Madhuri Kanitkar becomes third woman Lieutenant General of India
Another notable first is that Lieutenant General Madhuri Kanitkar and her husband Rajiv, who is also a lieutenant general is the first couple in the Armed Forces to achieve the rank.
Major General Madhuri Kanitkar was elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Indian Army on Saturday, becoming the third woman officer to secure the rank.
Madhuri is also the first woman pediatrician to hold the second-highest post in the force.
With the new rank, the major general was posted as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) at the headquarters in Delhi.
In a heartfelt message, Lieutenant General Madhuri, told the media, “Women have the opportunity to grow in this organisation that is fair, transparent, respected and safe for a woman."
She was last posted as the dean of Armed Forces Medical College in Pune.
"If there is one message I would like to share, it is to enjoy every day in uniform with childlike enthusiasm and challenge yourself to achieve the impossible. Never give up, just give back! To every woman in uniform, I can say ‘half the world is yours to take, but the full is yours to give’. So, always give your best,” she added.
Another notable first is that Lieutenant General Madhuri Kanitkar and her husband Rajiv, who is also a lieutenant general is the first couple in the Armed Forces to achieve the rank.
However, it was not completely smooth sailing. The Army was a largely male-dominated space in the 1980s and had very few women-friendly policies.
However, Madhuri topped her MBBS batch at the Armed Forces Medical College with the presidential gold medal for the best outgoing student.
The first woman to hold this position is Surgeon Vice-Admiral and a former 3-star flag officer Punita Arora who serves in the the Indian Navy and the Indian Army.
Lieutenant General Padmavathy Bandopadhyay is the second woman to achieve this feat.