Women officers are commissioned into Corps of Engineers (Engrs), Corps of Signals (Sigs), Army Air Defence (AAD), Army Service Corps(ASC), Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (EME), Army Education Corps (AEC), Judge Advocate General (JAG) Department, Intelligence Corps (Int), Army Aviation (AA), Army Medical Corps (AMC), Army Dental Corps (ADC) and Military Nursing Service (MNS) branches of the Indian Army.  Also, women are being enrolled as other ranks (Sepoys) in Corps of Military Police (CMP) @ 100 women per year, beginning from recruiting year 2019-20.

          In pursuance of the Judgement dated 17th February, 2020 passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the Government is committed to grant Permanent Commission to Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers in Indian Army as per their qualification, professional experience, specialization, if any and organizational requirement.

          Women in the Indian Navy are inducted, on gender neutral basis, in various Branches/Specialisations/Cadres viz. Executive Branch [Logistics, Law, ATC, Pilot (MR Stream), Naval Armament Inspectorate, Sports, Musician and Observer], Engineering Branch (Naval Architect) and Education Branch.  In addition, Directorate General of Medical Services (Navy) also inducts women in Medical, Dental and Military Nursing Service.  In Indian Navy, posts are not classified in terms of administrative or combat post.  Naval units are either sea going or non-sea going.  Women are inducted in non-sea going Branches/Cadres/Specialisations.  However, women officers are posted in MR Air Squadrons where they are in a combat role and are tasked to operate weapon and sensor suite.

          All posts in the Indian Air Force (IAF) are open to all officers including women subject to vacancies, willingness, suitability, medical fitness and merit as per the policies in vogue.  All officers in the IAF including women are combatants by definition, who may also hold administrative positions at various stages in their career.

Posts which are not yet open to women in Indian Army are in the Armoured Corps (AC), Infantry (Inf), Mechanised Infantry (Mech Inf) and Artillery (Arty).

          Women in Indian Navy are not being inducted in the sea going avenues viz. Executive Branch (General Service, Submarines Hydro and Information Technology), Engineering Branch (General Service and Submarines) and Electrical Branch.

          In Indian Air Force, the recruitment in Airmen Cadre is carried out only for male candidates presently.

This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Shripad Naik in a written reply to Shri Tiruchi Siva in Rajya Sabha today.

ABB/SS/Nampi/KA/DK/Savvy

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