Salute Lieutenant Swati Mahadik! Shaurya Chakra winner's widow joins Indian Army

In her late 30s, the mother of two, set such a courageous example that would inspire generations to come.

On Saturday, Swati Mahadik became an officer of the Indian Army at Officers Training Academy, Chennai.

Lt Mahadik is wife of Colonel Santosh Mahadik, a decorated army commando, who died in a 2015 ambush in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara.

Col Mahadik took seven bullets to save men under his command. He was awarded the Shaurya Chakra in 2016.

It was at her husband's cremation, Swati decided that she would join the army.

Her sheer grit and determination changed even the authorities and then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar relaxed the age limit for her to sit for the SSB exam, an HT report said.

After clearing the 5-tier tough test, Swati Mahadik sent her two children to boarding school and joined the Academy to realise her dream.

On Saturday, at the passing out parade, Swati along with Nidhi Dubey, another martyr's widow, became officers of the Indian Army.

“Both have strived hard to become officers today after their husband passed away. Both of them have made all of us proud by completing the rigorous training and becoming an officer in the Indian Army,” the army said in a Facebook post.

A jubilant Swati couldn’t hide her emotions and said, “His(Col Mahadik) first love was his uniform and his unit, so I just had to wear this.”