Women officers may soon be aboard the Indian Navy’s warships as the Navy is working out a policy in this regard. According to Defence sources, the Navy is working on the modalities to allow women officials on board its warships.
Earlier, in 2008, the government decided to grant permanent commission to short service commission women officers in those arms of the three services that “do not entail direct combat or the possibility of physical contact with the enemy”.
Following this, the Indian Navy has allowed seven of its short service commission women officers a permanent commission in the force which enabled them to serve till they retired. Navy is the last of the three armed forces in the country to allow permanent commission to women.
Now, the Navy is considering its women officers for combat roles on its warships.
This is the second major step towards enabling women officers to serve in combat roles after the IAF decided last year to allow its women officers to serve as fighter pilots on “experimental basis” for five years. This made IAF the first of the three forces to allow women in combat role, now followed by the Navy.
Defence sources said women officers in the Navy will have to meet at least four conditions for permanent commission for the combat roles, including medical fitness and a good annual confidential report. Women officers will also have to opt for permanent commission at the start of their service.
According to Commodore BK Munjal, the living conditions in ships are entirely different. They are now modifying ships and designing them as per the conditions required for women officers. The Navy has made some structural design changes to its newly built warships to provide accommodation for women officials and modification is underway to the already inducted ships.
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The government said starting 2017, women will be eligible to join as pilots of reconnaissance planes in the Navy, one of the eight branches to be opened up to female officers.
Women were first inducted in the Military in 1927 in the Nursing Service and in the Medical officers’ cadre in 1943. They were enabled to join the armed forces in 1992 on short service commissions.
Though the clear figures are not known yet, the Indian Air Force currently has the highest number of women officers at 1,350, followed by the Army with 1,300 and Navy with about 500.
Besides the Navy, the Army is working on a proposal to give more responsibility to its women officials, but not in the direct combat role. The Army may soon consider women for combat roles too in the near future.
This could set a global trend for the induction of women in combat roles in the male-dominated militaries of the world.
More power to you, lady warriors!
(With Inputs from IANS and PTI)
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