New Delhi: Lieutenant General Sadhna Saxena Nair was appointed as the Director General Medical Services (Army) on August 1, 2024. She is the first woman to be appointed to this position. She has also held the rank of Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces) after being promoted from the rank of Air Marshal.
Education from UP, Pune
Nair started her schooling at St Mary’s Convent, Prayagraj and completed it from Loreto Convent, Lucknow. She also attended schools in Tezpur, Gorakhpur, Kanpur and Chandigarh. She completed her graduation from the prestigious Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, with a stellar academic record. She got commissioned into the Army Medical Corps in December 1985. She also holds a Postgraduate degree in Family Medicine, Diplomas in Maternal and Child Health and Health Care Management. She then underwent a two year training Program in Medical Informatics at AIIMS, New Delhi.
Among international trainings she has received are, CBRN Warfare with the Israeli Defence Forces and in Military Medical Ethics with the Swiss Armed Forces in Spiez, Switzerland. She is also the first woman Principal Medical Officer of Western Air Command, IAF, and Training Command, IAF.
Nair was nominated as an expert member of the prestigious Dr Kasturirangan Committee for drafting part of the medical education component of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2019.
Awards and personal life of Nair
For her meritorious services Nair was awarded the AOC-in-C (WAC) and CAS Commendations as well as the Vishisht Seva Medal. Three generations of her family have been part of the armed forces.
Nair is married to Air Marshal KP Nair (Retd) and holds the unique distinction of being a daughter and sister of military doctors and wife and mother of IAF Fighter Pilots.