Mehakpreet Kaur, daughter of a farmer and a homemaker from Ropar district of Punjab, has secured All India Rank 1 in the merit list of Air Force Academy, a senior officer said Tuesday.

Sharing the information, Maj Gen JS Sandhu (retd), Director of Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, Mohali, said that apart from Mehakpreet, another girl cadet of the institute, Komalpreet Kaur, has been selected to join the National Defence Academy (NDA).

“Mehakpreet is the daughter of Amarjit Singh, a farmer by profession and Rupinder Kaur, a homemaker, of village Paprali in Ropar. Komalpreet, who has secured AIR 18, will be joining the NDA, Khadakwasla. She is the daughter of Havildar Gurmeet Singh of the Army and Baljit Kaur, who are residents of village Shahura in Amritsar,” Maj Gen Sandhu said.

Mai Bhago AFPI is a unique initiative of the Punjab government under the Department of Employment Generation and Training, to enable girls from state to become commissioned officers in the Armed Forces.

Congratulating the two girls for their remarkable feat, Punjab Cabinet minister Aman Arora said that their success will surely spur more young girls from the small towns and villages of Punjab to explore opportunities in serving the nation as commissioned officers in the Defence Services.

Responding to the aspirations of girls from the state to serve the nation, the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took an initiative in 2023, of starting an NDA Preparatory Wing for Girls at Mai Bhago AFPI, said Maj Gen Sandhu.

He said that this achievement, against the minuscule vacancies available for women in the Defence Services, will further provide a boost to their efforts of sending more girls from the state to the Defence Services. He also extended his best wishes to the girls for a bright future ahead.