Lok Sabha Question No. 2076 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-28
Subject: Women Personnel in Defence Forces
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: HARISH DWIVEDI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2076

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 28 TH  JULY, 2017

## WOMEN PERSONNEL IN DEFENCE FORCES

2076.  SHRI  HARISH CHANDRA ALIAS HARISH DWIVEDI:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE j{kk ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) the  policy  for  recruitment  of  women  personnel  in  the  three  services  of  armed forces, service-wise;
- (b) the  number of  women  personnel  recruited  in  the  three  services of armed  forces during the last three years, service-wise and year-wise;
- (c) the percentage of women personnel in the three services of armed forces compared to men, service-wise;
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  implementing  any  special  scheme  to  increase  the participation of women personnel in the three services; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## A    N    S    W    E    R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(DR. SUBHASH BHAMRE)

र  ा रा य मं ी

(डा. सुभाष भामरे)

(a) to (e): A statement is attached.

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SATATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2076 FOR ANSWER ON 28.7.2017

(a) Presently,  women  are  recruited  in  Indian  Army  as  Officers  through Short  Service  Commission  (SSC)  on  all  India  merit  basis  alongwith  men candidates.    Women  Officers  are  inducted  in  Army  Service  Corps,  Army Ordnance Corps, Army Education Corps, Judge Advocate General Branch including  Engineers,  Signals,  Intelligence  and  Electrical  &  Mechanical Engineering branches.  In addition, they are also commissioned in Medical Branch Army Medical Corps (AMC), Army Dental Corps (ADC) and Military Nursing Service (MNS).  Further,  Women Officers are eligible for grant of Permanent Commission in Judge Advocate General (JAG) Department and in Army Education Corps (AEC) of Army.

The IAF has pioneered the entry of women as officers in flying and ground duty.

In  Indian  Navy,  women  officers  are  inducted  through  Short  Service Commission, in Logistics, Law, Observers, Air Traffic Control (ATC), Pilots (Maritime  Reconnaissance  Stream),  Naval  Armament  Inspectorate  cadre (NAIC), Naval Architecture and Education Branch.

(b) The details of  women officers in Army (excluding Medical, Dental & Nursing Branch), in Indian Air Force (excluding Medical and Dental Branch) and in Indian Navy recruited during the last three years, Service-wise, are as under:-

|   Year |   Army |   Navy |   Air Force |
|--------|--------|--------|-------------|
|   2014 |    104 |     57 |         155 |
|   2015 |     72 |     35 |         223 |
|   2016 |     69 |     43 |         108 |

(c) The  percentage  of  women  officers  in  the  three  services  of  armed forces are as under:-

| Percentage of women officers   | Percentage of women officers   | Percentage of women officers   |
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| Army                           | Navy                           | Air Force                      |
| 3.64% (as on 1.1.2017)         | 4.49% (as on June 2017)        | 13% (as on July 2017)          |

.......2/-

:  2  :

(d) & (e): In  2011,  the  Government  approved  consideration  of  women Short  Service  Commission  Officers  (SSCOs)  for  grant  of  permanent commission  along  with  men  SSCOs  in  specific  branches  in  the  three services  viz.  Judge  Advocate  General  (JAG),  and  Army  Education  Corps (AEC) of the Army and their corresponding branches in Navy and Air Force, Naval Constructor in Navy and Accounts Branch in Air Force. In  March 2016, approval has been accorded for induction of women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers as Pilots in Maritime Reconnaissance  (MR)  stream  and  in  the  Naval  Armament  Inspectorate (NAI) cadre.  The inductions are planned commencing from mid 2017. In  the  Indian  Air  Force  since  1993,  women  officers  have  been inducted  in  all  branches  and  stream  as  Short  Service  Commissioned Officers  except  in  the  fighter  stream.    However,  IAF  has  revised  Short Service Commission scheme to induct  women into  the  fighter stream on experimental basis for five years.  The first batch of three women officers was commissioned in the fighter stream on June 18, 2016. In  addition,  steps  like  increasing  tenure  of  women  officers  and improving  promotional  prospects  in  Army  have  been  taken  to  increase participation of women in the Army.

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