Lt Gen Sadhna Saxena Nair has taken charge as the Director General Medical Services (Army), marking the first time a woman has held this esteemed position. This significant appointment underscores the increasing role of women in the Indian Armed Forces.
Prior to this, Lt Gen Nair made history as the first woman to hold the post of Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces) upon her promotion to the rank of Air Marshal. Her career began with a distinguished academic record at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, from where she graduated before being commissioned into the Army Medical Corps in December 1985.
Lt Gen Nair’s extensive qualifications include a Post Graduate degree in Family Medicine, Diplomas in Maternal & Child Health and Health Care Management, and a two-year training program in Medical Informatics at AIIMS, New Delhi. Her diverse training also includes specialized courses in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Warfare with the Israeli Defence Forces and Military Medical Ethics with the Swiss Armed Forces in Spiez.
A trailblazer in many respects, Lt Gen Nair was also the first woman to serve as the Principal Medical Officer of both the Western Air Command and the Training Command of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Her expertise was further recognized when she was nominated as an expert member of the Dr. Kasturirangan Committee, which was responsible for drafting the medical education component of the National Education Policy.
In recognition of her exemplary service, Lt Gen Nair has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command and Chief of the Air Staff Commendations, as well as the Vishisht Seva Medal, awarded by the President of India.
