Surekha Yadav was an Indian train driver best known for being Asia’s first female motorcycle pilot. In 2023, she became the first woman to operate the Vande Bharat Express (semi-high-speed train).
Wiki/Biography
Surekha Yadav was born on Thursday, September 2, 1965, in Satara, Maharashtra (age 57; as of 2022). She attended St. Paul’s Convent School in Satara, Maharashtra. Soon after completing her high school education, she underwent vocational training and later pursued a diploma in electrical engineering from the Government Polytechnic, Satarakarad, Maharashtra.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′3″
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Surekha Yadav’s father Ramchandra Bhosale is a farmer. Surekha’s mother’s name was Sonabai. She has four siblings; Surekha is the eldest among them.
husband and children
In 1990, Surekha Yadav married Shankar Yadav, Inspector of Police, Government of Maharashtra. The couple has two sons, Ajinkya and Ajitesh, who are engineering students at Mumbai University. In an interview, Surekha talked about her husband Shankar Yadav and said:
Yes, my husband has supported me throughout my career. He is one of the main reasons why I am where I am today. It does get easier if your family supports your career choice. First, you need to figure out what you want to do with your life and stick to it through hard work and dedication. Seeing your passion and determination, your family will eventually support you. “
Profession
Soon after completing her diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Surekar was looking for a full-time job opportunity and came across a vacancy for an assistant driver with the Indian Railways. She then appeared in the written test and interview before the Mumbai Railway Recruitment Board and got selected. In an interview, she spoke about this and said:
This is the most common story you’ve ever heard. I have just completed my diploma in electrical engineering. Like most other students, I was looking for full-time job opportunities. Sources say that Indian Railways has a vacancy for the post of Assistant Driver and “diploma from any institute” is required and applications are welcome. “
Newspaper clipping published on April 1, 1986, describing job vacancies in Indian Railways
In 1986, she joined the Indian Railways as a trainee assistant driver at the Kalyan Training School in Mumbai; she underwent six months of training. In 1989, she began working as a regular assistant driver on freight trains. The first local freight train she drove was L-50, which ran between Wadi Bunder and Kalyan in Maharashtra; her task was to check the operation of the train’s engines and signals. In 1996, she was assigned to work as a truck driver. From 1996 to 2009, she worked as a truck driver. In 2010, she became a GAT driver on the West Gat railway line. On the occasion of Women’s Day 2021, she was assigned to drive a special train from Mumbai to Lucknow with an all-female crew. In 2023, she became the first woman to operate the Solapur-CSMT Vande Bharat Express train.
Vande Bharat – Powered by Nari Shakti.
smt. Surekha Yadav, the first woman motorcycle pilot of Vande Bharat Express. pic.twitter.com/MqVjpgm4EO
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) March 13, 2023
Awards
- In 1998, she was awarded the Jijau Puruskar (1998).
- In 2001, she was awarded the Lions Club’s Women of Achievement Award.
- In 2001, she was conferred the title by the National Commission for Women in New Delhi.
- In 2002, she was awarded the Lokmat Sakhi Award.
- In 2004, she was awarded the Sahyadri Hirkani Award.
- In 2005, she was awarded the Prerna Purushkar Medal.
- In 2011, she won the GM Award for the first female locomotive pilot of Indian Railways.
- In 2011, she was awarded the Women Achievement Award by Central Railway Corporation.
- In 2013, she won the RWCC Best Woman Award.
- In 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the First Lady Award on Surekha at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
Surekha receives First Lady Award at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi
Facts/Trivia
- Surekha Yadav said she never thought of becoming a motorcycle pilot initially. She wanted to continue her education in mathematics, obtain a bachelor’s degree in education, and become a teacher; however, after getting a job with the Indian Railways, she decided to continue her career in the railway sector.
- Surekha said in an interview that she has been inspired by the courage and bravery of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi since her childhood.
- On International Women’s Day 2011, she was appointed as Asia’s first woman train driver to drive the Deccan Queen train from Pune to CST; train route from Pune to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal (CST) Known as one of the most difficult train routes.
- In an interview, Surekha shared a moment when she was proud of being a woman. she says,
When I first drove a train as a driver, it was a moment when I felt proud to be a woman. “
- In 1991, Surekha appeared in the television show Hum Bhi Kisise Kum Nahi.
- According to Surekha, her most memorable train journey as a Loco pilot was in 2018 when she drove a passenger train from Mumbai to Pune. In an interview, she spoke about this and said:
In 2018, I drove a passenger train from Mumbai to Pune. That will be my most unforgettable journey because I drove the train through many difficult turns and the whole route was very picturesque. The staff on that bus were also all women. “
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education