Shakti Sharma Becomes First Woman Non-Medical Air Vice Marshal

Exam-focused facts from the 2 September 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma became the first woman non-medical officer in the Indian Defence Services to attain the rank of Air Vice Marshal (or equivalent) on September 1, 2026.
She assumed charge as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) at Air Headquarters on September 1, 2026.
She was commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) Education Branch on June 18, 1994.
She previously became the first woman officer from the Tri-Services to command a Sainik School, serving as principal of Sainik School, Kapurthala.
She played a key role in establishing IAF Chairs of Excellence at IIT Kanpur and Pune University.