Carnegie India 13d ago

This episode of the Anahita Speaker Series, presented by Carnegie India, features Major Priya Jhingan, one of the pioneering women who helped reshape the role of women in the Indian Army. She reflects on the letter she wrote to the Chief of Army Staff in the late 1980s asking why women could not serve in the Army, a question that would eventually become part of a historic shift in India's armed forces. Major Jhingan discusses her journey as Lady Cadet No 1. at the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, becoming the first woman commissioned into the Judge Advocate General's Department, and what it meant to wear the uniform at a time when women were only beginning to enter the Army. She also reflects on the progress women have made in the armed forces, the importance of recognizing merit over gender, and the leadership lessons she learned through military service and adventure. The conversation also explores life beyond the Army, from journalism and mentoring to founding the MPJ Leadership Academy. Sharing insights on resilience, reinvention, and leadership, Major Jhingan offers advice for young people seeking purpose and for women aspiring to serve in the armed forces. #Anahita #army #womeninleadership #womeninarmy #indianarmy #indianarmedforces