Sania Mirza, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur is all set to become India's first female Muslim fighter pilot after securing an overall 149th rank in National Defence Academy (NDA) exam.
Mirza has successfully secured one of the two seats reserved for female candidates in the fighter pilot wing in the Indian Air Force and would be the country’s first Muslim girl and the state’s first IAF pilot.
“There were only two seats reserved for the women in the fighter pilot wing. I failed to grab a seat on the first attempt. However, I managed to bag a seat in the second attempt,” Sania was quoted as saying as per reports.
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About Sania Mirza
Sania Mirza is a resident of a small village named Jasovar in Uttar Pradesh and completed her high school education from Pandit Chintamani Dubey Inter College in her village.
She emerged as the district topper in her 12th UP Board examinations and started preparing for the NDA exams soon after. She secured success in her second attempt at the exam.
Having studied in a Hindi medium school, Sania debunked the myth that only those with a good command over the English language can clear competitive examinations. She said that Hindi medium students too can achieve success if they are determined.
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Sania's father, Shahid Ali, is a television mechanic and her mother is a homemaker. Sania’s mother, Tabassum Mirza said, “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.”
As per reports, she will join NDA Khadakwasla in Pune on December 27.
NDA Examination 2022
In the NDA 2022 examination, there were a total of 400 seats up for grabs, of which 19 were reserved for women. Of these, 2 seats were reserved for women in the fighter pilot wing.
Earlier this year, the Government of India had claimed that the country has the highest number of female commercial pilots globally. As of 2022, India was home to 12.4 per cent of all women pilots in the world, followed by Australia which ranks second, with 7.5 per cent.
(With inputs from agencies)
