Pune: Major Divya Tyagi Heads Bombay Sappers at Republic Day Parade

Khadki/New Delhi, 26th January 2024: Major Divya Tyagi today commanded a contingent of the Bombay Sappers at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. Having trained at the Bombay Engineering Group (BEG) and Centre, known as Bombay Sappers, in Khadki for the past few months, she headed to Delhi for the prestigious parade.

Reflecting on this momentous occasion, Major Divya, a silver medallist from the 2016 batch of the Officers Training Academy in Chennai, expressed, “It is an honor and a proud moment for me and my family. I will cherish this moment forever in my life.”

In a historic first for the Bombay Sappers, Major Divya Tyagi, a civil engineer commissioned into the 115 Engineer Regiment of the Bombay Sappers in 2016, took command of the contingent, which comprised two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and 144 sappers.

While serving as the adjutant of training battalion I of the Bombay Engineering Group and Centre, Major Divya was selected to lead the Bombay Sappers contingent at the Republic Day Parade. A senior army officer from the BEG revealed, “We had shortlisted six women officers of the Bombay Sappers. Out of which, we had finalized two women officers, and Divya was one of them.”

Highlighting the rigorous selection process for the parade contingent commander, the officer added, “The criteria were very rigorous and tough. Major Divya performed well in all aspects, including various drills, and hence she was finalized for the role on January 23.”

Major Divya’s parents and her husband, who serves as an army officer with Madras Sappers, proudly witnessed the parade. Her father Yogesh Kaushik is a farmer from Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh.

Discussing the preparations for the parade, Major Divya shared, “I had been rehearsing for the last few months for hours at the center. For the last almost two months, I had been practicing with the contingent in New Delhi. Even in extremely cold conditions, we ensured to complete the rehearsal and the day’s activities fully. The hard work of the last few months will culminate on Friday.”