Lieutenant Athira Suresh of Kozhikode, Kerala, was formally commissioned into the Indian Army on September 5, 2026, after taking her final step at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Gaya. The ceremony was part of the academy's 29th passing-out parade, during which 253 officer cadets, 218 men and 35 women, completed the Short Service Commission (Technical) course and received their stars. Combined with a simultaneous parade at OTA Chennai, the Army commissioned 595 new officers that day, including 64 women.
