The 'Rani of Jhansi Regiment', the women's regiment of the Indian National Army, was commanded by:

The "Rani of Jhansi Regiment", the women's regiment of the Indian National Army (INA), was recruited, trained and commanded by Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan (later Lakshmi Sahgal).

About the Rani of Jhansi Regiment:

• It was formed in July 1943 in Singapore by Subhas Chandra Bose, who believed that women should also fight for India's freedom.
• It was named after Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, the heroine of the Revolt of 1857.
• It was one of the first all-women combat units in the world.
• Its members were mostly young women from the Indian communities of Malaya, Singapore and Burma.
• They received military training, and some served as nurses and in combat support during the Burma campaign.

About Lakshmi Swaminathan (Sahgal):

• She was born on 24 October 1914 in Madras.
• She was a medical doctor, who was working in Singapore during the Second World War.
• She joined the INA and became the commander of the women's regiment, with the rank of Captain, and was popularly called "Captain Lakshmi".
• She was also the Minister for Women's Affairs in the Provisional Government of Free India.
• She was captured by the British in Burma in 1945.
• In 1947, she married Prem Kumar Sahgal, a fellow INA officer.

Later life:

She settled in Kanpur, and worked as a doctor for the poor.

She joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and was the Left parties' candidate for the presidential election of 2002 against A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

She was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1998.

She died in 2012 in Kanpur.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Sarojini Naidu, Aruna Asaf Ali and Sucheta Kripalani were Congress leaders in India.