Chandigarh, June 6: A farmer’s daughter from Punjab secured the top spot in the country on the Air Force Academy merit list, leading a celebration of women in defense services by the state government on Friday.
Punjab Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Minister Aman Arora, alongside Additional Chief Secretary Vikas Pratap, honored Mehakpreet Kaur for achieving the all-India top rank during a ceremony at Punjab Bhawan. Another cadet from the Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, Komalpreet Kaur, was recognized for securing the 18th position on the National Defence Academy merit list.
“To be ranked first in AFCAT and 18th NDA exams among lakhs aspirants, takes fire in the belly,” Arora declared during the event. “Our daughters have that fire.”
The minister maintained that the state government remains dedicated to supporting youth aspiring to enter the defense forces, noting that 377 cadets from the Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Mai Bhago preparatory institutes have joined the armed forces since 2022. He affirmed that Punjab stands as the sole state in the country running a dedicated defense preparatory institute for girls, which added an NDA wing in 2023.
The infrastructure for defense training is slated for further growth. Arora stated that the Sardar Bahadur Amin Chand Soni Armed Forces Preparatory Institute in Hoshiarpur will open shortly. Additionally, the state will soon lay the foundation stone for another facility in Sangrur, alongside ongoing modernization efforts at 14 specialized training centers across Punjab.
Vikas Pratap stated that the achievements of the young women show the success of structured defense training for both male and female candidates. He asserted that the training helped shatter the glass ceiling for daughters of Punjab coming from small towns and rural areas.
Mai Bhago Institute Director Major General Jasbir Singh Sandhu noted that securing the highest national rank is an extraordinary achievement given the limited vacancies available for women. He stated that the success provides a significant boost to the mission of increasing the representation of Punjab’s women in uniform.
