UP's Sania Mirza: Village girl to become first Muslim fighter pilot of India
Mirzapur: A young lady in a village here has reached high, from being the daughter of a TV mechanic to be selected to become the first Muslim girl Indian Air Force pilot.
She will also be the first IAF pilot from Uttar Pradesh.
Sania Mirza, a resident of Jasovar village near the Dehat Kotwali in Mirzapur, has been selected to become a fighter pilot in the Air Force after she passed the National Defence Academy (NDA) examination. She will join the NDA in Khadakwasla, Pune, on December 27, reports NDTV.
Her achievement thus far has brought to not just her district and state but also the entire nation.
Sania's father Shahid Ali said that Sania considers Avni Chaturvedi, the country's first fighter pilot as her role model. “She always wanted to be like Avni Chaturvedi. Sania is the second girl in the country to be selected as a fighter pilot,” he said.
Her mother Tabassum Mirza said, “Our daughter has made us and the entire village proud. By fulfilling her dream of becoming the first fighter pilot, Sania also inspired girls in the village to follow their dreams.”
Sania studied at the Pandit Chintamani Dubey Inter College in her village, till Class 10, before going to Guru Nanak Girls' Inter College in the city, where she was the district topper in the 12th UP Board.
She started preparing to achieve her goal at the Centurion Defense Academy.
Having studied in a Hindi medium school, Sania said that success can be achieved with determination, regardless of the medium of education.
She expresses gratitude to and credits the Academy as well as her parents for her success.
She said that since only two seats were reserved for women as fighter pilots at the NDA 2022, she could not get a seat in her first attempt. “But I have found a place in my second try,” she added.
There were 400 seats in both male and female categories at the NDA 2022 examination, but only 19 seats were for women, two for fighter pilots. Sania got a place in the Academy on the strength of her talent.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Nepal's top leadership stresses unity, peace on Buddha Purnima
Kathmandu (PTI): National unity can be strengthened by following Lord Buddha's guiding principles of tolerance and mutual goodwill, Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel said on Friday, on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.
The Himalayan nation is observing the 2570th Buddha Jayanti, or the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha, who was born in Lumbini, Nepal, around the 6th century BC.
Buddha Jayanti is celebrated on Baishakh Poornima or the full moon day in the month of Baishakh of the Lunar calendar every year.
The birth anniversary of the Buddha, regarded as the messenger of non-violence and peace, is being celebrated across the country with hopes for peace.
Traditional pujas are performed by Buddhists, with lamas and Buddhist gurus conducting ceremonies in Chaityas, monasteries, viharas, and other sacred sites.
Various programmes are being organised at important pilgrimage sites like Lumbini, Swayambhu, and Bouddha to commemorate the day.
In his message on the occasion, President Ramchandra Paudel said that national unity could be further strengthened by maintaining tolerance and mutual goodwill amid religious, social and cultural diversities, abiding by the messages and guiding principles of Lord Buddha, the proponent of non-violence and peace.
Extending his greetings to all through social media, Prime Minister Balendra Shah said that Nepal, blessed by the birth of Buddha, has always been in favour of non-violence and peace.
"The path shown by the Buddha is the path to end suffering by seeking knowledge," he said.
"As a ray of light enters, darkness automatically disappears; likewise, our journey should be in search of the light of knowledge, should be on the path to solve problems,” said Shah.
Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and Mahaparinirvana (death) all occurred on the full moon day of Baisakh. Thus, Buddhists worldwide, including those in Nepal, celebrate Buddha Jayanti with deep reverence and devotion.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Nepal on Thursday celebrated Buddha Jayanti in Lumbini in collaboration with the Lumbini Development Trust and Lumbini Buddhist University.
The celebration held on the eve of Buddha Jayanti featured a painting exhibition by school students, chanting of prayers by monks from Nepal and India and a vibrant cultural evening.
On the occasion, a Buddhism-themed Kathak dance was performed by a troupe from ICCR, India, headed by Deepti Gupta and a musical presentation by a Nepali band led by sarod maestro Suresh Raj Bajracharya.
Lumbini Province Governor Krishna Bahadur Ghartimagar was the chief guest on the occasion.
