Siddhi Patel, 23, becomes the first woman to be commissioned as an officer in the Indian Navy. She hails from a remote village in Gujarat.

She is from Mehsana’s Kundal village in Kadi taluka. Patel cracked the five-day-long Service Selection Board (SSB) interview and completed her training. 

After the tenacious training at the Indian Navy Officer Training Academy in Ezhimala, Kerala.

She returned home for the first time after her training where she was welcomed with all the pomp and show by the villagers and family.

Who is Sub Lieutenant Siddhi Patel?

The girl with always a dream of cladding uniform, Siddhi had a passion for joining the forces since childhood. She pursued Class 1 to 5 in Kadi and later moved to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Vadnagar, where she studied away from her family.

She had even participated in boxing at the national level during her student life. Her father, Kanu Patel, works in the Mehsana Health Department.

When she returned home for the first time after becoming a Navy officer, the villagers of Kundal gave her a grand welcome. 

Hard work pays off

Patel cleared the country’s longest and toughest five-day-long SSB interview in her very first attempt. SSB tests the mental, physical, and leadership capabilities of every candidate. The examination includes three stages.

Stage 1: This stage involves an officer intelligence rating (reasoning ability), picture perception and discussion test, and self description test.

Stage 2: In this stage, candidates undergo a psychological test, interview, group testing officer task, and conference (round table interview by senior officers).

Stage 3: Medical examination and documentation.

During her grand welcome, she expressed gratitude to her parents, family, and mentor Lieutenant Dr Swati Nigam for their support. Siddhi is the first woman from Gujarat to attain this significant position in the Indian Navy and is now ready to contribute to the nation's security. She has set an inspiring example for the younger generation of Gujarat to reach new heights.

Indian Navy's Sub Lieutenant rank is equivalent to the Indian Army’s Lieutenant which is the first rank of commissioned officers.