Kiran Shekhawat

Biography

Kiran Shekhawat was born in Mumbai to a naval family from Sefarguwar village, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. She completed schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya-II Vishakhapatnam and earned her Bachelor of Science from Andhra University. After working in the banking sector, she joined the Indian Naval Academy in 2010, earning her aviation wings in February 2012. She served with distinction across multiple naval air squadrons and her expertise in intelligence warfare made her invaluable during maritime reconnaissance operations. She had the distinction of taking part in the first all-women marching contingent of the Navy during the Republic Day parade on 26 January 2015. On March 24, 2015, while operating as an observer aboard a Dornier aircraft conducting maritime patrol over the Arabian Sea, the aircraft crashed approximately 25 nautical miles off the coast of Goa. Lieutenant Kiran Shekhawat became the first naval woman officer to die in active service.