India has all the reasons to celebrate as it was on the morning of May 30, 2025, when the first batch of 17 women cadets graduated from the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA). The 17 young women cadets had taken part in the passing out parade at NDA, and the josh was high. All the parents of the women cadets were filled with a lot of emotion as the first ever women’s batch etched history. Parents of Army cadet, Sheetal Mehalan, cadet, Ishita Sangwan and Ritul Duhan are super proud. The parents were in tears as they hugged their daughters and broke gender stereotypes.
The Indian defence sector has mostly been seen as a male-dominated and driven field where soldiers are martyred for the nation and serve the country. Amid this, the 17 women cadets had their passing out parade against the 300 male cadets and made a significant shift in the history of military training. Here’s more to know about a few women cadets who passed out from the NDA in 2025, for the first time etching history.
Meet Army Cadet, Sheetal Mehalan, who got 96% in class 12 boards
Army Cadet, Sheetal Mehalan’s dad, Ashok Mehalan, in an interview with the Times of India, shared that his daughter is not just his now but is also the daughter of India. Speaking of Sheetal, she comes from Sanchana town, which is located in Haryana’s Rohtak and has always been brilliant in her academics. Sheetal had also won the award for best student, post she scored 95% in her class X exams. She studied at Spring Board School, Sonipat, and got 96% in her class X11 exams. Sheetal’s dad, Ashok, is a trader by profession and speaking of his daughter, who made him proud, he and Sheetal’s mom shared: