CM Samrat Choudhary hails Bihar's Bhavna Kanth as India's first woman Top Gun
Synopsis
Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary hailed Bhavna Kanth of Darbhanga for completing the IAF's prestigious TADCE Fighter Combat Leader Course, making her India's first woman 'Top Gun' — a milestone built on the country's landmark 2015 decision to open combat aviation roles to women.
Key Takeaways
Bhavna Kanth , originally from Ghanshyampur, Darbhanga, Bihar , has become India's first woman to complete the IAF's TADCE Fighter Combat Leader Course , earning the 'Top Gun' designation.
Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary congratulated her on August 8, 2026 , calling the feat a matter of pride for Bihar and the entire nation.
Bhavna Kanth was among the first three women commissioned as IAF fighter pilots in 2016 , following the Government of India's 2015 policy opening combat roles to women.
The TADCE course is the IAF's elite fighter combat leadership programme, training pilots for complex aerial combat leadership — the Indian equivalent of the internationally known 'Top Gun' school.
The achievement marks the latest milestone in the IAF's decade-long, accelerating integration of women into frontline combat aviation roles.
A daughter of Ghanshyampur, Darbhanga has written her name into Indian Air Force history. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Saturday, August 8, 2026 congratulated Wing Commander Bhavna Kanth for becoming India's first woman 'Top Gun' after successfully completing the IAF's elite TADCE Fighter Combat Leader Course — one of the most demanding combat leadership programmes in the country's military aviation.
Posting in Hindi, CM Choudhary wrote: 'Bihar ki beti ne aasman mein racha naya itihas' — 'Bihar's daughter has scripted new history in the skies.' He called the achievement a matter of pride not just for Bihar but for the entire nation, and said Bhavna's courage, dedication, and excellence would inspire young Indians to dream bigger and set new benchmarks in every field.
From Darbhanga to the cockpit of history
Bhavna Kanth is no stranger to firsts. In 2016, she was among the first three women commissioned as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force — a watershed moment that followed the Government of India's 2015 decision to open fighter and other combat roles to women. That policy shift was historic in itself; what Bhavna has now done is push the ceiling even higher.
The TADCE (Tactics and Air Combat Development and Evaluation) Fighter Combat Leader Course is the IAF's equivalent of the world-famous 'Top Gun' programme — a gruelling, high-stakes curriculum that trains fighter pilots to lead in the most complex aerial combat scenarios. Completing it places Bhavna in an elite tier of Indian military aviators, and doing so as the first woman makes it a landmark that the IAF and the country will mark for years.
Bihar's pride, India's milestone
Chief Ministers routinely highlight homegrown defence achievers, but this one carries genuine national weight. Darbhanga district, a region better known for its cultural heritage and Maithili identity, now has a fighter combat leader as its most decorated daughter. CM Choudhary's message pointedly addressed Bihar's youth — urging them to take 'oonchi udaan' (a high flight) toward their own dreams.
The broader arc here is deliberate and accelerating: since 2016, the IAF has been steadily expanding women's roles in frontline aviation, and each milestone — first female fighter pilot, first to fly in combat exercises, now first Fighter Combat Leader — builds on the last. Bhavna Kanth has been at the centre of that arc from the very beginning.
India's first woman to wear the 'Top Gun' badge didn't just break a barrier — she redrew the map of what's possible in uniform.
Point of View
The post is also astute regional politics: anchoring a national defence milestone to Bihar's identity strengthens the BJP's narrative of development and pride in a state that goes to the polls periodically. The broader pattern — each woman IAF first building on the last — suggests the service is deliberately creating a progression of milestones rather than isolated gestures. The question now is whether TADCE graduation translates into operational command assignments, which would be the next, harder test of institutional intent.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Bhavna Kanth and why is she in the news?
Bhavna Kanth is an Indian Air Force fighter pilot from Ghanshyampur in Darbhanga, Bihar. She is in the news for becoming India's first woman to complete the IAF's elite TADCE Fighter Combat Leader Course, earning the 'Top Gun' designation.
What is the TADCE Fighter Combat Leader Course?
TADCE stands for Tactics and Air Combat Development and Evaluation. It is the Indian Air Force's most advanced fighter combat leadership programme, training pilots to lead in complex aerial combat — widely regarded as India's equivalent of the internationally known 'Top Gun' school.
When did women first become fighter pilots in India?
The Government of India opened combat aviation roles to women in 2015, and in 2016 the IAF commissioned its first three women fighter pilots — Bhavna Kanth among them.
What did Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary say about Bhavna Kanth?
CM Samrat Choudhary congratulated Bhavna Kanth on August 8, 2026, calling her achievement a matter of pride for Bihar and all of India, and said her courage and dedication would inspire the country's youth to aim higher.
Where is Bhavna Kanth from?
Bhavna Kanth is from Ghanshyampur in Darbhanga district, Bihar.
