Woman naval air operations officer Lt Cdr Amrith to lead Navy’s R-Day contingent

New Delhi: Lt Commander Disha Amrith, a woman naval air operations official posted at a strategic base, will lead the Indian Navy’s Republic Day contingent of 144 young sailors and its tableau will showcase the ‘Nari Shakti’ in the force.

The tableau will also reflect the Navy’s focus on remaining a combat ready, credible and cohesive force.

Earlier officials said the naval contingent would include some Agniveers, but later clarified that the details were not yet available.

Besides Amrith, another woman officer -- Sub Lt Valli Meena S -- will be among the three platoon commanders of the naval contingent.

A Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from BMS College of Engineering in Karnataka, 29-year-old Amrith was part of the National Cadet Corps’s Republic Day team in 2008 and harboured the dream of being part of the marching contingents of one of the three services at the celebrations in Delhi. “Since 2008, I was nurturing this dream of being part of the Republic Day contingent of the armed forces. It is an amazing opportunity that the Indian Navy has given me

(to lead the naval contingent),” she said. The officer, who hails from Mangalore, got into the Navy in 2016 and has been posted at a key naval facility in the Andaman and Nicobar islands after completing her training in 2017. “I am an aviator for Dornier aircraft and have been carrying out sorties in the plane,” she said.

Last month, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said the Navy is looking at opening all its branches for women from 2023. Sharing her experience, Amrith said she always wanted to be part of the armed forces and it was partly inspired by her parents as well.