At official ceremonies at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President is often surrounded by senior officials, dignitaries and military personnel. Among them is a young Army officer who has recently drawn attention- Major Navya Shekhawat.Major Shekhawat is serving as an Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to President Droupadi Murmu, becoming the first woman officer from the Indian Army to hold the position. Her appointment comes after Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki of the Indian Navy became the first woman overall to serve as a President’s ADC in 2025.
What does a President’s ADC do?
Major Navya Shekhawat underwent training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai before being commissioned into the Indian Army.
The title may sound ceremonial, but the ADC’s role involves much more than simply accompanying the President at public events. The President traditionally has five ADCs- three from the Army, one from the Navy and one from the Air Force. These officers assist the President during official engagements and ceremonies and play an important role in maintaining military and ceremonial protocol.
Major Navya Shekhawat ‘s journey began with the CDS examination
Major Navya Shekhawat is the second woman to serve as the President’s ADC and the first from the Indian Army.
Like many young Indians aspiring to join the armed forces, Shekhawat’s route into the Army began with the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.According to Moneycontrol and The Better India, she secured a place in the merit list for the Short Service Commission Women Non-Technical Course and subsequently underwent training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai.After completing her training, Shekhawat was commissioned into the Army Service Corps (ASC). The corps is responsible for important logistical functions, including supplies, transportation and other systems required to keep military formations operational.Shekhawat was commissioned around the middle of 2021 and rose to the rank of Major within a few years. Her appointment as the President’s ADC in 2026 therefore came roughly five years after she began her commissioned service.
She is the second woman to serve as President’s ADC
While Major Shekhawat is the first woman from the Indian Army to hold the President’s ADC position, she is not the first woman officer overall to enter the President’s ADC team. That distinction belongs to Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki of the Indian Navy, who became the first woman ADC to the President in 2025.Major Shekhawat’s achievement comes against the backdrop of several decades of change in the role of women in India’s military. Women began entering the Indian Army through the Short Service Commission route in 1992. Their opportunities subsequently expanded through policy changes and landmark judicial interventions.In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that eligible women officers serving under the Short Service Commission should be considered for Permanent Commission on the same terms as their male counterparts, significantly widening their career opportunities within the Army.