Pune: Maj Ruchi Yadav to be first woman officer to lead Bombay Sappers contingent in R-Day Parade
Pune: Participating in the Republic Day Parade is an honour and to lead a contingent is a double honour. However, for Maj Ruchi Yadav, it is a historic occasion.
Maj Yadav will be the first woman Commander to lead the 149-member Bombay Sapper’s contingent, comprising almost all gentlemen officers, except for her colleague Maj Divya Tyagi.
Maj Ruchi Yadav said, “It is a matter of pride that I have got the opportunity to lead a team, in which almost all members are men. It is for the first time in the history of Bombay Sappers that a woman officer will lead its contingent in the Republic Day Parade.”
Bombay Sappers specialises in laying mines on the way of the enemy and removing them to clear the way for its own soldiers during wars. Bombay Sappers has got an opportunity to be a part of the parade after 20 years. They had last participated in 2004.
A resident of Bhopal and currently posted in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Maj Yadav said, “It is a golden opportunity for us to showcase our talent and prove our capability. I will be the commander of the team comprising a commissioned officer, two JCOs and 146 members of various ranks.”
Maj Yadav said that they were practising for the parade at their respective centres for six months before coming to Delhi in December. Maj Yadav, along with Maj Divya Tyagi, has been trained to lead the Bombay Sappers Contingent.
She said, “When the entire country is giving importance to women’s empowerment, the opportunity I have got will inspire and motivate other women to do better across the country.”
Maj Ruchi Yadav was commissioned in September 2018 from the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, into the Corps of Engineers and became a proud Bombay Sapper.
Bombay Sappers has been the proud recipients of the highest Gallantry Awards, both Pre- and Post-independence, viz. – the Victoria Cross, the Medaille Militaire, the Param Vir Chakra and the Ashok Chakra.