Pooja Thakur: A Wing Commander from an Army Personnel Family

Pooja Thakur Born in an army personnel family in 1979, at Jaipur (Rajasthan). Her father was in Indian Army. She was inspired by her father to join the Uniform Service.Belongs to a Rajput family, she love to eat non-vegetarian food. Her hobbies are Para Jumping, Skydiving and Scuba diving.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree, science from Guru Nanak Dev University (1996-99).
• Master’s Degree, English Language and Literature from Guru Nanak Dec University (2000-02).
• Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Personnel Management from Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies-Pune (2005-06).
• Certificate in Media Communication from Indian Institute of Mass Communication (2012)

SOME FACTS ABOUT HER

• Pooja spent her childhood shifting from one place to another, since her father was in the Indian army.
• Pooja had attended different schools because of her father’s routine posting.
• She didn’t like school, students, books and uniforms.
• She was inspired by her father to join Uniform Service.
• In 2001, Pooja was commissioned into the Administrative Branch of Indian Air Force.
• She has been a part in developing India’s first IAF 3D Air-Combat Game called “Guardians of the Sky”.
• Pooja has also been part of India’s first Women’s Team of Skydiving.

MEETING WITH BARACK OBAMA AND SOME CONTROVERSIES

In January 2015, Pooja Thakur became the first female commanding officer to head the inter-service Guard of Honour inspected by the US President Barack Obama at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Obama had later said the sight of incredible Indian women in the armed forces was one of his favourite things in India.

Pooja had then said, “ It feels good that we have been able to achieve or aim of giving him a befitting Guard of Honour. I am glad that he has appreciated.”

Pooja after leading President Barack Obama, has gone to the Armed Forces Tribunal after being denied full service. She says in her petition that the IAF’s decision to deny her permanent commission is “biased, discriminatory, arbitrary and unreasonable “.

“IAF says Pooja was offered permanent commission in 2012, she denied it then and it can be offered only once. No new offer can be given. She had said no only because she was temporarily not willing at the time,” said her lawyer, retired Major S Pandey.

Permanent Commission means women officers get a chance to rise to the rank of Lieutenant General and retire at 60 with full benefits.

Wing Commander Thakur, the sources said, is an Administrative Officer and “each branch of IAF has different criteria to grant women permanent commission.

Women were allowed in the Air Force as full officers in 2010 after nearly 50 women officers, including 22 from the IAF, moved court. More than 250 women were granted Permanent commission after the high court ruled in their favour.
This is all about the Wing Commander Pooja Thakur.