Seema Rao

Indian commando trainer

Seema Rao
Seema Rao at Corps Battle School Northern Command Indian Army
Website	Official website

Seema Rao is popularly known as “Wonder Woman of India” amongst the Indian media.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] She is India's first female special forces trainer,^[7]^[8] having trained Special Forces of India for over two decades without compensation. She is an expert in close quarter battle (CQB)^[9] — the art of fighting in tight proximity — and is involved in training various Indian forces.^[10] She works in partnership with Major Deepak Rao, her husband.^[11]^[12]

Biography

Born to an Indian freedom fighter, Professor Ramakant Sinari, Rao has an MBA in crisis management.^{[citation needed]} She was a Mrs India World beauty pageant finalist.^[13]

Rao earned her Para Wings by skydiving in the Indian Air Force course. She is a combat shooting instructor, an Army mountaineering institute HMI medalist, and an 8th degree Blackbelt in military martial arts.^[14] She is one of a handful of instructors authorised to teach Jeet Kune Do.^[15] She co-invented a new method of shooting, called The Rao System of Reflex Fire, for close quarters combat, along with her husband Deepak Rao.^[16] Together, the Raos are recipients of three Army Chief citations for over two decades of contribution to training 15,000 soldiers.^[17]

Rao has co-authored two books—"Encyclopedia of Close Combat Ops" and "A Comprehensive Analysis of World Terrorism". She has also written a book "Handbook of World Terrorism" along with her husband.^[18]

Awards and recognition

Rao was ranked sixth in the 2019 Forbes India W-Power Trailblazer list.^[19] She received Nari Shakti Puraskar from the President of India in 2019.^[20]

References

^ "Wonder Woman: Dr Seema Rao, India's First And Only Woman Commando Trainer". femina.in. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
^ Pawar, Nivedita Jayaram (25 June 2017). "India's wonder woman". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
^ LIV, SIpping Thoughts (28 November 2019). "Dr. Seema Rao- The Wonder Woman of India -". Sipping Thoughts Liv. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
^ "The Maa-Beti Wonder Women: Seema and Komal Rao - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
^ Says, Theskywalker (29 October 2017). "Interview with 'Wonder Woman' Dr. Seema Rao: "I hold honour and duty above material gains"". Star of Mysore. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
^ "Meet Seema Rao, India's first woman Commando trainer". The Indian Express. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
^ "Women Power: Dr. Seema Rao's Iron Will". jagran.com. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
^ "IWD Special Interview of Dr. Seema Rao". bhaskar.com. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
^ "Dr Seema Rao Commando Trainer". indiatimes.com. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
^ "Training the Indian Forces". BBC News हिंदी. BBC. 25 January 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
^ "Indian Super Woman Dr. Seema Rao". Deccan Chronicle. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
^ "Meet India's only woman commando trainer Dr Seema Rao". cnbctv18.com. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
^ "Dr Seema Rao - India's only commando trainer". indiatimes. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
^ "Meet Seema Rao, India's Only Woman Combat Trainer". femina.in. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
^ "Jeet Kune Do Instructor - Dr Seema Rao". LokMarg. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
^ "Forbes India - Dr Seema Rao: India's First Female Combat Trainer, Fighting Stereotypes". Forbes India. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
^ "Unstoppables Combat Couple". indiatoday.intoday.in. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
^ "Men in uniform get a shot in the arm from combat couple | Mumbai News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
^ "Dr Seema Rao is No 6 in the 2019 Forbes India Woman-Power". forbesindia.com. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
^ "President gives Nari Shakti Puraskar, woman marine pilot, commando trainer receive loudest cheers". uniindia.com. Retrieved 8 March 2019.