Major Navya Shekhawat | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1997 (age 28–29) Kerpura, Sikar district, Rajasthan, India |
| Allegiance |  India |
| Service/ |  Indian Army |
| Years of service | 2021–present |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Army Service Corps |
| Other work | Aide-de-camp to the President of India (2026–present) |
Navya Shekhawat is an officer of the Indian Army serving in the Army Service Corps. In 2026, she was appointed an aide-de-camp (ADC) to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. She became the first woman officer from the Indian Army to serve as an ADC to the President.[1][2] She is the second woman overall to hold the appointment, following Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki of the Indian Navy, who became the first woman to serve as a presidential ADC in 2025.[3][4]
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
Shekhawat was born in 1997 and is from Kerpura village in the Khandela block of Sikar district, Rajasthan.[5][6]
Shekhawat's family has a background in the Indian Air Force. Her grandfather, Wing Commander Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, served in the IAF, while her father, Group Captain Karan Singh Shekhawat, was serving in the IAF as of 2026.[5][6][7] Shekhawat is the third generation of her family to serve in the armed forces, following her grandfather and father.[5][7]
She received schooling in different cities because of her father's postings, including Delhi. She later completed a bachelor's degree in economics from the Modi Institute in Lakshmangarh, Sikar district.[5]
Military career[edit | edit source]
Entry and commissioning[edit | edit source]
Shekhawat entered the Army through the Combined Defence Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. She appeared in the CDS (I) 2020 examination and was selected for the 27th Short Service Commission Women (Non-Technical) Course at the Officers Training Academy, Chennai.[1][4]
Her name appears at number seven in the OTA women's merit list for the CDS (I) 2020 examination, with roll number 1110476.[8][9] The published merit list records 51 candidates in the women's category, with Shekhawat listed seventh.[8]
After completing her training at the Officers Training Academy, Shekhawat was commissioned into the Army Service Corps in 2021.[1][2][10] The Army Service Corps is responsible for logistical functions including supply and transport.[11] She subsequently attained the rank of Major.[4][2]
Aide-de-camp to the President[edit | edit source]
In 2026, Shekhawat was appointed as an ADC to President Droupadi Murmu and began serving at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Reports about her appointment place the beginning of her tenure around July 2026.[10][12][13]
The appointment made Shekhawat the first woman officer from the Indian Army to serve as a presidential ADC.[1][2] The appointment followed that of Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki of the Indian Navy, who became the first woman officer to serve as an ADC to the President in 2025.[3][11]
The President's military staff includes ADCs drawn from the armed forces. Reports state that the President is customarily assisted by five military ADCs, including three from the Army and one each from the Navy and Air Force.[1][14] ADCs assist the President during official engagements and ceremonial functions and undertake duties involving coordination and military protocol.[3][11]
The ADC appointment is held by a serving military officer and does not constitute a separate form of entry into the armed forces.[12] Shekhawat's appointment came approximately five years after her commissioning in 2021.[3][4]
See also[edit | edit source]
- Women in the Indian Armed Forces
- Aide-de-camp
- Army Service Corps (India)
- Officers Training Academy
- Droupadi Murmu
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "From CDS to Rashtrapati Bhavan: Major Navya Shekhawat becomes first woman Army officer to serve as President's ADC". The Times of India. 18 September 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Who is Major Navya Shekhawat? Meet the first woman Army officer to serve as President Droupadi Murmu's ADC". The Statesman. 14 September 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Meet the woman Army officer now serving as President Murmu's ADC: Who is Major Navya Shekhawat?". The Times of India. 9 September 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Who is Major Navya Shekhawat, first woman Army officer appointed President's Aide-De-Camp". The Economic Times. 9 September 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "राष्ट्रपति की ADC नव्या शेखावत के दादा रहे विंग कमांडर, बताई पोती के संघर्ष की पूरी कहानी". NDTV (in हिन्दी). 17 September 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "राजस्थान की बेटी ने बढ़ाया मान, राष्ट्रपति की ADC बनीं सीकर की मेजर नव्या शेखावत". ETV Bharat (in हिन्दी). 18 September 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Major Navya Shekhawat : राजस्थान की बेटी मेजर नव्या शेखावत ने रचा इतिहास, बनीं राष्ट्रपति की पहली महिला आर्मी ADC". Rajasthan Patrika (in हिन्दी). 18 September 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "CDS 1 2020 Merit List Officers Training Academy". Defence Direct Education. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "(Result) UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination (I) (OTA) 2020". UPSC IAS EXAM PORTAL. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "From Rajasthan to Rashtrapati Bhavan: Major Navya Shekhawat becomes Indian Army's first woman ADC to the President". Times Now. 10 September 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Major Navya Shekhawat is first woman Army officer on the President's ADC team". The Better India. 20 July 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Meet Rajasthan's Major Navya Shekhawat, first woman Army officer to serve as President's ADC". The Logical Indian. 3 September 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Who is Navya Shekhawat? Know about first woman officer to serve as President's Aide-de-camp". DNA. 11 September 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Major Navya Shekhawat, first woman Army officer ADC to President". Vajiram & Ravi. 31 August 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.