Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), was conferred the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) by President Droupadi Murmu during the Defence Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, recognising her distinguished service and exceptional contribution to military healthcare.
Surgeon Vice Admiral Sarin currently serves as the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services, the highest appointment in the Armed Forces Medical Services. Appointed on 1 October 2024, she created history as the first woman to head the tri-service medical establishment and is the highest-ranking woman officer in the history of the Indian Armed Forces.
Commissioned into the Armed Forces Medical Services on 26 December 1985, she is an alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, where she completed her MBBS before earning postgraduate qualifications in Radiology and Radiation Oncology. She also underwent advanced training in Gamma Knife Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, USA.
During a distinguished military career spanning nearly four decades, Surgeon Vice Admiral Sarin has served across all three Services—the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force—a rare distinction among senior military officers. She previously held the appointments of Director General Medical Services (Air) in the rank of Air Marshal and Director General Medical Services (Navy) before assuming the appointment of DGAFMS.
Her extensive service includes key appointments at INHS Asvini, INHS Dhanvantari, INHS Kalyani, INHS Sanjivani, the Armed Forces Medical College, Army Hospital (Research & Referral), and the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL). During the COVID-19 pandemic, she played a pivotal role in establishing quarantine facilities and implementing innovative healthcare solutions for the Armed Forces.
A renowned specialist in Radiation Oncology, she has contributed significantly to medical education, research and postgraduate training, serving as a professor, examiner and academic mentor while publishing extensively in national and international medical journals.
Surgeon Vice Admiral Sarin has previously been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM), the Chief of the Naval Staff Commendation, the Chief of the Army Staff Commendation, and the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Commendation for her outstanding service.
The conferment of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal recognises her exemplary leadership, professional excellence and enduring contribution to strengthening the Armed Forces Medical Services while advancing military healthcare and operational medical support for India’s defence forces.
