Meet Sania Mirza, India’s first Muslim woman to become a fighter pilot

Sania Mirza, the daughter of a TV mechanic from Uttar Pradesh, is going to become the country’s first Muslim woman fighter pilot. Mirza has secured 149th rank in National Defence Academy (NDA) exam, paving the way for her to realise her dream of becoming a fighter pilot.

This is not her first attempt to crack the exam. “There were only two seats reserved for the women in the fighter pilot wing. I failed to grab a seat in the first attempt. However, I managed to bag a seat in the second attempt,” Mirza told ETV Bharat online.

With this feat, Mirza has become the pride of her family and her village – she is a resident of Jasovar village under the Mirzapur Dehat Kotwali police station area of Uttar Pradesh, reports ANI.

Her mother Tabassum Mirza said, "Our daughter has made us and the entire village proud. She fulfils the dream of becoming the first fighter pilot. She inspired every girl in the village to follow their dreams."
Mirza, a district topper in the 12th UP Board, studied in a Hindi-medium school till Class 10. She hopes her achievement will inspire other youngsters and teach them that studying in Hindi medium is not a barrier to success.

She counts Flight Lieutenant Avani Chaturvedi as her inspiration, telling ANI: “I was very much inspired by Flight Lieutenant Avani Chaturvedi and seeing her I decided to join NDA. I hope younger generation will someday get inspired by me.”