She is the first Rear Admiral-rank lady officer in the Navy. Earlier also, there has been a three-star officer in the Navy from the medical corps but she had served in the Army and the Air Force too, Navy officials said here.

Kannan, who is the sister of Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, was commissioned in August 1977 and is a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.She has commanded Navy hospitals including INHS Kalyani and was the Executive Officer of INHS Kalyani.

Kannan's whole family has been in military service as she is married to Vice Admiral B Kannan and her only son is a Captain in the Army Medical Corps.

The first lady three-star officer in the armed forces was Lt Gen Puneeta Arora, who was also from the Army medical Corps. Air Marshal Padmavati Bandopadhyay, another lady officer, also got the chance to head the medical arm of the Indian Air Force.