A first for Indian Army: 108 women to hold command posts

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 19

In a first for the Indian Army, 108 women officers have been promoted as Colonel and will be assigned command posts. They will lead units, just as their male counterparts do upon attaining the rank of Colonel.

First set of postings by month-end

• 244 women Lt Colonels were considered for promotion against 108 vacancies by the selection board earlier this month
• Till now, there have been no women commanding officers in mainstream units of Army

In the armed forces, the rank of Colonel and above are selection posts, all officers don’t make the cut. Sources said the selection board found 108 women officers “fit for command assignments”. The first set of such postings would be issued by the end of this month.

The Army had held a selection board from January 9 onwards at the Army headquarters to select Lt Colonels who could be promoted. A total of 244 women officers were considered for promotion against 108 vacancies. Women officers are allowed in the Army in Engineers, Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (EME), Signals, Army Air Defence, Intelligence Corps, Army Service Corps and Army Ordnance Corps.

The 108 vacancies were okayed by the government to ensure gender parity in the Army, said the sources. Also, 60 women officers were invited as observers to ensure fair conduct of the selection process.

With the Army having granted Permanent Commission (PC) in November 2021 to women officers at par with their male counterparts, they can aspire to achieve greater roles and higher ranks. All women officers granted PC are undergoing special training courses and challenging military assignments to empower them for higher leadership roles.

For the first time, five women officers have cleared the prestigious Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) and Defence Services Technical Staff Course (DSTSC) exam, which is held annually in September. These five women will undergo a one-year course and will get adequate weightage while being considered for command appointments.

Women Combat Aviators have joined their counterparts at various Aviation units. Women officers as part of the Engineers, Army Air Defence and Signals are already making a mark in forward areas of deployment. Women will soon be inducted into the Corps of Artillery. Recently, a women officer has been deployed to a post in the Siachen Glacier.

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