Pune, 11th July 2026: A childhood dream of becoming a doctor, a passion for sports and the desire to wear the military uniform have come together for Pune's Ananya Phadke, who has been commissioned as a Flying Officer in the Indian Air Force after graduating from the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC).
Alongside her, Reshma Goyal has joined the Indian Navy, choosing to create her own path while continuing her family's tradition of military service. Their stories stood out during AFMC's graduation parade in Pune.
Ananya, daughter of Pune-based dentist Dr Sachin Phadke, had dreamt of studying at AFMC from an early age. Besides excelling academically, she built an impressive sporting career in badminton. She started playing at the age of seven and won the gold medal in the Under-17 category at the 2019 Khelo India Games.
She said AFMC gave her the opportunity to fulfil both her ambitions of becoming a doctor and serving in the armed forces. The discipline she developed through badminton also helped her stay focused on academics, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when tournaments were suspended and she devoted more time to her studies.
An alumna of Abhinav Vidyalaya in Pune, she now hopes to specialise in surgery.
Reflecting on her new role as a military doctor, Ananya said her journey until now had been about achieving personal goals, but from this point onwards, her priority would be caring for soldiers and their families wherever she is posted. She also encouraged young people to remain curious, work hard and enjoy the learning process throughout their journey.
Another inspiring graduate at the ceremony was Reshma Goyal, who was commissioned into the Indian Navy. Her father, Jagmohan Goyal, is an Army officer and had the honour of placing the rank on his daughter's shoulders during the commissioning ceremony.
Reshma secured admission to AFMC through the NEET examination in 2021. Although she grew up in a military family, she consciously chose the Navy instead of the Army because she wanted to experience a different branch of the armed forces and build her own identity.
For Jagmohan and Shalini Goyal, watching their daughter become a commissioned officer was an emotional milestone. Jagmohan said the family had waited for this day since her admission to AFMC in 2021, and personally commissioning his daughter was the proudest moment of his life.
