IMA Passing Out Parade 2025: President Murmu hails first female NDA cadets as watershed moment
Synopsis
For the first time in its history, the Indian Military Academy commissioned women officers who entered through the NDA pipeline — nine cadets whose graduation President Murmu called a watershed moment. It is the concrete result of a Supreme Court order four years in the making, and a signal that women's structural integration into the officer cadre has moved from courtroom to parade ground.
Key Takeaways
President Droupadi Murmu reviewed the IMA Passing Out Parade in Dehradun on 13 June 2025 .
Nine women cadets were commissioned — the first batch to pass out through the NDA-IMA pipeline.
The President called it 'a watershed moment in the history of IMA ' and a milestone for India's defence forces.
The 158th Regular Course and 141st Technical Graduate Course were reviewed at the parade.
President Murmu urged newly commissioned officers to be ethical leaders carrying the trust of over 140 crore citizens .
Foreign cadets also participated, reflecting India's commitment to international defence cooperation.
President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday, 13 June reviewed the Passing Out Parade of the 158th Regular Course and the 141st Technical Graduate Course at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, describing the graduation of the first batch of women cadets from the National Defence Academy (NDA) pipeline as 'a watershed moment in the history of IMA.'
Historic Participation of Women Cadets
The President expressed particular delight at the presence of nine women cadets at the parade, marking the first time female officers have passed out through the IMA after completing training that originated from the NDA. 'This is not only a milestone in the history of India's defence forces but also an inspiring example of India's march towards women-led development,' the President's Secretariat stated, quoting President Murmu.
She expressed confidence that the inclusion of women in the armed forces would continue to grow, and that many more women cadets would join the Academy in the coming years. This milestone follows the Supreme Court's 2021 order permitting women to appear for the NDA entrance examination — a ruling that set in motion the multi-year training pipeline culminating in Saturday's parade.
Message to Newly Commissioned Officers
Addressing the graduating officer cadets, President Murmu reminded them of the weight of their commission. 'You are the protectors of our nation's sovereignty, unity, and integrity. You carry the sacred trust of over 140 crore citizens,' she said, according to the statement from the President's Secretariat.
She urged the officers to embrace lifelong learning and ethical leadership, stressing that the Indian Army must remain adaptive and future-ready in an era of rapidly evolving security challenges and technological advances. Officers were specifically advised to lead from the front, care for their soldiers, and uphold institutional traditions while ensuring operational effectiveness and troop welfare.
Foreign Cadets and India's Global Defence Ties
President Murmu also congratulated cadets from friendly foreign nations who participated in the training programme alongside their Indian counterparts. She noted that their presence at IMA reflects India's commitment to fostering friendship, cooperation, and peaceful relations across the world.
'The bonds of mutual trust, understanding, and professional camaraderie that cadets develop here strengthen defence cooperation among nations,' she said. The IMA has a long tradition of training officers from allied and partner countries, reinforcing India's role as a regional security partner.
What This Moment Signals
The commissioning of nine women officers through the IMA on 13 June 2025 is the direct outcome of a policy shift that has unfolded over several years. Women were first permitted to sit the NDA exam following the Supreme Court's landmark 2021 directive, and their induction into the full residential training pipeline at the NDA — followed by the IMA's pre-commissioning course — represents a structural, not merely symbolic, integration into the officer cadre.
With the President herself calling it a watershed, the event is expected to encourage further expansion of women's roles across all three services. The next step, observers note, will be how swiftly the Army scales intake numbers beyond the current cohort.
Point of View
Not a ceremonial one — it closes the loop on the Supreme Court's 2021 NDA order and proves the full training pipeline works end to end. But nine is a very small number for an army of over a million. The real test is whether the intake scales meaningfully in the next two to three cycles, or whether this cohort becomes a headline that flatters without fundamentally changing the gender composition of the officer cadre. President Murmu's confidence that 'many more' will follow needs an institutional framework — targets, timelines, and infrastructure at both NDA and IMA — to become reality rather than aspiration.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the IMA Passing Out Parade on 13 June 2025?
President Droupadi Murmu reviewed the Passing Out Parade of the 158th Regular Course and the 141st Technical Graduate Course at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun on 13 June 2025. The parade was historic because nine women cadets — the first batch to complete the NDA-to-IMA training pipeline — were commissioned as officers.
Why is this IMA parade considered a watershed moment?
It marks the first time women who entered through the National Defence Academy have completed the full training pipeline and been commissioned at IMA. President Murmu described it as a watershed moment in IMA's history and a milestone for India's defence forces, stemming from a Supreme Court order in 2021 that opened NDA admissions to women.
How many women cadets were commissioned at IMA on 13 June 2025?
Nine women cadets were commissioned at the parade, according to the statement from the President's Secretariat. President Murmu expressed confidence that many more women cadets would join the Academy in the future.
What did President Murmu say to the newly commissioned officers?
President Murmu told the officers they are 'protectors of our nation's sovereignty, unity, and integrity' carrying the sacred trust of over 140 crore citizens. She urged them to embrace lifelong learning, ethical leadership, and to keep the Indian Army adaptive and future-ready amid rapidly changing security challenges.
What is the significance of foreign cadets at IMA?
President Murmu noted that foreign cadets from friendly nations participating in the IMA training programme reflect India's commitment to fostering international friendship and defence cooperation. The professional bonds formed at IMA, she said, strengthen bilateral and multilateral defence ties.
