Over half of women officers in command roles leading field units

Earlier this month, a group of women officers moved the Supreme Court alleging that under the pretext of giving them command appointments, the Army temporarily upgraded a post for which a male officer of a junior rank was earlier commissioned.

However, officials said the reassigned appointments will be for male and women officers.

“The newly ‘reassigned’ appointments are being tenanted by both male and women officers so that there are no disparities and delays in placement of the women officers in colonel rank,” an official said.

“These appointments are not restricted to women officers only. In a matter of rotation, male officers will also be turned over in those appointments in colonel rank,” the official added.

Talking about the women officers who were cleared for command roles, the official said their date of seniority in colonel rank will be the same day as their male batchmates, giving due cognisance to their original batch and seniority in service.

“Whenever additional vacancies in colonel rank are released by the government, the Army carries out reassigning of command appointments to widen command opportunities,” the official said. “Similar reassigning was earlier done when additional vacancies were released during implementation of AV Singh Committee recommendations and in 2015 when additional 141 vacancies were released to lower the age of battalion commanding officers in supporting arms.”

Officials said for all batches beyond 2009, a common gender-neutral colonel selection board will be set up. Women officers will be considered along with their male coursemates for selection as brigadiers with immediate effect where they will be graded based upon their eligibility and comparative profile.

Officials added that a special senior command course has been organised to prepare the women officers by orienting them on all perspectives of operational, intelligence, logistics and administrative aspects.

“Increasing numbers of women officers are now competing for Defence Services Staff Course (DSSC) / MTech and equivalent courses. This year four women officers have cleared the prestigious DSSC Exam, which will empower them for command appointments,” the official quoted above said.

Around 10 women officers will be commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery for the first time this year beginning with the first set of five officers who are joining the force on 29 April from Officers Training Academy, Chennai.

More in line

Around 40 more women officers are set to be cleared for the rank of colonel (selection grade) in phases over the next two to three years. As many as 150 additional vacancies have been released for women officers up to the 2009 batch without affecting the vacancies available to male officers.