Ten women script history in Indian Army, Air Force and Navy this year-ender 2023
Ten women script history in Indian Army, Air Force and Navy this year-ender 2023
It is a moment of pride for the Nation that in the year 2023, ten women scripted history in Indian Army, Airforce and Navy. Commander Prerna Deosthalee emerged as the first woman officer of the Indian Navy to command the Indian Naval Warship, while Group Captain Shaliza Dhami turned out to be the first woman Air Force officer to take charge of a frontline combat unit.
In a major push to promote inclusivity this year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved a proposal for extending the rules for maternity, child care and child adoption leave for women soldiers, sailors, and air warriors in the armed forces on a par with their officer counterparts.
Apart from this, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar said on December 1 that more than 1,000 women Agniveers have been incorporated into the Indian Navy.
As another year comes to an end, here are 10 women who scripted history in Indian defence forces this year:
1. Commander Prerna Deosthalee is set to be the first woman officer of the Indian Navy to command the Indian Naval Warship, the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet posted on X in December. The officer is currently the First Lieutenant of the warship INS Chennai.
2. Group Captain Shaliza Dhami became the first woman Air Force officer to take charge of a frontline combat unit. Group Captain Shaliza Dhami was chosen to lead a missile squadron in the western sector. In 2019, she became the first woman officer in the Air Force to get promoted to the post of flight commander of the flying unit.
3. On April 20, Wing Commander Deepika Misra became the first woman officer in the Indian Air Force to be presented with a gallantry award. She received her Vayu Sena Medal for gallantry from IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari at an investiture ceremony on April 20. She had helped in saving 47 lives during floods in Madhya Pradesh in 2021.
4. Captain Shiva Chouhan became the first woman officer to get operationally deployed at the world’s highest battlefield, Siachen, after training at Siachen Battle School along with other personnel. “Capt Chouhan got inducted to the Siachen Glacier on January 2 this year after an arduous climb. The team of Sappers led by Captain Shiva Chouhan will be responsible for numerous combat engineering tasks and will be deployed at the post for a duration of three months,” the Indian Army said.
5. In a historic first, the Indian Army inducted its first batch of “Five Women Officers” into the Regiment of Artillery on April 29. According to an NDTV report, Lt Mehak Saini, Lt Sakshi Dubey, Lt Aditi Yadav, Lt Pious Mudgil and Lt Akanksha joined the Army’s premier artillery units after completing their training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai. The Regiment of Artillery is a combat/fighting arm of the Indian Army.
6. On November 22, 2023, Army Medical Corps Officer Col Sunita became the first woman to command the Armed Forces Transfusion Centre, Delhi Cantt, the largest blood transfusion centre of the Armed Force. Graduating from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences
7. Captain Surbhi Jakhmola, an Indian Army officer from 117 Engineer Regiment, was posted to Border Road Organisation’s Project Dantak in Bhutan. She became the first woman officer to be posted on foreign assignment in the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
8. Squadron Leader Manisha Padhi was appointed as Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to the Governor of Mizoram. Squadron Leader Manisha is India’s first Woman Indian Armed Forces officer to be appointed as Aide-De-Camp(ADC) to the Governor in the country, said the Governor of Mizoram.
9. Colonel Shuchita Shekhar became the first women officer of the Army Service Corps to assume command of a Communication Zone Mechanical Transport Battalion responsible for the maintenance of the Supply Chain of the fully operational Northern Command, Indian Army Officials were quoted by ANI as saying.
10. Colonel Geeta Rana of the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers became the first woman officer to take over command of an Independent Field Workshop in a forward and remote location in Eastern Ladakh, said Indian Army officials.
News Edit K.V.Raman
