In Brief:
- Historic Milestone: Major Navya Shekhawat is the first woman officer from the Indian Army—and the second woman overall across all armed forces—to serve as the President's ADC.
- Career Path: Commissioned into the Army Service Corps (ASC) in 2021 after clearing the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination and graduating from the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai.
- Role & Precedent: Assumes the prestigious ceremonial and logistical protocol post at Rashtrapati Bhavan, following Indian Navy Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki, who became the first woman officer overall to serve as President's ADC in 2025.
Major Navya Shekhawat has drawn national spotlight after being appointed as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, marking a historic milestone as the first woman officer from the Indian Army to hold the prestigious role. She becomes the second female officer overall to serve as President's ADC, following Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki of the Indian Navy, who assumed the role in 2025.
Major Shekhawat's journey began after she cleared the UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination, securing a merit rank for the Short Service Commission Women Non-Technical Course. Following rigorous training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai, she was commissioned into the Army Service Corps (ASC) in 2021—a branch responsible for crucial military logistics, supply, and transportation systems. Rising through the ranks to Major in roughly five years, her appointment puts her in a select team of five military ADCs (three from the Army, one from the Navy, and one from the Air Force) who maintain military protocols, manage high-profile communications, and assist the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces during official engagements.
