More than 177,000 applications from women candidates were received for entry into India's National Defence Academy (NDA), the government informed Parliament on Monday.

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said the total number of applications received was 575,856, of which 177,654 were from women - that is about a quarter of the total applicants. 

India's Supreme Court, in an order in August, paved the way for the entry of women into the prestigious military training academy that has been a male bastion for recruitment into the three services.  Cadets of the three services - the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force - train together before they go on to their respective service academies for further pre-commission training. The NDA is located in Khadakwasla, Pune. It is said to be the first tri-service academy in the world.

The minister said necessary infrastructure and facilities for the training of the women candidates are in place at the academy.

"There were no restrictions on the number of female applicants who could apply for the 2021 National Defence Academy examination," Bhatt added.(SAM)