Widow of an IAF aviator becomes an Army officer

Yashwini Dhaka, the widow of Squadron Leader Kuldeep Singh, who perished in the Nilgiris helicopter tragedy that claimed the life of India’s first CDS General, Bipin Rawat, will shortly graduate as an Army officer from the Officers Training Academy in Chennai.

After graduating from Banasthali University in Jaipur, she worked as a computer science professor at Meerut, where she tutored the next generation of techies. In 2017, she married Singh, an IAF pilot of the Mi-17V5 multirole helicopter.

Typically, those between the ages of 21 and 27 are eligible to apply for the OTA. The “Veer Nari” had to adjust to a whole new way of living while keeping up with her batchmates who were considerably younger. She had never engaged in strenuous physical training or outdoor activities before, yet she overcame the obstacle and transformed herself entirely.

Following their intense training at the OTA, 184 male and 36 female cadets were commissioned into the Army in a spectacular ceremony on Saturday.

Umesh Dilli Rao Keelu was one of the graduates. His four-member family used to live in a shanty; they were born and reared in a Mumbai slum. His father was a painter by trade and made sure his two kids had the most education he could afford.

Umesh studied and completed a master’s program in computer science as well as a bachelor’s degree in information technology.