Shakti Sharma scripts history, becomes first woman non-medical Air Vice Marshal

New Delhi: Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma has become the first woman non-medical officer in the Indian armed forces to attain the rank of Air Vice Marshal or equivalent, marking a historic milestone for the Indian Air Force.

Sharma assumed charge as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) at Air Headquarters on September 1, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. She was previously serving as an Air Commodore.

Commissioned into the IAF’s Education Branch on June 18, 1994, Sharma has held various assignments at training establishments, field stations, command headquarters and Air Headquarters during her more than three decades of service.

She played a key role in establishing IAF Chairs of Excellence at IIT Kanpur and Pune University to promote academic and strategic defence collaboration. She also became the first woman officer from the tri-services to command a Sainik School, serving as principal of Sainik School, Kapurthala.

The Defence Ministry described her elevation as a landmark achievement in the journey of women officers in the Indian armed forces. Sharma’s career, spanning more than three decades, reflects the IAF’s motto, ‘Touch the Sky with Glory’, it said.
(PTI inputs)