Meet Lt. Inayat Vats, Joining Army 20 Years After Father's Sacrifice For India

Inayat Vats was two-and-a-half years old when her father was martyred while battling terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. The 24-year-old Lieutenant now dons the same uniform with pride in the Military Intelligence Corps. Lt. Vats was commissioned into the Indian Army on March 9, after undergoing training at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai. The Academy posted a picture of Vats at the graduation ceremony in the glorious uniform with the caption, "Welcome, Army Daughter Lieutenant Inayat Vats." Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari reviewed the passing out parade by the contingents at the Parameshwaran drill square.

“𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫”#OTAChennai #PassingOutParade

Inayat was barely three years, when she lost her father Major Navneet Vats in a counter insurgency operation.

More than two decades later, she gets commissioned into… pic.twitter.com/AiIBUpfc1J

— Army Training Command, Indian Army (@artrac_ia) March 9, 2024

Lt. Inayat Vats' mother Shivani raised her in Chandigarh. She is a teacher at Army Public School, Chandimandi, where she has been working ever since she lost her husband. Shivani Vats flew down to Chennai to witness the proud moment of her daughter's induction into the Indian Army.

Who Is Lt. Inayat Vats?

Lt. Inayat Vats grew up in Chandigarh and completed her undergraduate from Lady Sriram College, Delhi University, before acquiring a Master's in Political Science from the Hindu College in New Delhi. After losing her father, Major Navneet Vats, in battle, Lt. Vats set her mind to join the Indian Army as a tribute to his sacrifice.

Welcoming her, the Army Training Command posted a message on the X (Twitter). “Inayat was barely three years old when she lost her father Major Navneet Vats in a counter-insurgency operation. More than two decades later, she gets commissioned into the Indian Army and dons the same uniform that her hero dad once did,” the post read.

Reviewing the passing out parade on March 9 in Chennai, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said, “India’s security dynamics involve multi-faceted threats and challenges. It would require us to build multi-domain capabilities and execute operations simultaneously and in shortened timeframes.” He called upon the young officers to stay abreast of technological advancements.

Lt. Inayat Vats' father Major Navneet Vats from Chandigarh was commissioned in the Fourth Battalion of the Third Gorkha Rifles. On November 20, 2003, he led an operation to clear a telecom building in Srinagar where some terrorists had holed up in a building. During the counterfire, he received gunshot wounds and succumbed to his injuries. He was posthumously awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry.