It is always a great day when you hear about Indian women in the military achieving extraordinary success and making history. Especially after everything they must have gone through to even find a place for themselves in the male-dominated field, and the threefold hard work that would have followed it. The immovable determination of these female officers has brought about quite a few of these occasions in 2024. Here are 7 women from the Indian Armed Forces who have made us swell with pride this year.
1. Mohana Singh
Squadron leader Mohana Singh became the first Indian woman fighter pilot to fly with the esteemed ‘Flying Bullets’ squadron. This female officer participated in the military exercise ‘Tarang Shakti’ that was held in Jodhpur. She operated the LCA Tejas Fighter Fleet, which was made in India. Mohana has already made history once before in 2016 by becoming one of the three first women fighter pilots.
2. Sadhna Saxena Nair
On 1 August 2024, Lt. General Sadhna Saxena Nair became the first female officer to hold the position of Director General Medical Services in the Indian Army. She has also been the first female to have the posts of Principal Medical Officer (Air Force), as well as DG Hospital Services (Armed Forces). An inspiration to all Indian women in the military, she is only the 7th woman to have been promoted to a 3 star rank in the Army.
3. Shivangi Singh
Lt. Shivangi Singh became the first and only woman to fly a Rafale fighter aircraft and achieved this feat after successfully passing the rigorous selection process. She had been commissioned into the Indian Air Force’s second batch of female fighter pilots in 2017, and is now a part of the Golden Arrows Squadron.
4. Arti Sarin
Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin became the first woman to occupy the office of Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services on 1 October 2024. This female officer has served in all three branches of the military. Her dedication to patient care was also awarded with the Ati Vishist Seva Medal this year, after already having earned it once back in 2021.
5. Jaismine Lamboria and Reetika Hooda
The achievements of Indian women in the military are not limited to just the defences. Havildar Jaismine Lamboria and CPO Reetika Hooda became the first female officers to participate in the Olympic games. These are the only 2 women in a total of 24 athletes from the Armed Forces, and participated in the boxing and wrestling events respectively.
6. Sita Shelke
Major Sita Shelke, the only female officer in a team of 70 males, led the rescue mission of rebuilding the 190 ft Bailey bridge when the landslides struck Wayanad, Kerala. The tireless effort of this team took only 31 hours to complete the construction. The restored bridge allowed the movement of people and machinery needed to save the people who were stuck in the neighbouring areas due to the calamity.Let this list be the one nudge you need to believe in yourself no matter what the opposition is. Be it physical obstacles or the limits put on these female officers by others, they have shown that there is a rightful and well-deserved place for the Indian women in the military. We salute these officers for their exemplary feats!
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