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In a significant personal and professional milestone, Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh, the Indian Air Force's first female Rafale pilot, has successfully earned the coveted Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) badge.
Her graduation from a rigorous instructional course not only makes her the first woman fighter pilot in the IAF to achieve this distinction but also serves as a definitive rebuttal to a months-long disinformation campaign from Pakistan that falsely claimed her capture.
The prestigious honour was conferred upon Squadron Leader Singh and 58 other officers during the valedictory ceremony for the 159th Qualified Flying Instructors Course held at the Flying Instructors School (FIS) at Air Force Station Tambaram on October 9, 2025.
The QFI certification is among the highest accolades in military aviation, signifying that a pilot has achieved the mastery required to train the next generation of aviators.
Air Marshal Tejbir Singh, a senior IAF officer, presided over the event, congratulating the graduates from the Indian armed forces and friendly foreign nations on their dedication and contribution to strengthening aerial defence capabilities.
This achievement powerfully counters a baseless propaganda narrative that emerged earlier this year during a period of heightened cross-border tensions between India-Pakistan.
Following a decisive Indian military counter-terrorism action dubbed Operation Sindoor, various Pakistani media outlets, government-linked social media accounts, and at least one international journalist began circulating false reports.
They claimed that Squadron Leader Singh had been shot down and taken into custody by Pakistani forces. This narrative was aggressively promoted by entities associated with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in an attempt to undermine Indian morale.
Despite immediate and repeated denials from the Indian Air Force and official government sources like the Press Information Bureau, the fabricated story of her capture persisted online for months.
The disinformation campaign aimed to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and score a psychological victory. However, Squadron Leader Singh was, in fact, undergoing the demanding six-month QFI course in Chennai during this entire period, a fact that proves the claims were entirely unfounded.
The recent circulation of official photographs from the graduation ceremony in Tambaram has brought the truth to light.
The images, showing a proud and healthy Squadron Leader Singh receiving her QFI badge, have been widely shared on social media platforms, effectively dismantling the web of lies.
Indian citizens have celebrated the news, hailing it as a testament to the professionalism of the armed forces and a conclusive end to the hostile propaganda.
While a few online skeptics questioned the timing of the photos, the context is irrefutable, as a pilot only undergoes the QFI course once in their career.
Squadron Leader Singh's accomplishment is a landmark moment for women in combat roles within the Indian military.
More importantly, it highlights the Indian Air Force's unwavering focus on developing real-world operational expertise and professional excellence, standing in sharp contrast to the misinformation tactics employed by adversaries.
Her success underscores a commitment to capability over rhetoric, reinforcing the strength and integrity of India's national defence.
