Ahead of Women’s Day, the Ministry of Defence, headed by a woman (Minister Nirmala Sitharaman) for the first time in the history of India, has taken a crucial decision. The MoD said it has taken steps to ensure implementation of permanent commissioning of women officers in the armed forces, in line with the announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort 15 August last year, the PM had announced that women officers recruited under the short service commission in the armed forces will have the option of taking up permanent commission, which he described as a ‘gift’ to the ‘brave daughters’.
In a statement Tuesday, the government said, “The Ministry of Defence has taken steps to ensure implementation of announcement made by the Prime Minister on 15 August 2018 regarding grant of permanent commission to women officers in the armed forces.” Insofar as the Indian Air Force (IAF) is concerned, “all branches, including that of fighter pilots, are now open for women officers”, it said. “In Indian Navy, all non-sea going branches / cadre / specialisation have been opened for induction of women officers through Short Service Commission. In addition to education, law and naval constructor branch / cadre, women SSC officers have been made eligible for grant of permanent commission in the naval armament branch, at par with male officers,” the statement said.
The proposal for induction of ‘three new training ships’ for the Navy is under way, the Ministry also said in the statement, and added: “This will provide the requisite infrastructure for training of both men and women officers. Indian Navy will start inducting women in all branches, once the training ships are in place.” Women officers will be granted permanent commission in the Indian Army in ‘all the ten branches’ where women are inducted for Short Service Commission, the statement said. “So, besides the existing two streams of Judge Advocate General (JAG) and Army Education Corps, now permanent commission will be granted in Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps and Intelligence also to women officers. SSC women officers will give their option for permanent commission before completion of four years of Commissioned Service, and they will exercise option for grant of permanent commission and their choice of specialisation,” it added. This is no doubt a welcome move which will go a long way in providing great opportunities for women and will make them achieve in tough fields.