Quicksplained: Who is Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, first woman to head Indian Armed Forces Medical Services?

Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin was appointed on Tuesday as the next director general of the Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).

She has assumed leadership of the Tri-Service Armed Forces Medical Services, making history as the first woman officer to hold this position.

She is also the highest-ranking woman officer ever to have served in the Indian Armed Forces.

Her appointment comes two months after Lieutenant General Sadhna Saxena Nair took over as the DG of Medical Services (Army), the first woman officer to be appointed to the position.

Who is Vice Admiral Arti Sarin?

• Commissioned in December 1985, Vice Admiral Arti Sarin graduated from the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, Maharashtra.

• She holds a Diplomate National Board in radiation oncology from the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, an MD in radiodiagnosis from AFMC, and gamma knife surgical training from the University of Pittsburgh in the US.

• Throughout her 38-year career, she held a number of important positions.

• Sarin held the esteemed positions of DG Medical Services for the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force before taking on the role of 46th DGAFMS.

• Vice Admiral Sarin has served as the Command Medical Officer of the Southern Naval Command (SNC) and the Western Naval Command (WNC), as well as the commander of two significant units, INHS Asvini and AFMC.

• She holds the unique distinction of having served in the army as a lieutenant to captain, the Navy as a surgeon vice admiral, and the Indian Air Force as an air marshal. It is true that military doctors may be transferred to different services.

• An advocate of encouraging young women to enlist in the military, she was most recently named by the Supreme Court to the National Task Force, which is tasked with creating safe working conditions and procedures for medical professionals. The 10-person task force was formed in August following the top court’s suo motu recognition of the reported rape and killing of a female trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident set off widespread demonstrations across the country, leading to a strike by fellow doctors at the majority of government-run hospitals.

• In July 2024, President Droupadi Murmu awarded her the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) in recognition of her outstanding service.

• Sarin will head AFMS for two years and will be responsible for overall medical policy matters related to the Armed Forces.

With inputs from agencies