Women could get bigger role in armed forces

In a clear sign that the government is willing to at least consider an expanded profile for women in the armed forces...

In a clear sign that the government is willing to at least consider an expanded profile for women in the armed forces, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee today ordered the chiefs of the three services to study the feasibility of deploying women personnel in service branches other than those they are currently restricted to.

This would include examination of whether women can be absorbed into the hitherto out-of-bounds combat arms.

Mukherjee met the three chiefs and Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt on Monday morning at South Block for a routine meeting at which the instructions were issued. The three chiefs will individually compile reports from their respective services, discuss and debate them at meetings of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and then present their findings to the Defence Ministry. The exercise is likely to take at least two months — the policy and plans divisions of each service will conduct the feasibility studies.

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‘‘I have posed the matter before them and will wait for their response before a view is taken. I have asked them to examine in detail the feasibility of deploying women personnel in all works of the armed forces,’’ Mukherjee said today after a meeting with the three service chiefs.

The Defence Minister has also called for a study on the possibility of giving women officers permanent commission and indicated that it was only with extended tenures that women officers could hope to serve in other service brances, including the combat arms.

Apart from the medical services, women currently enter the armed forces through the Women Special Entry Scheme — a scheme that is to be scrapped shortly — and function under the Short Service Commission, which allows them to be in service up to the rank of Major and no further.