Meet the Cadet Who Chose NDA Over IIT to Become the First Woman President’s Medalist

Siddhi is the first woman cadet in NDA history to earn the President’s Medal. She remained focused on her goal of joining the Indian Air Force. She passed the NDA entrance test on her second attempt and chose to leave engineering. She created history at the 149th course passing out parade. She was also awarded the title of Best All-Round Air Cadet. This highlights her strong academics, military training, leadership skills, and dedication to service. She accepted the medal in front of senior military leaders, her family, and marching cadets. Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi gave her the medal and praised her achievement. He further said that her success creates a higher standard. It highlights the rising presence and participation of women in the forces. Read on to know Siddhi Jain's success story as NDA’s First Woman President’s Medalist.

From Engineering Dreams to Marching Orders

Siddhi is from Ujhani, located in the Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh. Her parents (Nikhil Kumar Jain and Trupti Jain) are teachers who never expected their daughter would choose a military profession. But now they see her as a role model for every girl across the country who aspires to wear the uniform. Earlier, Siddhi was preparing for an engineering career in Kota. She prepared for the IIT JEE, got the top rank and secured admission in NIT.  But she wanted something beyond that. In her first NDA attempt, she faced rejection at the SSB. But she remained focused on her goals. Later, she joined Centurion Defence Academy, which boosted her confidence. She made her preparation stronger under the guidance of the Defence Psychologist Shishir Dixit. She cracked the NDA exam on her second attempt and started a three-year journey. The 3-year journey was challenging for her. But she learned and excelled in all the domains.

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Achieving a position in the overall order of merit

The 149th course had 329 cadets marching out of the NDA. The batch has also celebrated another key achievement, as 15 women from the 2nd cohort finished their training. Till now, two female cadets have become toppers in the academic stream. One female was from the 148th course, and another one was from the 149th. But Siddhi Jain made history as the first woman to get ranked in the overall order of merit.