Meet Flight Lieutenant Gita Chanda: India’s First Woman Paratrooper Who Broke the Airborne Barrier in 1959

On 17 July 1959, at the Paratroopers Training School in Agra, history was made when a young medical officer stepped to the open door of a Dakota aircraft flying over the Drop Zone. As the green light flashed and three instructors exited ahead of her, Flight Lieutenant Dr. Gita Chanda leapt into the void, becoming the first woman in the Indian Armed Forces to qualify as a paratrooper. Her achievement shattered long-held assumptions about women’s physical and psychological capacity for airborne operations at a time when such roles were considered the exclusive domain of male combatants.

This is the story of a determined Bengali doctor whose courage, resilience, and refusal to accept gender-based limitations opened a new chapter for women in India’s military.

Early Life and Formative Years

Gita Chanda (also rendered in some accounts as Gita Chandra) was born in Comilla, in what is now Bangladesh. Her father, Harendra Chandra, was a lecturer at the prestigious Carmichael College in Rangpur. She spent her childhood and teenage years in Rangpur, where she developed into a brilliant student with a strong interest in sports and outdoor activities. Described as hardy and outgoing, she possessed both intellectual sharpness and physical robustness—qualities that would later prove decisive.

Following the Partition of India in 1947, her family relocated to India. Gita pursued higher education in medicine and qualified as a doctor. Her choice to serve the nation through the armed forces reflected both professional ambition and a deep sense of duty.

Commissioning into the Indian Air Force

In November 1957, Gita Chanda was commissioned into the Indian Air Force Medical Branch as a Pilot Officer. She was subsequently posted as a Medical Officer at Air Force Station Kalaikunda, near Kharagpur in West Bengal. As one of the relatively few women officers in the IAF at the time, she performed her duties with dedication in a predominantly male environment. Her medical expertise and professional conduct earned her respect within the service.

The 1959 Call for Paratrooper Volunteers

In early 1959, Air Headquarters issued a circular inviting volunteers from the Medical Branch to undergo specialised paratrooper training at the Paratroopers Training School (PTS) in Agra. The objective was to prepare medical personnel to support airborne operations more effectively.

Remarkably, not a single male medical officer volunteered. Only Flight Lieutenant Dr. Gita Chanda stepped forward. Her decision astonished colleagues, many of whom advised her to mark the circular “Not Applicable” or to withdraw quietly. Paratrooping was widely viewed as an extremely demanding and hazardous activity reserved for hardened infantrymen and special forces personnel. Few believed a woman—let alone a doctor—could or should undertake it.

Overcoming Institutional Resistance

Dr. Chanda’s application was initially rejected by administrative channels on the grounds of her gender. Rather than accept the decision, she travelled to Air Headquarters and sought a personal audience with Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, the first Indian to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force.

Air Marshal Mukerjee listened to her case, recognised that the rejection stemmed solely from her being a woman, and personally overruled the restriction. He granted her permission to attend the course and offered encouragement. This high-level intervention proved pivotal. In May 1959, Flight Lieutenant Gita Chanda reported to the Paratroopers Training School in Agra as its only female trainee.

Rigorous Training at PTS Agra

Training at PTS Agra was physically and mentally demanding, conducted in the intense heat of the North Indian summer. As the sole woman among male trainees, Dr. Chanda faced additional scrutiny and the pressure of representing her gender.

The initial phase focused on building endurance and physical conditioning. Trainees undertook regular five-mile runs followed by intensive physical training and free-hand exercises. Only after demonstrating the required fitness levels did they progress to parachute ground training, including drills on aircraft exit procedures, canopy control, and landing techniques.

Throughout this period, she maintained the highest standards, proving that determination and professional discipline could overcome conventional limitations.

The Historic Jumps – July 1959

By July 1959, Dr. Chanda had completed the ground phase and was cleared for live jumps from a DC-3 Dakota aircraft, typically conducted from around 1,000 feet.

On 17 July 1959, she made her maiden jump. Three qualified instructors exited the aircraft first. Then, as the sole trainee, she stepped forward, waited for the signal, and leapt from the open door. A large crowd had gathered on the ground to witness the event, which included Defence Minister V.K. Krishna Menon. Her parachute deployed correctly, and she executed a safe landing. The successful jump was met with widespread acclaim and gave her significant confidence.

Just seven days later, during her second jump, she encountered a serious malfunction when the parachute twisted and the suspension lines became entangled. Recalling her instructors’ guidance, she acted decisively mid-descent, corrected the canopy, and landed safely. This incident demonstrated both her presence of mind and the quality of her training.

Over the subsequent weeks, she completed a total of seven jumps, including one conducted at night. Upon successful qualification, Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee personally pinned the coveted Paratrooper’s Badge on her uniform, formally recognising her as India’s first woman paratrooper.

Service as a Parachute Instructor

Following her qualification, Flight Lieutenant Dr. Gita Chanda was appointed as an instructor at the Paratroopers Training School in Agra. In this role, she was responsible for training batches of male paratroopers. Her position placed her in direct authority over men in one of the most physically rigorous domains of military service.

Accounts from military circles describe her instructional approach as strict, professional, and uncompromising. She upheld exacting standards of discipline and physical preparedness, consistent with the airborne ethos that thorough training in peacetime reduces casualties in war. Her service as an instructor further cemented her reputation within the airborne community.

Later Career and Retirement

Dr. Chanda continued to serve with distinction in the IAF Medical Branch. She was promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader by 1965 and was later referred to in official contexts as Squadron Leader (Mrs) Geeta Ghosh (née Chanda), indicating her marriage. She ultimately retired from the Indian Air Force as a Wing Commander.

Enduring Legacy

Flight Lieutenant Dr. Gita Chanda’s achievement in 1959 stands as a landmark in the history of women in the Indian Armed Forces. At a time when combat-support roles involving high physical risk were closed to women, she demonstrated that competence, courage, and determination are not determined by gender. Her qualification preceded by several years the next notable milestone—Captain Farida Rehana of the Indian Army, who became the first woman army officer to qualify as a paratrooper in 1966.

Although her story received limited mainstream attention for many decades, recent historical research and publications have brought renewed recognition to her pioneering role. She is now acknowledged as a trailblazer who helped expand the horizons of service for Indian women in uniform.

Flight Lieutenant Dr. Gita Chanda (later Wing Commander Gita Ghosh) did not merely earn her wings—she helped redefine what was possible. Her leap from a Dakota aircraft on 17 July 1959 remains a powerful symbol of breaking barriers through quiet resolve and professional excellence. Her legacy continues to inspire generations of officers who serve with the same commitment to duty, courage, and the pursuit of excellence.