108 women officers to be Colonels, can lead Army units first time

As many as 244 women officers are being considered for promotion against 108 vacancies – from the batch of 1992 to 2006 – in various arms and services, including Engineers, Signals, Army Air Defence, Intelligence Corps, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps and Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

Defence sources told The Indian Express that of all the arms and services, the Corps of Engineers has the maximum vacancy at 28 for which 65 women are being considered, followed by the Army Ordnance Corps and Electrical and Mechanical Engineering which have 19 and 21 vacancies each, and 47 women officers are being considered for the rank of Colonel in each of them.

Seven women officers are being considered for promotion against three vacancies in the Army Air Defence and seven women officers are being assessed for promotion against five vacancies in the Intelligence Corps, the sources said. For the Army Service Corps and the Corps of Signals, 29 and 42 women officers are being assessed for promotion against 14 and 18 vacancies, respectively.

A senior woman officer said she is grateful that while the development came late, it did come finally.

“It is heartening to see that our sheer hard work and persistence paid off, irrespective of being late. It is a day most have been long waiting for,” the officer said.

In a rare instance, the promotion board is being held every day for a particular batch, starting with the 1992 batch, and the results are being declared immediately, an Army officer said, adding that each officer gets three chances for promotion.

“For instance, if a 1995 batch officer did not make it on the first day, she will be assessed again the next day and the day after with other batches for promotion,” the officer said.

Defence sources said a total of 60 affected women officers have been called as observers for the selection board, to ensure fair conduct and clarify apprehensions, if any.

“On the culmination of the selection board, the 108 women officers declared fit will be under consideration for various command assignments. The first set of such postings will be issued by the end of January,” sources said.

“With an aim to provide equal opportunities to women, the Indian Army has granted Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers on a par with their male counterparts,” a source said, adding that with the grant of PC, women officers are preparing to assume challenging leadership roles, akin to their male counterparts with higher ranks and responsibility.

At present, all women officers granted PC are undergoing special training courses and challenging military assignments to empower them for higher leadership roles in the Army, and PC to women officers in junior batches has also started – they are considered for PC in their 10th year of service.

Recently, for the first time, five women officers cleared the prestigious Defence Services Staff Course (DSSC) and Defence Services Technical Staff Course (DSTSC) exams, held annually in September. They will undergo a year-long course which will have weightage while being considered for command appointments.

While women are still not eligible for pure combat arms such as Infantry, Mechanised Infantry and Armoured Corps, the Army recently decided to induct women into the Corps of Artillery, a combat support arm. The proposal is currently awaiting government approval.

Women officers are already part of various aviation units. The Army earlier opened its soldier ranks to women in the Corps of Military Police.