Women's Day | Captain Deeksha, 1st Woman Officer Of Indian Army To Serve In Special Forces | Exclusive

Hailing from Karnataka’s Davangere, Captain Deeksha C Mudadevannanavar is the first woman officer to be commissioned into an elite special forces unit of the Parachute Regiment of the Indian Army. Captain Deeksha C Mudadevannanavar was commissioned into the Indian Army’s MH Golconda through the Short Service Commission (SSC) in October 2019. She was in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and after getting commissioned, Captain Deeksha proceeded to be trained for MOBC at Army Medical Corps Center in Lucknow. MOBC is a foundation course for the officers of the Indian Army’s Medical Corps.

Following the completion of the first stage of the course, Captain Deeksha was posted to 303 Field Hospital in Leh’s Tangtse. Notably, Captain Deeksha applied to join the Parachute Regiment twice but failed to make it through. She was conferenced out on the first attempt as her physical abilities were not up to the mark. Captain Deeksha’s Commanding Officer Colonel Shivesh Singh motivated her to volunteer again. In her second attempt, Captain Deeksha suffered an injury and was again unable to get selected into the Parachute Regiment.

However, the woman officer was undeterred and recovering from the injury, Captain Deeksha finally cleared Paratrooper's selection procedure and subsequently got selected for Special Forces in December 2022.

What motivated Capt Deeksha to join the Indian Army?

In the exclusive interview with Republic, Captain Deeksha revealed that her motivation to join the Indian Army stemmed from her desire to pursue a “challenging and unique profession.” Captain Deekhsa revealed that she always wanted to do something that would give her the opportunity to serve society. Captain Deeksha’s experience in the National Cadet Corps further fueled her resolve to join the Indian Army and serve the nation.

“Before joining the army I was in NCC,” the officer stated. “There I was inspired by the soldiers, the discipline, the adventurous lifestyle,” Captain Deeksha added. The woman officer also revealed her mentor to be Colonel Bindu Nair. “She inspired me to join Para,” Captain Deeksha said while talking about her first attempt to get selected in 2021.

Image: ADGPI (Capt Deeksha enduring rigorous training)

Furthermore, the officer revealed that she faced the same challenges and hurdles as any Gentleman Officer during her training and service. “As a medical officer, one of the biggest challenges was (that) I couldn’t afford to be sick,” Captain Deeksha stated during the interview. Being a medical officer of a special forces unit, Captain Deeksha is expected to be the first one to be acclimated to harsh weather and terrain to ensure the safety of her troops. Notably, Captain Deeksha was deployed in Turkey in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake under Operation Dost.