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MANGALDAI/ DHEKIAJULI: Assam has etched its name in the history of the Indian Army, with Major Dr. Dipanwita Kalita from Swaheed Nagari Dhekiajuli, Sonitpur district, becoming the first Assamese woman paratrooper. Adding to this proud achievement, she has been featured on the Independence Day special cover of Femina India, one of the world’s most popular and widely read magazines, alongside Colonel Sophia Qureshi and eight other exceptional women officers of the Indian Armed Forces.
While her success has filled the people of Dhekiajuli with immense pride, celebrations at her parental home have been subdued, as her mother, Parbati Kalita, underwent gallbladder surgery just yesterday. Her elder sister, Navneeta Kalita, News Editor at Prag News, has been busy caring for their mother. “This is happy news on a difficult day,” Parbati Kalita told reporters.
Dipanwita’s father, Prabin Kalita, and her sister confirmed to the press that she earned her paratrooper badge in 2023 after completing training at the Army Cantonment in Agra. Her academic journey began at Devendra Green Grove English School, Dhekiajuli, where she passed her HSLC in 2005. She completed her higher secondary education (Science) at Darrang College in 2007 with distinction, later pursuing medical studies in Manila, Philippines. She earned her MBBS in 2013 and completed her internship at AIIMS, New Delhi, in 2015.
Following her internship, Dr. Dipanwita served at Deen Dayal Hospital, New Delhi. In 2019, she married Army Medical Corps officer Dr. Charang Mate from Nagpur, Maharashtra. Her turning point came in 2020 when she was selected from over 100 applicants nationwide for the post of Captain (Medical Officer) in the Indian Army. Her first posting was in Dimapur, Nagaland, followed by a three-month training in Lucknow. She was then sent to Agra for commando and paratrooper training, which she successfully completed in 2023—becoming Assam’s first-ever woman paratrooper.
Now promoted to the rank of Major, Dr. Dipanwita has been posted at the Agra Army Base since January 2025. Recognised as one of the “Warrior Women of the Indian Army,” her profile is prominently featured in Femina’s August 2025 issue among the nation’s top women officers. Her achievement has been hailed across Dhekiajuli and Assam as a moment of immense pride and a source of inspiration for the next generation.
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