Indian Navy gets its first direct lady Vice Admiral

Surgeon Rear Admiral Sheila Samanta Mathai, NM, VSM, was promoted to the rank of Surgeon Vice Admiral on 26 August 2021 and assumed the post of Director General (Organization and Personal) of the Armed Forces Medical Services under the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services. She was previously holding the post of Command Medical Officer, WNC. A graduate of the Armed Forces Medical College AFMC, Surgeon Vice Admiral Sheila Samanta Mathai has served over 36 years in the Indian Navy and is the first woman officer to rise to this rank directly in the Indian Navy. Over 16 years ago, in June 2005, Surgeon Vice Admiral Punita Arora changed over to the white uniform at the rank of Lieutenant General to assume the appointment of the DGMS Navy. Surgeon Vice Admiral Sheila Mathai is also only the fourth woman officer to reach the 3-star rank in the Indian Armed Forces, the other two being Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay (November 2005) and Lieutenant General Madhuri Kanitkar (March 2020). A Pediatrician and Neonatologist by specialisation, Surgeon Vice Admiral Sheila Mathai has had a brilliant academic and administrative career in the Indian Navy and has held a number of prestigious posts including that of Professor and HOD at AFMC, Dean Institute of Naval Medicine, Commanding Officer INHS Asvini and Command Medical Officer of both ENC and WNC.