Impressive Facts About Radhika Menon
Radhika Menon is an eminent personality in the maritime world. Seven years back, Radhika became the first female Captain of the highly esteemed Indian Merchant Navy team. Radhika’s valiant spirit and unwavering loyalty to her profession and colleagues, has earned her worldwide fame and a great amount of respect. Let us read about some of the impressive facts about this legendary woman who has broken the taboo and has carved a special niche for women officers, associated with the marine life.
Winning a Noteworthy Accolade That Catapulted Her to Global Fame
In 2016, she created a new record as being the first woman in the world to receive the prestigious Exceptional Bravery at Sea award, for her outstanding performance and dedication to the Merchant Navy. She received the award from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for supervising a rescue mission that saved the lives of seven fishermen.
The IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is responsible for preventing marine pollution and is also concerned with the safety of shipping. The incident involved a fishing boat called ‘Durgamma’ that was caught in a wild storm and had been swayed away from its usual course in Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, to Gopalpur in Orissa. All hopes were lost for the families of the seven fishermen, however, it was Radhika Menon who achieved the impossible by tracking them out in the Bay of Bengal.
Radhika spotted the fishing vessel at a distance of 2.5 kilometres while she was at the helm of the oil tanker, Sampurna Swarajya. Immediately, she ordered a rescue operation, which was implemented with the help of a pilot ladder and a few life jackets as a backup. She has rightly been bestowed with such a great honor because of her incomparable courage and relentless determination as a mariner.
In an interview with the Times of India, Radhika had remarked that it was merely her duty as a seafarer to save any fellow soul from distress and she followed her instincts after carefully calculating the risks involved.
Her Contribution as the Captain of the Indian Merchant Navy
Radhika Menon created a stir in the country when she was promoted to be the Captain of the Indian Merchant Navy, the first female one to be precise. She was assigned the responsibility of controlling a Merchant Navy ship known as the MT Sampurna Swarajya. Her steady, ambitious nature allowed her to climb the ladder of success, in a very short period of time. Radhika has set an example for the future generation (especially, for females) who are still struggling to find their identities, on how to be determined, be steady as a rock and become successful in your chosen profession. She has proved that in spite of her gender, she is nothing less than a ‘hero’ in the truest sense of the word. Her confident attitude and the wonderful ability to stay calm in difficult situations has deemed her worthy of respect.
Her Academic Brilliance and the Countless Feathers in Her Cap
Radhika had always excelled in academics since her childhood, and there was nothing that could stop her from establishing a well-deserved and lucrative career. She had a clear perception of her targets in life and believed in settling for nothing but the best. On completing her graduation, Radhika enrolled in the All India Marine College in Kochi for a radio course for one-and-a-half years. She entered the marine industry as a radio officer. under the renowned Shipping Corporation of India (SCI).
In 2010, she had cleared her Master’s certificate by gathering relevant experience and serving the required number of hours at sea. In fact, she gradually worked her way up the ranks after she passed a series of examinations and achieved the roles of second mate and chief mate, in a matter of time.
The Definition of a Perfect Woman in the Modern Times
Radhika is exceptionally strong in spirit and she likes living her life out of the ordinary ways. She had decided from a young age that she would not be stuck in a boring 9 to 5 job. She always wanted to soar high above the rest and achieve things that many could only just dream of. She joined the Navy to serve as an officer in the vessel’s communication department. As a matter of fact, she was the first female radio officer in Indian Merchant Navy.
Radhika knows how to balance her professional and personal life, being a Captain and also a mother of a seventeen-year-old son. Her husband was a radio officer too; hence he was acquainted with the demands of this profession. Currently, Radhika resides with her family in Cochin and prefers to sail close to the Indian coast in order to be able to spend more time with them.
Indeed, Radhika Menon is the perfect definition of a strong, well-educated, independent woman who knows how to make dreams come true for real.
We bring to you this story on the eve of National Maritime Day in India. The National Maritime Day (NMD) is observed every year on 5th April to commemorate the maiden voyage of the first Indian owned ship “SS Loyalty” sailed from Bombay to London on 5th April 1919. It was a crucial step for India shipping history when sea routes were controlled by the British. The NMD was first celebrated on 5th April 1964.
