Punita Arora
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Punita Arora is the first woman in India
to don the second highest rank i.e Lieutant General of Indian Armed Forces
. and the first Vice admiral
of Indian Navy
.
family which hails from Lahore
. When she was 12 years old, her family moved to India
during partition and got settled in Saharanpur
, Uttarpradesh.
till 8th grade. After that she moved to Guru Nanak Girls Inter-College. In 11th Standard while getting admitted to Government school for boys she decided to take science
as a career.
She joined Armed Forces Medical College, Pune
in 1963 which was the second batch of the AFMC and she turned out to be the topper of that batch.
Before becoming Vice Admiral of Indian Navy she was Commandant
of AFMC
.
She took the charge of commandant of Armed Forces Medical College in 2004 thereafter becoming the first woman officer to command the medical college. Before that She was co-ordinating Medical Research of the armed forces at the Army
headquarters as additional director-general of Armed Forces Medical Services (Medical Research).
She moved from the Army to the Navy
as the AFMS has a common pool which allows officers to migrate from one service to another depending on the requirement.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Punita Arora is the first woman in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to don the second highest rank i.e Lieutant General of Indian Armed Forces
Indian Armed Forces
The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. They consist of the Army, Navy and Air Force, supported by three paramilitary forces and various inter-service institutions such as the Strategic Forces Command.The President of India is...
. and the first Vice admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
of Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
.
Early life
She was born into a PunjabiPunjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
family which hails from Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. When she was 12 years old, her family moved to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
during partition and got settled in Saharanpur
Saharanpur
Saharanpur is a city and a Municipal Corporation in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur District as well as Saharanpur Division...
, Uttarpradesh.
Education
She studied in Sophia School in SaharanpurSaharanpur
Saharanpur is a city and a Municipal Corporation in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur District as well as Saharanpur Division...
till 8th grade. After that she moved to Guru Nanak Girls Inter-College. In 11th Standard while getting admitted to Government school for boys she decided to take science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
as a career.
She joined Armed Forces Medical College, Pune
Armed Forces Medical College, Pune
The Armed Forces Medical College is a premier medical college in India.It is among the top 3 medical colleges in the country. It is located in Pune Cantonment in Pune in the state of Maharashtra. The college is managed by the Indian Armed Forces....
in 1963 which was the second batch of the AFMC and she turned out to be the topper of that batch.
Career
Punita was commissioned in January 1968.Before becoming Vice Admiral of Indian Navy she was Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of AFMC
Armed Forces Medical College, Pune
The Armed Forces Medical College is a premier medical college in India.It is among the top 3 medical colleges in the country. It is located in Pune Cantonment in Pune in the state of Maharashtra. The college is managed by the Indian Armed Forces....
.
She took the charge of commandant of Armed Forces Medical College in 2004 thereafter becoming the first woman officer to command the medical college. Before that She was co-ordinating Medical Research of the armed forces at the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
headquarters as additional director-general of Armed Forces Medical Services (Medical Research).
She moved from the Army to the Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
as the AFMS has a common pool which allows officers to migrate from one service to another depending on the requirement.
Awards and Medals
She has been awarded with 15 medals in her 36 years of career in Indian Armed Forces.- Vishisht Seva MedalVishisht Seva MedalVishisht Seva Medal is a decoration of the Indian Armed forces. It is awarded to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the Indian armed forces....
for providing efficient and timely help to victims of the Kaluchak massacre in 2002.
- Sena MedalSena MedalThis article is about the Sena Medal, an Indian Military decoration. 'SM' redirects here The Sena Medal is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made...
for providing gynae-endoscopy and oncology facilities and pioneering invitro-fertilisation and assisted reproductive techniques for infertile and childless couples in military hospitals.