Historic First: NDA Woman Cadet Siddhi Jain Wins President’s Bronze Medal

Historic First:
The National Defence Academy (NDA) created history as woman cadet Siddhi Jain became the first female cadet to be awarded the President’s Bronze Medal for academic excellence during the 149th Passing Out Parade held at Khetrapal Ground, Pune.

This is the second consecutive year that woman cadets at the NDA have secured prestigious academic honours since their induction. Siddhi Jain, who hails from Ujhani in Uttar Pradesh and comes from a non-military family, left her engineering program at NIT and cracked the NDA examination on her second attempt.

The Passing Out Parade included 329 cadets, of which 15 were women and 18 were from friendly foreign nations. Vice Admiral Anil Jaggi was present as the Reviewing Officer.

Other major honours included:

Deepak Kandpal – President’s Gold Medal for Best All-Round Cadet

Siddharth Singh – President’s Silver Medal

‘Golf’ Squadron – Chief of Staff Banner

Ananya Baloni (Computer Science) also earned the Silver Medal for Academic Excellence.

Siddhi Jain’s Reaction

She stated, “Standing on the podium for the medal was surreal. I had never imagined this moment. The first term was challenging, but constant support from instructors helped me succeed.”

Navy Chief’s Message

Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi addressed the cadets, saying:
“Rapidly evolving technology, courage, competence, and character will define future warriors. A military career does not promise comfort, but it guarantees a meaningful life.”

Controversy

Journalists boycotted the event after a last-minute change in seating arrangements caused inconvenience. The Pune Union of Working Journalists demanded action and inquiry into the incident.