Advertisement
Vijayalakshmi Ramanan, the first woman officer of the Indian Air Force passed away at the age of 96. She was born in February 1924 and became an Obstetrician and a Gynaecologist. She joined the Indian Air Force in 1955 on a short service commission at the behest of her husband who was in the Indian Air Force.
She ended up serving for 24 long years. As there were no uniforms for women, she had a custom made saree tailored in air force blue and a tan blouse. Vijayalakshmi was small and petite compared to her male counterparts. She not only served as a gynaecologist but did administrative duties at the Medical Board besides taking classes for nursing officers in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She was awarded the Vasisht Seva medal by the then President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy for her meritorious service.
Advertisement
