VARANASI: Sania Mirza, the 17-year-old daughter of a TV mechanic in nondescript Jasovar village in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur district, has secured All India Rank-63 – AIR-10 in the girls’ category – in the 149th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA).
Named after the tennis champion by her mother Tabassum who wanted her daughter to rise and shine, Sania had her role model in Avani Chaturvedi, India’s first woman combat pilot. Sania, who will join the NDA Khadakwasla in Pune on December 27, has chosen the academy’s fighter pilot stream. However, she will have to successfully complete several courses, including the designated training for the flying branch, in the next four years, to be able to become a fighter pilot.
“I am greatly inspired by India’s first woman Flight Lieutenant Avani Chaturvedi, who was inducted into the Indian Air Force fighter squadron in June 2016,” said Sania, adding that she also wanted to motivate the girls to dream for IAF. “In the beginning of my school days, I wanted to become an engineer. But later, I decided to go for NDA,” she said.
The daughter of TV mechanic Shahid Ali and homemaker Tabassum Mirza, Sania cracked the exam in second attempt to join IAF. The youngest among the siblings, Sania did her schooling in Hindi medium in her village and passed the 12th exam from Guru Nanak Girls Inter College in Mirzapur. She was the district topper of UP Board.
She missed the first attempt in the NDA examination. She is good in studies and was always dreaming to become a fighter pilot like her role model Avani Chaturvedi,” said her father Shahid, who has three children, including two sons. Sania gives the credit for her success to her parents. “I am very grateful to my parents, who gave me all the support to achieve my dream,” she said. “My daughter made our family as well as the entire village proud by achieving her goal,” said an elated Tabassum.
“She has proved that a girl from a remote village can hit such a big target,” said the mother, adding that the success of her daughter made the family forget all the hardships they were facing. In the National Defence Academy 2022 examination, there were a total of 400 seats, including male and female. In the Air Force, there were 92 seats (including two female candidates) for flying, 18 seats (including two for female candidates) for ground duty (technical), and 10 seats (including two for female candidates) for non-technical ground duty
Named after the tennis champion by her mother Tabassum who wanted her daughter to rise and shine, Sania had her role model in Avani Chaturvedi, India’s first woman combat pilot. Sania, who will join the NDA Khadakwasla in Pune on December 27, has chosen the academy’s fighter pilot stream. However, she will have to successfully complete several courses, including the designated training for the flying branch, in the next four years, to be able to become a fighter pilot.
“I am greatly inspired by India’s first woman Flight Lieutenant Avani Chaturvedi, who was inducted into the Indian Air Force fighter squadron in June 2016,” said Sania, adding that she also wanted to motivate the girls to dream for IAF. “In the beginning of my school days, I wanted to become an engineer. But later, I decided to go for NDA,” she said.
The daughter of TV mechanic Shahid Ali and homemaker Tabassum Mirza, Sania cracked the exam in second attempt to join IAF. The youngest among the siblings, Sania did her schooling in Hindi medium in her village and passed the 12th exam from Guru Nanak Girls Inter College in Mirzapur. She was the district topper of UP Board.
She missed the first attempt in the NDA examination. She is good in studies and was always dreaming to become a fighter pilot like her role model Avani Chaturvedi,” said her father Shahid, who has three children, including two sons. Sania gives the credit for her success to her parents. “I am very grateful to my parents, who gave me all the support to achieve my dream,” she said. “My daughter made our family as well as the entire village proud by achieving her goal,” said an elated Tabassum.
“She has proved that a girl from a remote village can hit such a big target,” said the mother, adding that the success of her daughter made the family forget all the hardships they were facing. In the National Defence Academy 2022 examination, there were a total of 400 seats, including male and female. In the Air Force, there were 92 seats (including two female candidates) for flying, 18 seats (including two for female candidates) for ground duty (technical), and 10 seats (including two for female candidates) for non-technical ground duty
