Flying High: Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma scripts history as highest-ranking woman IAF officer

AIR VICE-MARSHAL Shakti Sharma has made history as the first woman officer (non-medical) in the Indian defence forces to achieve the rank of Air Vice Marshal (or its equivalent). She is the first woman officer in the Indian Armed Forces to break this glass ceiling and reach such a milestone.

In the Army and Navy, women officers so far have reached the rank of Colonel and equivalent. On Tuesday, AVM Sharma assumed charge as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) at Air Headquarters, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement, adding that this landmark achievemenț marks a new chapter in the journey of women officers in the defence forces.

Commissioned into the Education Branch of the IAF on June 18, 1994, the senior officer has served across various training establishments, field stations, command headquarters and Air Headquarters in her over three decades of distinguished service.

The Ministry of Defence statement noted that throughout her career, AVM Sharma has spearheaded key institutional initiatives, including establishing the IAF Chairs of Excellence at IlT-Kanpur and Pune University to drive academic and strategic defence collaboration.

She is also the first woman officer from the Tri-Services to command a Sainik School, serving as Principal of Sainik School, Kapurthala. One of the key reasons why a woman officer could achieve this feat is attributed to the Indian Air Force (IAF) officially granting Permanent Commission status to women officers in 2010.

Since then, the IAF has streamlined opportunities for their promotion and career development, including their participation in various career courses. The Army and the Navy started granting Permanent Commission to women officers in select arms/services and branches in 2008.

However, that was extended to multiple other branches in 2020 after the Supreme Court’s intervention. The fact that only one woman officer (non-medical) has attained the rank of Air Vice Marshal (AVM) reflects the highly competitive nature of career advancement in the Armed Forces.

The competition is intense due to the limited number of vacancies as all officers progress through the ranks. Women officers in the IAF have recorded significant achievements in the past. In 2023, the Air Force selected Group Captain Shaliza Dhami to take command of a frontline combat unit, making her the first woman officer in the IAF to command a missile squadron in the western sector facing Pakistan.

Last month, Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth became the first woman pilot to clear the Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment in Gwalior. In May this year, Squadron Leader Saanya became the first woman officer in the Indian Air Force to earn the elite Category-A Qualified Flying Instructor (Cat-A QFI) qualification.

Amrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Indian Express. In the past, Amrita has extensively reported on the media industry and broadcasting matters, urban affairs, bureaucracy and government policies.

In the last 14 years of her career, she has worked in newspapers as well as in the online media space and is well versed with the functioning of both newsrooms. Amrita has worked in the northeast, Mumbai and Delhi. She has travelled extensively across the country, including in far-flung border areas, to bring detailed reports from the ground and has written investigative reports on media and defence.

She has been working for The Indian Express since January 2023. ... Read More