Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Once Cited by Supreme Court for Breaking Barriers, Leads from Front Amid Operation Sindoor
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a pioneering officer of the Indian Army, stood beside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and IAF Wing Commander Vyomika Singh during a crucial press briefing on May 7, 2025, following India’s high-impact Operation Sindoor—a retaliatory missile strike on nine terror camps across Pakistan and PoK.
Her presence on the national stage reignites memories of the Supreme Court’s landmark 2020 verdict that granted Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers in the Army. The court had specifically acknowledged Colonel Qureshi’s exceptional achievements as a symbol of excellence and leadership, challenging gender norms in the armed forces.
In its February 17, 2020 ruling, the Supreme Court dismissed the army’s policy of relegating women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers to only staff roles, calling it “legally unsustainable.” The court cited Col. Qureshi’s service record as a shining example of women’s contributions in active military roles.
“Lieutenant Colonel Sofiya Qureshi (Army Signal Corps) is the first woman to lead an Indian Army contingent at a multi-national military exercise named ‘Exercise Force 18’… She served in the UN Peacekeeping Operation in Congo in 2006,” the verdict noted.
Born in Vadodara, Gujarat, in 1974, Col. Qureshi holds a Master’s degree in biochemistry and has served in numerous critical missions, including UN peacekeeping in Congo, flood relief operations in India’s northeast, and leadership roles in multinational military collaborations.
Her historic achievement came in 2016, when she became the first woman officer to lead an Indian Army contingent during Exercise Force 18, an ASEAN-centered field exercise focused on peacekeeping and interoperability.
The court had criticized arguments made against women in combat roles, stating that the “repeated pleas” about women’s “biological composition and social milieu” being limiting were “disturbing,” and emphasized that constitutional values demand equal opportunities.
Col. Qureshi’s reappearance during Operation Sindoor reflects the continued elevation of women officers in strategic and public-facing military roles. Her leadership, both on the ground and on the dais, reinforces the Supreme Court’s assertion that women officers have brought laurels to the Indian Army and deserve equal recognition and opportunity.
