AGRA: The proud father of second Indian woman who flew fighter aircraft solo feels, that his daughter has surpassed his dream.

Speaking to TOI over phone from Mathura , Tej Narain said, “She has flown beyond my dreams and I’m immensely happy for her achievement.”

Tej Narain, an electrical engineer at Mathura Refinery, was himself selected for the IAF in his youth but could not join because of family pressures. “On Friday after the solo flight in Mig-21, Bhawana called us on phone and expressed her happiness. She had been preparing for this flight for long and finally she has done it. Now she will fly regularly and will probably have to undertake air-to-air and air-to-ground combat training. Once she is fully trained for flying during day time, she will have to learn to fly at night too,” he said.

Father of three, including two daughters, Tej Narain said, “Never underestimate a girl child. They are equal to sons. I always motivated my daughter to follow her heart and dreams and today she has made her parents and the country proud by becoming a fighter pilot.”

Recalling Bhawana’s school and college days, Tej Narain said, “Bhawana was excellent in studies. She scored 92.8% in class 10 and 85% in the intermediate, while studying at Barauni Refinery DAV Public School. She then completed her bachelor of engineering (BE) from BMS College, Bengaluru.”

“She loved swimming and playing badminton. During her stay in Bengaluru, she developed an inclination towards IAF and gave the entrance exam for short service commission and in 2014 cleared SSB. Later she was inducted as fighter pilot,” Tej Narain.

Bhawana is the eldest of three siblings and is now an icon for the other two who are pursuing their education.

Tej Narain hails from Baur village in Ghanshyam block of Bihar ’s Darbhanga district. Bhawana is the only person from her family as well as the village to join the defence forces. Now, in her native village, locals have begun inspiring their children by portraying her as a youth icon.

