Who became the first woman officer (non-medical) to attain a two-star rank in the Indian defence forces?
- A.Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma
- B.Air Marshal Sadhna Saxena Nair
- C.Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin
- D.Air Vice Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma. The Ministry of Defence release says that she became the first woman officer outside the medical stream in the Indian defence forces to attain the rank of Air Vice Marshal or an equivalent rank, and that on 1 September 2026 she assumed the appointment of Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) at Air Headquarters. The qualification in the record matters, and it is exactly what the other options test. Women officers had already reached two-star and higher ranks through the medical services, so a name from the medical stream cannot be the answer to this question; the release restricts the first to officers outside that stream. No other officer is named in the release at all. Remember the pairing for revision: the rank of Air Vice Marshal carries two stars, and her branch is the Education Branch, which she joined on 18 June 1994.
Read the full article: Shakti Sharma Becomes First Woman Two-Star Officer
Practice Questions
Which appointment did Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma assume on 1 September 2026?
- A.Director General of Medical Services (Air)
- B.Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education)
- C.Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance
- D.Principal, Sainik School, Kapurthala
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She took it over on 1 September 2026, and it is with this appointment that she became the first woman officer outside the medical stream to hold a two-star rank in the Indian defence forces.
Read the full explanation →At which institutions did she lead the setting up of Indian Air Force Chairs of Excellence?
- A.IIT Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University
- B.IIT Kanpur and Pune University
- C.IIT Madras and Osmania University
- D.IIT Bombay and Panjab University
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Among the institutional initiatives she led during her career, the release singles out the establishment of Indian Air Force Chairs of Excellence at these two places, created to carry forward academic work and strategic collaboration in the field of defence.
Read the full explanation →Which expression did Rajnath Singh use for the North-Eastern region while addressing soldiers at Sukna?
- A.The last edge of India
- B.The first edge of India
- C.The eastern gateway
- D.The seven sisters belt
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Speaking to soldiers at the Barakhana held on the eve of Diwali, the Raksha Mantri described the North-Eastern region as the first edge of the country rather than its last edge, explaining that the region marks the beginning of the national geographical and cultural landscape because it receives the first…
Read the full explanation →Along which boundary was the Defence Minister briefed on infrastructure development during the Sukna visit?
- A.Line of Control
- B.Radcliffe Line
- C.Line of Actual Control
- D.Durand Line
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At Sukna the Raksha Mantri was briefed on infrastructure development along the Line of Actual Control, usually shortened to LAC, and on the deployment of advanced military equipment and emerging technologies meant to improve operational capability and combat effectiveness.
Read the full explanation →The Trishakti Corps, whose preparedness was reviewed on 7 November 2026, is headquartered at which place?
- A.Tezpur, Assam
- B.Sukna, West Bengal
- C.Bagdogra, West Bengal
- D.Dimapur, Nagaland
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Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh reviewed the operational preparedness of the Trishakti Corps at Sukna, where he was briefed on infrastructure development along the Line of Actual Control and on the deployment of advanced military equipment and emerging technologies.
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