Sadhna Nair is the first woman in the country to become DG of MHS

Indian Air Force officer Air Marshal Sadhna Saxena Nair was made the Director General (DG) of the Military Hospital Service (MHS) on 23 October 2023. Sadhna Nair has become the first woman officer in the country to hold this post.

Sadhna becomes second woman officer of Air Marshal rank:

• After the promotional transfer of Sadhna Nair, she has become the second woman officer to attain the rank of Air Marshal.
• Before Sadhna, this achievement was achieved by Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay. Padma was appointed to the rank of Air Marshal in the year 2002.
• Apart from this, the first woman to reach the three-star rank was Naval Surgeon Vice Admiral Punita Arora, who has retired.

Country's first couple to reach Air Marshal rank:

• Sadhna has been promotionally transferred from Air Force Training Command Bangalore Headquarters to Delhi. Her husband KP Nair retired from the post of Director General of Inspection and Flight Safety in 2015.
• In this way Sadhna and KP Nair have become the first couple in the country to reach the rank of Air Marshal.

Brief introduction of Sadhna Nair:

• Air Force officer Sadhna Nair has graduated from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune.
• After this she joined the Indian Air Force in December 1985.
• Sadhna Nair has done post graduation in Family Medicine.
• Sadhna participated in the training program of Delhi AIIMS for 2 years.
• Sadhna Nair has studied Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Warfare and Military Medical Ethics in Switzerland.

Three generations of Sadhana have been associated with the Air Force:

• Air Marshal Sadhna Nair's family has been associated with the Indian Air Force for three generations.
• Sadhna's father and brother have also been doctors in the Indian Air Force.
• His son is working as a fighter pilot (flight lieutenant) in the Air Force.

Who is the first three-star couple of the Indian Army?

• Before Sadhna-KP Nair, the Kanitkar couple was the first three-star army officer couple. The Kanitkar couple became the first couple to achieve the senior rank of three-star officers in the Armed Forces in 2020.
• Army Lieutenant General Madhuri Kanitkar had then achieved this feat along with her husband Lieutenant General Rajeev Kanitkar. Her husband Rajiv retired as Quarter Master General in 2017 while Madhuri is a doctor.

Present status of women officers in the Indian Army:

• Women medical officers are already being given permanent commission in the Armed Forces, while the situation is different in other wings.
• Now, after the Supreme Court's directive to end gender inequality in the army, emphasis is being laid on reinstating women in other posts also.
• Women officers are now flying fighter planes and serving on first-line warships. Howitzers and rocket systems are being handled in the artillery regiment.
• There are 17 women officers in the Air Force who are flying supersonic fighter jets like MiG-21, Sukhoi-30MKI and Rafale.
• Apart from these, 145 women military officers fly helicopters and transport aircraft for land, sea and navy.
• Whereas, 30 women officers are deployed in frontline warships.

Women officers' presence is still negligible in these army posts::

• No steps have been taken to induct women officers in the main infantry, armored vehicles, armored corps, tank-truck and several wings of the Army.
• Along with this, women military officers are also not being appointed in submarines of the Navy.
• In future, only by appointing women officers to these posts, the Supreme Court's directive to eliminate gender inequality in the army can be fulfilled. ​