Lieutenant Devika P Commissioned in Indian Army, Carries Forward Her Father’s Legacy

Lieutenant Devika P, a 22-year-old MBBS graduate of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, has been commissioned into the Indian Army, carrying forward a family legacy shaped by decades of military service. Commissioned on 10 July 2026 during the H3 batch passing-out ceremony, she now enters the Army Medical Corps after choosing the Army over the Navy, a decision closely tied to the example set by her father, Honorary Captain Muraleedharan P (Retd.).

The commissioning ceremony for the H3 batch, also referred to as the 60th batch of AFMC, was held at the Capt Devashish Sharma, Kirti Chakra Parade Ground. For Devika’s family, the occasion marked not only the completion of her medical degree but also the continuation of a long association with uniformed service. Her father served for 30 years in the Corps of Signals of the Indian Army, and with Devika’s commissioning, the family now has a second-generation Army officer.

Devika comes from Thiruvegappura in Kerala’s Palakkad district. She is the daughter of Honorary Captain Muraleedharan P (Retd.) and Mrs. Prema T, a school teacher. Raised in a home where education, discipline and public service were central values, she grew up in an environment that encouraged both academic ambition and a sense of responsibility. Her elder sibling is also an MBBS graduate, reinforcing a family culture that placed emphasis on professional dedication and meaningful careers.

The family’s connection with service is also believed to extend further back, with Devika’s paternal ancestors associated with the military forces of the Zamorin Kingdom of Calicut. While her own path is distinctly modern—combining medical training with commissioned military service—that older lineage forms part of the backdrop to her journey.

The inspiration that shaped her career choice, however, appears to have come from a more personal and immediate source. During one summer vacation, Devika travelled to Punjab to visit the military unit where her father was posted. What began as a childhood visit became a formative memory. In that setting, she saw first-hand the discipline of soldiers, the camaraderie within a military unit, and the pride associated with the uniform. Watching her father at work in that environment left a lasting impact and helped define the ambition she would later pursue: to become both a doctor and an Army officer.

That combination of aspirations found a natural destination in AFMC Pune, which became her first choice. She joined the institution in 2022 as part of the H3 batch. At AFMC, medical education is paired with the values and expectations of military service. Students are trained not only as doctors but as future officers who may eventually be required to deliver medical care in demanding operational conditions. The course therefore demands academic rigour alongside discipline, resilience and the ability to function within a structured military environment.

During her years at AFMC, Devika was active beyond the classroom. She participated in sports and cultural activities, particularly basketball and dance, and won prizes in competitions held both within the institution and outside it. In her final term, her work in dance earned her the Dean’s Appreciation for Dance. Her time at AFMC, therefore, reflected a broader college experience in which professional training was balanced with physical activity, teamwork and creative engagement.

As she approached the end of her MBBS course, Devika reportedly had the option of joining either the Army or the Navy. She chose the Army. The decision had personal meaning, given that her earliest inspiration for military service had come from seeing her father in Army uniform. By opting for the Army Medical Corps, she did not replicate his career in the Corps of Signals, but she did continue the family’s direct connection with the same service.

Her commissioning on 10 July 2026 formally marked that transition. For her father, a retired soldier after three decades in uniform, it was the beginning of a new chapter seen through the service of his daughter. For Devika, it was the culmination of years of examinations, medical training, military conditioning and personal effort that began long before she entered AFMC.

She has credited her family, friends, professors, seniors and juniors for supporting her through the demanding years at the college. That network, she has indicated, played an important role in helping her navigate the challenges of medical education and in shaping her AFMC experience.

Her academic journey before AFMC spanned multiple institutions in Kerala. She began her schooling at MES Central School, Valanchery, then studied at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Malappuram, and later completed her higher secondary education at Vijayagiri Public School, Thrissur. Each stage brought her closer to a goal she had carried since childhood.

With her MBBS now complete and her commission granted, Lieutenant Devika is set to undergo a one-year internship. The internship will provide further clinical training and practical experience as she prepares for the responsibilities of military medical service. In the years ahead, that service could take her to military hospitals, field formations or other challenging postings where medical officers support both troop health and wider operational readiness.

Her story stands out not simply because she has become a young Army officer, but because it brings together several strands: a small-village upbringing in Palakkad, a clear childhood ambition, admission to one of India’s most respected medical institutions, and a decision to combine medicine with military duty. It is also a story of continuity across generations. Honorary Captain Muraleedharan P’s service ended after 30 years in the Corps of Signals, but the values associated with that life—discipline, commitment and service—remained active within the family.

Years after visiting her father’s unit in Punjab as a child, Devika has returned to the same wider world of military service in a different capacity: not as a visitor, but as a commissioned officer. The uniform she once saw with admiration is now her own, and with a stethoscope added to it, the family’s legacy continues in a new form.