A young woman from Dangri village in Assam’s Tinsukia district has created history in a difficult field where women are almost non-existent. Shivangi Sonwal is the first Assamese woman to graduate as a fire engineer from the National Fire Service College (NFSC), Nagpur. Shivangi achieved this rare feat after four years of hard work, concentration and discipline in one of the toughest engineering courses in the country.
Daughter of Jeetul Sonwal and Bunty Sandiki Sonwal, Shivangi grew up in the village of Dangri. Where most students usually opt for conventional engineering courses, Shivangi chose a different and bold path. He opted for fire engineering, a specialized course that provides in-depth knowledge of engineering knowledge as well as fire safety, disaster management and emergency services.
His journey began in 2022 when he cleared the tough All India level JEE Main exam and got admission in the National Fire Service College, Nagpur under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Admission to this course does not depend on academic merit alone. It requires candidates to pass rigorous physical and medical tests, which reflect the tough realities of the profession. Every year, only 60 students from all over India are selected for the course and among them usually only three or four are women. Shivangi secured her seat by contesting against nearly 800 candidates.
Over the next four years, he received in-depth academic and practical training in fire prevention, fire technology, industrial safety and emergency management. He was formally recognized as a fire engineer at the college convocation on 29 May. Shivangi is the first Assamese woman to graduate as a fire engineer from the institute Also, through campus placement, Shivangi has already secured employment in a gas based company and brought pride to herself and her family as well as the entire state.
Shivangi’s success has brought joy to her native village of Dangri. Villagers, various groups and well-wishers congratulated the newly appointed engineer. Everyone believes that Shivangi’s phenomenal success will deeply inspire the next generation, especially young women who want to cross social barriers and explore new paths.