Convocation Ceremony for the 148th NDA Course Held on 29th May 2025

Honouring Excellence and Dedication of the Cadets Before Their Passing Out Parade

Division Cadet Captain Shriti Daksh topped the Arts Stream. Among the standout performers were

• Cadet Captain Uday Veer Singh Negi (B Tech)
• Battalion Cadet Captain Prince Kumar Singh Kushwah (Computer Science)
• Cadet Lucky Kumar (Science)
• Division Cadet Captain Shriti Daksh, a member of the pioneering female cohort, who topped the Arts stream.

In a landmark moment that reflects the evolving face of India’s Armed Forces, the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune, hosted the Convocation Ceremony of its 148th course today. This event held historic significance as over 300 cadets, including the first-ever batch of 17 female cadets, graduated, marking a transformative stride toward gender inclusion in military leadership.

Presiding over the ceremony as Chief Guest was Prof. (Dr.) Poonam Tandon, Vice Chancellor of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University. A distinguished physicist and a key contributor to education reform under the National Education Policy 2020, her presence underscored the NDA’s commitment to academic excellence alongside military training. Degrees conferred by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) spanned disciplines including Science, Computer Science, and Social Sciences.

Among the top achievers were:

• Academy Cadet Captain Udayveer Singh Negi (B.Tech),
• Battalion Cadet Captain Prince Kumar Singh Kushwah (Computer Science),
• Cadet Lucky Kumar (Science), and
• Division Cadet Captain Shreeti Daksh, a trailblazer among the first women cadets, who topped the Arts stream.

Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh, Commandant of NDA, congratulated the graduates and highlighted the historic significance of inducting women cadets. He expressed confidence in their future as commissioned officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, calling the occasion a milestone for both the Academy and the nation.

Held in the iconic Habibullah Hall, adorned with NDA emblems and the national tricolour, the ceremony was graced by proud families and senior defence officials. Cadets were presented with degrees, trophies, and citations, culminating in a commemorative group photograph—capturing the pride, unity, and spirit of the moment.

This convocation sets the stage for the NDA 148 Course Passing Out Parade on May 30, to be reviewed by General Vijay Kumar Singh (Retd.), former Chief of Army Staff and current Governor of Mizoram. The POP marks the culmination of three years of intensive training and the cadets’ formal induction into the Armed Forces.