Sadhana Saxena

Lieutenant General Sadhna Saxena Nair, AVSM, VSM is a former general officer of the Indian Army. She last served as the Director General Medical Services (Army) becoming the first woman officer to be appointed to the position. She was the seventh woman officer to be promoted to three-star rank in the Indian Armed Forces. Prior to that, she was also the first woman to hold the post of Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces), in the rank of Air Marshal. She and her husband Air Marshal K P Nair became the first couple of the Indian Air Force

being promoted to Air Marshal. Their younger son is a fighter pilot in the IAF (present rank: Squadron Leader) .

Early life and education

The ranked officer graduated from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune with a distinguished academic record. She holds a Post Graduate degree in Family Medicine, Diploma in Maternal & Child Health and Health Care Management, and has undergone a two-year training programme in Medical Informatics at AIIMS, New Delhi. She was trained in Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Warfare with the Israeli Defence Forces and in Military Medical Ethics with the Swiss Armed Forces in Spiez. On 1 August, 2024 she took over as the Director General Medical Services (Army) making her the first woman officer to hold the appointment of DGMS (Army). and the Vishisht Seva Medal. For her meritorious service, she has been awarded the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command and Chief of the Air Staff Commendations.