Hyderabad: Lieutenant Commander Aishwarya Boddapati, a Hyderabad-based naval officer was among the six women officers awarded the ‘Nao Sena Medal’, a gallantry award for courage and devotion to duty in the naval force. The award has been announced but the ceremony will be held in 2019.
Officer Boddapati along with other gallantry medal awardees met the President of India on Independence Day. Boddapati and a six-member all-women crew made the nation proud by sailing in the Indian Naval Shipping Vessel (INSV) Tarini.
Boddapati was part of the historic voyage ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’ where they spent around 254 days onboard.
The team survived on the sea for 199 days and the rest of the days they spent at ports.
The journey started from Goa and made the first stop at Fremantle, Australia, then Lyttleton, New Zealand, Port Stanley, Falkland Islands and finally Cape Town, South Africa and back to Goa.
The President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces approved 131 Gallantry Awards to Armed Forces Personnel and members of the Paramilitary Forces, which include one Kirti Chakra, 20 Shaurya Chakras, three Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 93 Sena Medals (Gallantry), 11 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and three Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
INSV Tarini is the second sailboat of the Indian Navy. She was constructed at Aquarius Shipyard located in Goa. After undergoing extensive sea trials, the ship was commissioned to Indian Navy service on February 18, 2017
