20 years after Major died in operation, his daughter joins Army

Shivani was in Chennai to witness the proud moment of her daughter donning the same olive green uniform that her husband once wore. Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari reviewed the passing out parade by the contingents at the Parameshwaran drill square.

Major Vats belonged to Chandigarh and was commissioned in the Fourth Battalion of the Third Gorkha Rifles. He was serving with 32 Rashtriya Rifles. On November 20, 2003, he led an operation to clear a telecom building in Srinagar where some terrorists had holed up. He received gunshot wounds and succumbed to his injuries. He was posthumously awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry.

Inayat did her masters in political science from Hindu College, New Delhi. Prior to that she had secured her bachelor’s degree from Lady Sriram College. Family friends informed that she was always very keen to join the Army. Welcoming her, the Army Training Command posted a message on the X. “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 the Indian Army and dons the same uniform that her hero dad once did,” read the message.

Reviewing the passing out parade Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said, “India’s security dynamics involves 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 with technological advancements.