The first female officer in the Indian Air Force to serve in combat was flight lieutenant Gunjan Saxena. She created history in 1999 during the Kargil conflict when, as a flying officer, she piloted a Cheetah aircraft into the area of combat and saved many soldiers.
About Gunjan Saxena
For years, Gunjan Saxena’s family has been recruited by the Indian Army. She gained inspiration from her father and brother, who served in the Indian Army and entered the fray.
After graduating from Delhi University’s Hansraj College, she enlisted in the military; it was more or less a given. Gunjan Saxena and Srividya Rajan were two of the 25 young ladies that made up the initial group of female training pilots for the Indian Air Force in 1994.
When Gunjan joined the IAF, she relocated to Srinagar Air Field. Among the officers, mostly men, she was the lone female pilot. Her admission to the academy caused unease in many people, and she experienced severe discrimination. She wasn’t phased at all by the initial discrimination.
The Pakistani Army fired a rocket at Gunjan’s chopper as it prepared to take off from the Kargil airstrip during one of her harrowing operations. The missile missed the chopper, enabling it to escape the attack. She did not let this tense situation deter her from performing her duties and remained unfazed by it. Even though she was continuously at risk of losing her life, she remained steadfast, as one would anticipate from a true soldier.
She was charged with locating Pakistani positions in the conflict zone, dropping supplies, and performing medical evacuations. Gunjan cited her involvement in the War’s casualty evacuation as her main source of inspiration and satisfaction.
Biography Of Gunjan Saxena
Gunjan Saxena was born in Lucknow in 1975 and came to Delhi to attend Hansraj College to study physics. After completing her degree, Gunjan enrolled for aviation training at the Delhi Flying Club at Safdarjung. In 1994, she and 24 other women joined the Indian Air Force, becoming the first group of women to undergo IAF training.
Her husband, Gautam Narain, also serves as an Indian Air Force pilot, and Saxena’s father, Anup Saxena, served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army. Pragya Narain, the couple’s daughter, was born in 2003. She lives in Jamnagar, a city in Gujarat, with her family.
A recent movie titled “Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl,” starring actress Janhvi Kapoor and premiering on Netflix, was made in an effort to honor Gunjan and share with the audience a tale that is inspirational in many ways. Pankaj Tripathi, Angad Bedi, Vineet Kumar Singh, and Manav Vij played significant roles in the film.
In her novel ‘Kargil: Untold Stories from the War, writer Rachna Bisht Rawat writes how Gunjan flew above the conflict, spanning the Kargil–Tololing–Batalik area.
Gunjan’s extraordinary tale of bravery, which is not commonly told, continues to motivate everyone who learns about her. She not only showed her worth as a nation’s soldier, but she also demonstrated to the world what women are capable of.
The Indian government honored Gunjan Saxena with the renowned shaurya award for her bravery, fortitude, and patriotism.
Gunjan Saxena Pilot
Gunjan Saxena passed the admission test, the SSB, and the clinical examination to become a pilot with the IAF. Gunjan Saxena undoubtedly made history even though female officers weren’t permitted to pilot combat jets back then as they are now.
Along with Srividya Rajan, Gunjan Saxena had the chance to demonstrate her mettle in 1999 during the Kargil War. Being the first female IAF pilot to accomplish so, she wonderfully displayed her spirit during Operation Vijay in Kargil.
Women’s participation in the Indian military has frequently been cut short in comparison to men’s because their position has always been a topic of controversy, especially in combat zones. After serving as a military pilot for seven years, Gunjan Saxena Indian air force service was terminated in July 2004 due to this discrimination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gunjan Saxena was 7 kg overweight and 1 cm shorter than necessary (a permanent impairment) (a temporary disability).
Gautam Narain, Saxena’s husband and a Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force, is also a pilot.
She enlisted in the Indian air force in 1996 and served in the Kargil War in 1999, becoming the first female pilot in a conflict zone.
