Indian Army chief General MM Naravane on Friday urged everyone to welcome women at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune with the “same sense of fair play and professionalism which Indian armed forces are known for the world over”. Gen Naravane was referring to the Supreme Court's ruling that has allowed women students to take the upcoming NDA entrance examination, breaking the 65-year-old glass ceiling. "As we open the portals of the NDA for women cadets, we expect you to welcome them with the same sense of fair play and professionalism as Indian armed forces are known world over," news agency quoted General Naravane as saying during his address to cadets after reviewing the passing out parade of the 141st course of the NDA in Pune. "As we go ahead, we shall be inducting women cadets into NDA and I am sure they will perform as well as the men cadets. It's just the first step towards gender equality and the army has always been at the forefront of all such initiatives that have taken place in the country," he said. The Centre last month informed the Supreme Court that a notification allowing women to take the NDA entrance exams will be out by May next year. The Court, however, allowed women candidates to take the exam in November this year, ruling that the induction of women to the NDA cannot be postponed by one year. Meanwhile, the army chief also appealed to the cadets to keep themselves informed of new technology that will help them counter the contemporary challenges. "A little over 42 years back, when I stood as a cadet at the same drill square as you stand today, little I could have imagined that I would be reviewing this parade. "From here on, you will step into the respective career service academies for more focused military training. You will don different uniforms, but always remember that no single service by itself can fight and win modern wars. According to the UPSC calendar, the NDA exam will take place on November 14, 2021. The examination is open only for unmarried women candidates.