Rajnath Singh to review Air Force Academy graduation parade in Hyderabad on June 13
Synopsis
India's first batch of NDA women cadets will receive their commission at the Air Force Academy in Hyderabad on June 13, as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviews the Combined Graduation Parade of 217 Course — a historic milestone in the IAF's integration of women from the country's premier tri-services institution.
Key Takeaways
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be the Reviewing Officer at the Combined Graduation Parade of 217 Course on 13 June at AFA Dundigal, Hyderabad .
Singh will confer the President's Commission and award Wings , Brevets , and the President's Plaque to top-merit cadets.
The parade will commission the first batch of women cadets from NDA, Pune , who passed out on 30 May 2025 .
Trainees from the Indian Navy , Indian Coast Guard , and Socialist Republic of Vietnam will also receive commissions.
Aerial displays will include the SU-30 MKI , Sarang helicopter team, and the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) , with flypasts led by Air Chief Marshal A.P.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will serve as the Reviewing Officer at the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) of 217 Course at the Air Force Academy (AFA), Dundigal, Hyderabad, on 13 June, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on Tuesday. The ceremony marks the successful completion of pre-commissioning training for Flight Cadets across multiple branches of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
What the Ceremony Involves
Singh will confer the President's Commission on graduating trainees during the event. Wings and Brevets will be presented to Flight Cadets of the IAF, along with officers and trainees from the Indian Navy, the Indian Coast Guard, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, according to the Ministry. The Defence Minister will also award the President's Plaque to cadets finishing first in the overall order of merit across the Flying, Navigation, and Ground Duty branches.
Historic First: NDA Women Cadets Commissioned
This CGP carries particular significance as it will mark the commissioning of the first batch of women cadets from the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune. These cadets passed out of the NDA on 30 May 2025 and subsequently joined the AFA for branch-specific training — a landmark moment in the IAF's expanding inclusion of women in combat and operational roles.
Aerial Displays and Flypast
The parade will open with displays by the Akash Ganga skydiving team and the Air Warrior Drill Team (AWDT). Flypasts, led by IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, will feature four trainer aircraft types: the Pilatus PC-7 MkII, Hawk, Kiran, and Chetak. Aerial highlights include a display by the SU-30 MKI, the Sarang helicopter display team, and the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT).
Significance of the Event
The CGP is one of the IAF's most prestigious ceremonial occasions, transforming Flight Cadets into commissioned officers. The inclusion of trainees from Vietnam and the Indian Coast Guard underscores the parade's broader strategic and inter-service character. The commissioning of the first NDA women cadets adds a historic dimension to what is already a high-profile defence event, watched closely by the armed forces community and policymakers alike.
Point of View
And this first graduating cohort reaching operational branches of the IAF represents the closing of that legal loop. The broader question is pace: one batch in three years signals progress, but the pipeline will need to scale substantially before inclusion becomes systemic rather than symbolic. The presence of a Vietnamese contingent also quietly signals the IAF's growing role as a soft-power instrument in India's Indo-Pacific outreach.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Combined Graduation Parade at Air Force Academy Hyderabad?
The Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) is the IAF's pre-commissioning ceremony held at Air Force Academy, Dundigal, Hyderabad, where Flight Cadets completing training are formally commissioned as officers. It includes the award of Wings, Brevets, and the President's Commission by the Reviewing Officer.
Who will be the Reviewing Officer at the June 13 CGP?
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will serve as the Reviewing Officer at the Combined Graduation Parade of 217 Course on 13 June 2025 at AFA Dundigal, Hyderabad, as announced by the Ministry of Defence.
Why is the June 2025 CGP historically significant?
This CGP will commission the first batch of women cadets from the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune, who passed out on 30 May 2025. It marks the first time NDA-trained women officers are being inducted into IAF branches, following the academy's opening to women in 2022.
Which aircraft will feature in the flypast and aerial displays?
The flypast will feature four trainer types — the Pilatus PC-7 MkII, Hawk, Kiran, and Chetak — led by IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh. Aerial displays will include the SU-30 MKI, the Sarang helicopter display team, and the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT).
Which other services and countries have trainees at this CGP?
Apart from IAF Flight Cadets, trainees from the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam will also receive commissions at the 13 June ceremony.
