Meet Captain Ruchi Sharma, India's first female operational paratrooper

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media appeal for Women’s Day 2020 brought to fore inspiring stories from across India.

Among the stories shared was one of Captain Ruchi Sharma — Indian Army’s first operational paratrooper.

According to an SSB Crack Exams report, she was commissioned into the Army Ordnance Corps in 1996 to become the country’s first female operational paratrooper. Her first jump was in 1997, but she had to quit in 2003 for personal reasons. Captain Sharma, who is married to an Army officer, has been felicitated by President Ram Nath Kovind too.

Notably, paratroopers are elite officers who leap off aircraft from high altitudes and are usually deployed in some of the country’s top covert operations.

Speaking about her profession, the officer, who belongs to a league of 350 women who literally changed the face of the Indian Defence Forces, said: “Paratroopers have an aura of their own. I always dreamed of breaking into this league of extraordinary gentlemen.”

The retired para officer further said: “I was ready for combat and as an individual, I think women should be given a chance to take up combat arms. I am not even saying men and women have equal physical strength. Having women will result in a good, healthy institution.”

Sharma is the daughter of an Indian Army officer and both of them are the alumni of the Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai.

Her inspiring story was also shared by the official Twitter account of the Defence Ministry’s spokesperson. It read:

Sky is not the limit
Capt Ruchi Sharma, first operational paratrooper of the #IndianArmy. She still motivates women of all ages to serve the country. #WomensDay href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IWD2020src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IWD2020 #EachforEqual #SheInspiresUs pic.twitter.com/PJYVOo9FNP

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— ADG (M&C) DPR (@SpokespersonMoD) March 6, 2020