Wing Commander (retd) Ramanan died on October 18, 2020 at the age of 96 in Bengaluru. Her ashes were immersed in the Cauvery river near Srirangapatna by her family. She was the first woman officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the first to wear saree as uniform and also design it.

A few days before her demise, Ramanan had developed age-related health complications and was shifted to the IAF’s Command Hospital, where she passed away peacefully. She is survived by a daughter and a son.

Born on 27 February 1924, Ramanan completed her MBBS degree from the Madras Medical College in 1943 and was named the best outgoing student in 1948. She was also awarded the Balfour Memorial Medal for Medicine and Prize for Surgery by the Madras University. She went on to do her DGO and MD in obstetrics and gynaecology, and worked at Egmore Maternity Hospital, Chennai.

Ramanan was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps on August 22, 1955, and was later seconded to the Indian Air Force as the first lady commissioned officer; she also became the first woman officer to be inducted under the force’s Short Service Commission.

While her father T.D. Narayana Iyer, a World War I veteran, inspired her to serve the country, it was her husband, Wing Commander K.V. Ramanan, who brought her an application form and encouraged her to join the forces. She and her husband K.V. Ramanan were also the first couple to serve in the Air Force. He passed away at the age of 47, in 1971, after battling cancer.

During her service, Ramanan was posted across the country, including at the IAF hospitals in Bengaluru, Kanpur, and Secunderabad. Apart from being a gynaecologist, her other responsibilities included working with the medical board and taking classes for nursing officers in obstetrics and gynaecology. She put in long hours, night duties, and always remained alert in case of an emergency.

Ramanan was also part of the medical team that tended to wounded soldiers during the 1962, 1965, and 1971 wars. She was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 1977, two years before she retired as a wing commander in 1979.

She broke another glass ceiling when she decided to wear a saree as uniform when her colleagues wore trousers. After her retirement in 1979, Ramanan set up a clinic, where she often gave free consultations to patients.

But her love for music and a disciplined lifestyle kept her fit and sharp until the very end. Ramanan was also trained in Carnatic music and had been an artist with the All India Radio at a very young age. At the age of 15, she represented her college in music competitions. She broadcast regularly from Delhi, Lucknow, Secunderabad, and Bengaluru.

Courtesy: The Print, The Indian Express, The New Indian Express

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