Know Odia woman and country’s first female ADC Manisha Padhi in Odisha Governor’s swearing-in ceremony

Hari Babu Kambhampati took the oath of office on Friday as the new Governor of Odisha. However, in a milestone for the Indian military, he was accompanied by Squadron Leader Manisha Padhi, who is the nation's first female Aide-de-Camp (ADC).

Ms Padhi, hailing from Odisha, marked a historic moment in her role during the ceremony.

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Her presence is an emblem of progress in gender roles within the Indian armed forces. A former Air Traffic Control (ATC) officer with the Indian Air Force (IAF), Ms. Padhi follows in the footsteps of her father, Manoranjan Padhi, a retired officer from the IAF.

Worth mentioning, the Squadron Leader Manisha Padhi, an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer from 2015-Batch, made history on November 29, 2023 by becoming the first woman in India to be appointed as Aide-de-Camp (ADC).

The ‘Aide-de-Camp’ title is given to an officer in the armed forces, who assists a higher-ranking officer. It is considered to be prestigious in the country, and individuals holding or having held the position are designated with initials ‘ADC’.

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Ms. Padhi had taken up her appointment as ADC to Mizoram Governor in November 2023. She was the ADC of Hari Babu Kambhampati when he was the Governor there.

Prior to these postings, Ms Padhi worked at IAF stations in Bidar, Pune, and Bhatinda.