Who is Colonel Sophia Qureshi, the decorated Army officer who briefed media on Operation Sindoor?

Who is Colonel Sophia Qureshi, the decorated Army officer who briefed media on Operation Sindoor?

Two senior women officers of the Indian Armed Forces Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sophia Qureshi jointly briefed the media today on the recently conducted Operation Sindoor.

Colonel Sophia Qureshi, a decorated officer of the Indian Army’s Corps of Signals, holds the distinction of being the first woman officer to command an Indian Army contingent in a multinational military exercise. In 2016, she led the Indian team at ‘Exercise Force 18’, which was India’s largest-hosted foreign military drill. Remarkably, she was the only female commander among 18 participating contingents.

Colonel Qureshi hails from Gujarat and holds a postgraduate degree in biochemistry. She comes from a military family her grandfather served in the Indian Army — and she is married to an officer from the Mechanised Infantry.

She has also served for six years with UN Peacekeeping Operations (PKO), including a notable stint in the United Nations Mission in Congo (2006). She once described her peacekeeping duties as involving the monitoring of ceasefires and supporting humanitarian efforts in conflict zones. She called it a “proud moment” and encouraged other women in the armed forces to “work hard for the country and make everyone proud.”

Speaking about her, then Army Commander of Southern Command, Lt Gen Bipin Rawat, once said that her selection was based on her capabilities and leadership qualities rather than her gender.