GANGTOK, 10 Dec: When the Indian Navy welcomed its first woman pilot, with Sub Lieutenant Shivangi taking control of an aircraft in another significant milestone for the country’s armed forces, it was also celebration time for the premier engineering college in Sikkim.
As Shivangi, 24, was given her wings and joined naval operations at the Kochi naval base on December 2, it was a proud moment for Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT) under Sikkim Manipal University (SMU). For the first woman pilot of Indian Navy is an alumnus of SMIT. Shivangi completed her B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering in 2016.
Born in the city of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, Shivangi was commissioned into the Indian Navy last year after her initial training. She completed her schooling from DAV Public school, Muzzafarpur before joining SMIT for B Tech course.
She will be flying the Dornier Do-228s surveillance aircraft of the Indian Navy which are used by the navy for transport and maritime reconnaissance, taking off and landing on the shore, rather than from an aircraft carrier.
During her stay at SMIT, Shivangi showed excellent academic record and diligence. “Shivangi has not only done us and the country proud, she has broken the glass ceiling as far as the induction of women pilots in the Armed Forces, in this case, the Indian Navy. At SMIT, our focus is not just towards academics, but all-round development of our students. We teach the students to think differently and take up challenging projects and think out of the box when it comes to career choices. We believe in inculcating values of hard work, perseverance and dedication in our students,” Prof Dr. Ashis Sharma, Director SMIT, said. “Shivangi has set an example for all other girls, especially from Sikkim and the North-eastern region to take up challenging careers. We wish her more laurels in the future,” he added.
Lt Gen MD Venkatesh, Vice-Chancellor, Sikkim Manipal University (SMU) has also congratulated Sub Lt Shivangi on this great feat.
