Air Force Academy Topper: Mehakpreet Kaur from Punjab’s Rupnagar district has done something very special. She stood first in the Air Force Academy merit list. She studied at Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (AFPI) for Girls in Mohali, which the Punjab government set up as an all-girls training institute for young women who want to join the Armed Forces.
Her family comes from Paprali village in Rupnagar. Her father is Amarjit Singh, who works as a farmer, and her mother is Rupinder Kaur, a homemaker. Another girl from the same institute, Komalpreet Kaur, also made Punjab proud by getting All India Rank 18 for admission to the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla. Komalpreet is from Shahura village in Amritsar district and is the daughter of Havildar Gurmeet Singh of the Indian Army and Baljit Kaur.
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How the Two Cadets made History?
Both girls come from simple homes, but they worked hard and reached a very high level in India’s defence selection system. In the Tribune report, Mehakpreet was described as a cadet at Mai Bhago AFPI who got AIR 1 in the Air Force Academy merit list, while Komalpreet got AIR 18 for NDA entry. The same report noted that the success was important because the number of women’s vacancies in defence is still very small.
Mai Bhago AFPI itself is a special institute for girls. Its own website says it was created by the Punjab government as an exclusive all-girls training institute. The institute also says it has already sent many cadets forward for commission or academy entry, which helps show why these results are seen as such a big deal.
What Leaders Said after the Result
Punjab Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Minister Aman Arora praised both cadets. He said their success “reflects the vision of a new, aspirational Punjab”. He also said they had “shattered glass ceilings for every daughter of Punjab from small towns and villages”.
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He added that the state government started an NDA Preparatory Wing for girls at Mai Bhago AFPI in 2023, and this new step has now started giving results. The institute’s director, Major General Jasbir Singh Sandhu (Retd.), also called Mehakpreet’s AIR 1 finish “extraordinary given the minuscule vacancies for women in the defence services”. He said both girls had given a “massive boost” to Punjab’s effort to send more daughters into uniform.
These two cadets have now become strong examples for many other girls in Punjab who dream of serving the nation
