The Indian Armed Forces give their personnel a diverse range of responsibilities and exposure, and one such opportunity is serving as the Aide-de-Camp or ADC to senior officials. A telling account in this regard is that of Major Garima Yadav, who has created history by becoming the first Indian Army woman officer to serve as the ADC to the UP Governor.
The story of Major Garima Yadav is quite an inspiring one, which began with humble beginnings and failed attempts to finally the olive greens. Today, we share the same with you.
Who Is Major Garima Yadav?
Major Garima Yadav is an Indian Army officer who was appointed as the ADC to Smt. Anandiben Patel, who is the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, India. In doing so, the officer got her name etched in history by becoming the first woman officer of the Army to serve in that position.
Major Garima was commissioned into service and joined the Army Service Corps (ASC) as a young Lieutenant in 2019. Through her years of service, she has been instrumental in providing essential supplies, transportation, and logistical support to the troops.
Early Life and Beauty Pageant
Major Garima Yadav began her early education at Army Public School in Dagshai, which is in Himachal Pradesh. After completing her schooling, she pursued her graduation from the prestigious St. Stephen’s College of University of Delhi.
In November 2017, she also participated in a beauty pageant. Her gracefulness, charm, and wittiness proved her grit and she was crowned as “India’s Charming Face” in that pageant. Owing to her potential, Major Garima Yadav also earned the opportunity to participate in an international beauty pageant in Italy, but she decided to focus her efforts on her military career.
Little did she know then that this step would change her life and take her to the Raj Bhavan in Uttar Pradesh.
Civil Services to Olive Greens
Like most of us, after graduation, Major Garima Yadav, too, had the idea of her future career, which was nowhere close to that in uniform. Being academically bright, she aspired to sit for the Civil Services Examination and join the coveted Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
She even went ahead to clear the Prelims, but unfortunately failed in the Mains examination. But, failures often redirect you to the path that you’re meant for, and something similar happened with Major Garima Yadav as well.
She appeared for the UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination (1) 2017 and cleared the Service Selection Board (SSB) interview in her very first attempt. She also secured an impressive All India Rank 2 for the Officers Training Academy in Chennai.
Here, Major Garima underwent rigorous military training for 49 weeks and put her mental, physical, and emotional limits to the test. Finally, she was commissioned into the Indian Army on 9 March 2019. She joined the Army Service Corps and continued as a young officer in it.
Role of an ADC
Major Garima Yadav was appointed as the ADC to the UP Governor on 14 September 2025. But, have you ever wondered what an ADC really does while serving in that position?
An ADC can have a range of day-to-day responsibilities that require intense mental grit. Some of the everyday duties include:
- Providing support during official and ceremonial engagements
- Accompanying the Governor during any visits
- Coordinating necessary protocol with the Secretariat and other officials
- Scheduling of any meetings or appointments
- Ensuring professional conduct
- Coordinating with event hosts each event.
This is similar to how an ADC to the President of India works, but is at the state-level. If you want to know how to become an ADC to the President of India, you may refer to this blog.
Final Thoughts
The story of Major Garima Yadav is one that promises to inspire defence aspirants. It is not the usual “achieving the dream in one go” but one that reflects unexpected turn of events that finally culminated into fruition. Hence, this journey is a reminder for every defence aspirant to not give up and continue advancing despite initial failures.
