she was quoted as saying to the outlet.

“From the beginning, she wanted to be like her. Sania is the second girl in the country who has been selected as a fighter pilot,” Shahid Ali was quoted as saying about his daughter.

Earlier this year, India’s federal defence ministry decided to make its experimental scheme of inducting women pilots in the country’s air force permanent.

While women were allowed to join the Indian Air Force as fighter pilots in 2015, the scheme for “Induction of Women SSC officers in Fighter Stream of Flying Branch” began in 2016.

This year, the NDA exam had a total 400 seats up for grabs for both men and women.

Nineteen seats for women, and two for fighter pilots, were reserved. Ms Mirza said she got the spot on her second attempt.

“I could not grab a seat in the first attempt but I have found a place in my second attempt.”

According to her mother Tabassum, Ms Mirza has become an inspiration for her village.

“Our daughter has made us and the entire village proud. She fulfils the dream of becoming the first fighter pilot. She inspired every girl in the village to follow their dreams.”

In 2021, after intervention from India’s Supreme Court, women were allowed to join the National Defence Academy, that feeds officers into the three armed forces services.