Bhawana Kanth (b. 1992), from Darbhanga, is one of the first three women inducted as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force, and among the first qualified for combat missions. Flying the MiG-21, she became a symbol of changing horizons for young women across the region.
In a land long proud of its scholars and poets, she represents a new kind of Mithila achiever — and an inspiration to a generation of girls in Bihar’s towns and villages.