Sqn Ldr Shivangi Singh becomes IAF’s first woman QFI; Pak propaganda hits back with fake image claim

Just hours after Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh created history by becoming the first Indian woman fighter pilot to receive the prestigious Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) badge, a Pakistani propaganda account named “Ousai2002” attempted to stir controversy by alleging that the Indian Air Force had shared a digitally altered image of the officer.

After completing an intensive six-month training programme at the Indian Air Force’s Flying Instructors School in Tambaram, Tamil Nadu, Singh earned the coveted QFI badge during a felicitation ceremony held on October 9. The honour was conferred on her by Air Marshal Tejbir Singh, Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of the IAF’s Training Command.

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This is not the first time that Squadron Leader Singh has been targeted by fake propaganda. Earlier, during Operation Sindoor, several rumours circulated claiming that India had lost multiple fighter jets, including a Rafale.

Some reports even alleged that Singh—India’s first and only female Rafale pilot—had been captured near Sialkot after ejecting from her aircraft, which was purportedly shot down. A fabricated video also went viral on social media, falsely showing IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh visiting the home of the “captured” pilot.

Later, social media chatter about her “alleged disappearance” gained traction. However, the government promptly debunked the rumours, clarifying that Squadron Leader Singh was safe and had **not** been captured by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

Singh first rose to prominence in 2020 when she was shortlisted to fly the Rafale fighter jet, after previously flying the MiG-21 Bison. Hailing from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, she was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2017 as part of the IAF’s second batch of women fighter pilots. Following a rigorous selection process, she was chosen as a Rafale pilot in 2020.

Refuting the latest claim that her QFI image was fake, the Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check team posted on X: “This claim is #FAKE. Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh was awarded the Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) badge during the Valedictory Ceremony of the 159th Qualified Flying Instructor Course (QFIC). The official image from the ceremony is available on the official X handle.”

Amid speculation following Operation Sindoor, the IAF shared the first official photograph of the officer, posting on X: “The valedictory ceremony for the 159th #QFIC was held at FIS AFS Tambaram on 09 Oct 25. Air Mshl Tejbir Singh, SASO TC IAF, was the Chief Guest. A total of 59 officers from the IAF, sister services, and friendly foreign nations were awarded the prestigious #QualifiedFlyingInstructor badge.”

The images showed Squadron Leader Singh receiving the honour from the Air Marshal and later posing for a group photograph with fellow officers.