• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

The Border Security Forces (BSF) air wing division got its first woman flight engineer in its 50-year history as inspector Bhawna Chaudhary was awarded a flying badge in an in-house training. Along with Chaudhary, four other male subordinates were also awarded the flying badge by BSF director general Daljit Singh Chawdhury.

BSF has been assigned the aviation unit of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) since 1969, providing crucial air support to various paramilitary forces and elite units such as the National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

Officials were saying, as quoted by the PTI, “Five subordinate officers were ‘trained ab-initio’ by the instructors of the BSF air wing, and they recently completed their two-month-long training.” 

ALSO READ: Delhi: DU MPhil Graduate Orchestrated Jewellery And Bank Heists; What Drove Him To Crime And How Police Caught Him

The five personnel were skilled for 130 hours during the two months in-house training starting in August and they also had real exposure to the work as various assets of the BSF air wing flew operational sorties, including during the recent floods in Punjab and other states.

"The BSF air wing has been facing a critical shortage of flight engineers in its Mi-17 helicopter fleet. The Indian Air Force (IAF) trained the first batch of 3 subordinate officers but the second batch of five personnel could not get a training slot there due to various constraints," an official said.

ALSO READ: NDA Announces Seat-Sharing For Bihar Polls: BJP, JDU To Contest 101 Seats Each, Chirag's LJP Gets 29 Seats

The Border Security Force (BSF) sought approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to conduct in-house training for flight engineers within its air wing, due to constraints in securing slots with the Indian Air Force. Following the MHA’s nod, five personnel, including Inspector Chaudhary, completed the two-month training program, an official confirmed.

ALSO READ: Delhi Metro Update: DMRC To Generate 60% Of Its Power Needs Through Solar Energy; Check New Plan

The unit operates a fixed-wing Embraer jet for VIP duties apart from helicopters such as Mi-17 1V, Mi-17 V5, Cheetah and ALH Dhruv.

Established in December 1965, the BSF is one of India’s largest paramilitary forces, with nearly 3 lakh personnel. It is primarily responsible for guarding India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, while also playing a key role in internal security operations across the country.

(With inputs from PTI)

Also In News