In a significant milestone for gender inclusion in the paramilitary forces of India, Inspector Bhawna Chaudhary has achieved the esteemed position of the first female flight engineer within the Border Security Force (BSF) Air Wing. This groundbreaking accomplishment follows her successful completion of a demanding in-house training program, which she undertook alongside four male officers.
The Director General of the BSF, Daljit Singh Chawdhary, honored the five officers during a valedictory ceremony in New Delhi, symbolizing the successful conclusion of their rigorous training. The two-month ab-initio training, which commenced in August 2025, was exclusively conducted by BSF Air Wing instructors. The training encompassed an extensive 130 hours of both technical and operational coursework, offering participants hands-on experience with aerial missions, including relief operations during recent flood crises in Punjab and other regions.
Officials emphasized that the initiative was primarily introduced to remedy a pressing shortage of flight engineers within the BSF’s Mi-17 helicopter fleet. While earlier batches of BSF engineers were trained in collaboration with the Indian Air Force (IAF), Inspector Chaudhary’s group represented the first cohort to benefit from an entirely in-house training program, receiving approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The BSF Air Wing has been operational under the MHA since its establishment in 1969, providing vital aviation support not only to the BSF but also to other paramilitary units and disaster-response organizations, such as the National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The fleet managed by the unit is diverse and includes aircraft such as the Embraer jet for VIP tasks, alongside several helicopter variants like the Mi-17 1V, Mi-17 V5, Cheetah, and ALH Dhruv.
Inspector Bhawna Chaudhary’s advancement to the role of the first woman flight engineer signals a moment of pride for the BSF and serves as an inspiring testament to the increasing contributions of women in India’s security and aviation fields. This achievement not only enhances the capabilities of the BSF Air Wing but also paves the way for greater gender representation in traditionally male-dominated sectors.
