Army To Allow Entry Of Women In Eight More Streams

The Indian Army is ready to formally announce entry of women in eight more streams within the force as permanent commissioned officers. This comes a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced permanent commission for women.

The eight streams are Signals, Engineer, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence, EME (Electronics & Mechanical Engineers), Army Service Corps, Ordnance Corps, and Intelligence.

Key Takeaways:

• The Indian Army is ready to formally announce entry of women in eight more streams within the force as permanent commissioned officers.
• The eight streams are Signals, Engineer, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence, EME (Electronics & Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Ordnance Corps, and Intelligence.
• These eight streams will be in addition to the women who are already in Judge Advocate General (JAG) and Army Education Corps.

According to the sources, the Army headquarters is readying a ‘terms of reference’ that will guide the induction of women. The terms of reference — that will lay down qualifying parameters for promotions like fitness levels, courses to be completed and exams to be cleared — will be announced soon.

The eight streams are Signals, Engineer, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence, EME (Electronics & Mechanical Engineers), Army Service Corps, Ordnance Corps, and Intelligence.

It is now clear that the policy will not benefit women officers earlier inducted under the Short Service Commission (SSC), say five or 10 years ago.

A letter detailing the consent of the President, who is the Supreme Commander of the forces, says: “The policy will come into effect prospectively.” It means the existing SSC officers, who serve for 14 years, will not benefit. The Ajai Vikram Singh Committee, which gave its report 15 years ago, spoke about having more SSC officers, but that hasn’t happened. The government has approved women as permanent commissioned officers in Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Ordnance Corps and Intelligence. These eight streams will be in addition to the women who are already in Judge Advocate General (JAG) and Army Education Corps. In this, aviation is crucial as only the IAF and Navy allow women into the aviation.

However, ground-based combat like infantry or armoured in the Army will continue to be closed for women.

The IAF has decided that wherever men SSC officers are eligible for permanent commission, women will also be given a chance as equals. They will have to meet the parameters of the force. “There is no quota of vacancies between men and women officers,” an official explained.

These eight streams will be in addition to the women who are already in Judge Advocate General (JAG) and Army Education Corps. In this, aviation is crucial as only the IAF and Navy allow women into the aviation

In the Navy, all branches barring those that are sea-going are open for women.

Also: Army dads and little daughters, Garima Dixit’s photo series inspired by martyrs

First Woman flight Commander

In the IAF, Wing Commander Shalija Dhami became the country’s first woman officer to be appointed as flight commander of a unit. She flies helicopters and has been taken in as permanent commission officer.

Last week, the army on Wednesday said that it is preparing to train the first batch ever of women soldiers in the Corps of Military Police. It had received over two lakh applications from girls wanting to become soldiers in Military Police.

“The preparations are underway for receiving and training the first-ever batch of women soldiers in Corps of Military Police, from accommodation necessities to training modules to selecting the right instructors from all over the country for them,” an Army official had told ANI. The official also stated that the army has studied several models like the Karnataka Police Women model and have incorporated a lot of other good practice in the training program of the women CMPs.

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