The Border Security Force (BSF) Air Wing, which operates the crucial aviation unit for the Ministry of Home Affairs, has inducted its first-ever woman Flight Engineer in a historic milestone spanning over 50 years.
Inspector Bhawna Chaudhary was recently awarded her coveted flying badge after successfully completing an intense, in-house training capsule, breaking a significant gender barrier in the Border Force’s aviation unit.
The Border Security Force Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary presented the flying brevets to Inspector Chaudhary along with four male subordinate officers who completed the rigorous two-month-long training.
The BSF’s decision to conduct its own training program proved critical to this achievement. The unit, which operates a fleet of Mi-17, Cheetah, and ALH Dhruv helicopters, had been facing a shortage of flight engineers.
Inspector Chaudhary and her colleagues were “trained ab-initio” by BSF Air Wing instructors, completing 130 hours of skill development and gaining real-world operational exposure, including flying sorties during recent flood relief operations.
Inspector Bhawna Chaudhary’s achievement opens a new chapter for women in the BSF and the broader paramilitary forces, setting an inspiring precedent for greater gender inclusion in specialized technical and operational roles.
The BSF Air Wing, established in 1969, supports the operational requirements of all paramilitary forces and special units like the NSG and NDRF.
