Mysuru: Coluvanda Punya Nanjappa, a resident of Vijayanagar in city, has been selected as a Trainee Pilot of Indian Air Force (IAF) Flying Branch.

The only girl from Karnataka to be part of the current course in Flying Branch of the Air Force Academy, she will be joining the Academy in Dundigal, Hyderabad, on July 8.

Punya is the daughter of Anuradha Nanjappa (a teacher at St. Joseph’s Central School) and late Coluvanda P. Bala Nanjappa (he was serving as the Manager of Prabha Theatre), native of Chambebellur in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu district.

Punya completed her schooling at St. Joseph’s Central School in Vijayanagar, then pursued her PUC at Vijaya Vittala PU College in Saraswathipuram and Engineering at NIE, Mysuru.

Punya then took up Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) on Aug.18, 2018. AFCAT is officer recruitment gateway in three branches of Air Force — Flying Branch (Short Service Commission only), Technical branch (Permanent and Short Service Commission) and Ground Duty Branch (Permanent and Short Service Commission).

After the Entrance Exam, five-day interview and medical tests and other processes, the final list was announced on June 11, 2019.

On completion of the one-and-a-half years’ training period, which will be held at the Indian Air Force Academy in Dundigal from July 8, Punya will be eligible to join the IAF as a Pilot.