Lok Sabha Question No. 2189 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-10
Subject: Representation of Women in Defence Forces
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: Bhola Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

## DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2189

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 th  DECEMBER, 2021

## REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN DEFENCE FORCES

## 2189. SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the representation of women in the defence forces is just 0.56 per cent, 1.06 per cent and 6.5 per cent in the Army, Air Force and Navy, respectively;
- (b) if so, the details of the initiative(s) taken/being taken by the government to increase their representation; and
- (c) the reasons for restricting women's entry mainly to the officer cadre along with the steps taken by the government to extend their entry to cover Personnel Below Officer Ranks (PBOR) as well?

## A    N    S    W    E    R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(SHRI AJAY BHATT)

## (a) to (c):  The representation of women in the defence forces is as follows:

| Army                          | Navy   | Air Force   |
|-------------------------------|--------|-------------|
| 0.59% (including AMC/ADC/MNS) | 6%*    | 1.08%       |

Post Hon'ble Supreme Court order dated 17 th February, 2020, Women Officers are being granted Permanent Commission in 10 Arms/Services of Indian Army subject to their meeting the Qualitative  Requirement  (QR)  alongwith  the  Short  Service  Commissioned  Men  Officers. Women  Officers  are  also  being  inducted  in  Army  Aviation  Corps  as  Pilots  from  June  2021 onwards.

The  Government  has  sanctioned  for  enrolment  of  1700  women  in  Corps  of  Military Police in a phased manner.  The induction of women has commenced from the year 2020.  First batch of women Military Police personnel have completed their training and reported to units.

The Defence Forces have opened entry for women candidates in NDA, allowing girls to appear in NDA entrance exams from July 2022 courses onwards.  For the first batch, written exam has been conducted on 14 th November, 2021.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) undertakes various induction publicity measures to encourage youth including women to join IAF.  Modules like direct contact programme, print and electronic media  is  extensively  used  to  create  awareness  about  IAF  and  educate  students  about  various mode of entries.

Women officers in Indian Navy are appointed onboard warships.  Currently 29 women officers are appointed to ships.  Until 2019, women officers were being commissioned as Pilots and Observers only for shore based aircraft.  However, in order to employ women at par with male officers, women officers have also been streamed as specialist Observers into helicopters commencing 2020.  Provost specialisation has been opened up for women officers since 2020 and the first woman Provost officer has joined the specialisation in March 2021 after successful completion of At-Arms course.

The  Remotely  Piloted  Aircraft  (RPA)  stream  has  been  opened  up  for  women  officers. The first woman officer has joined RPA squadron in March 2021.  One woman officer has been appointed  as  ADA,  Moscow  in  June  2020.    One  woman  observer  officer  has  been  deputed overseas to Maldives in September 2020, as part of Dornier aircrew for a period of one year.  In addition, women officers are also deputed abroad for shorter durations as part of mobile Training Teams and other foreign cooperation engagements.

Unlike  officers,  all  sailors'  Branches/Specialisations  are  seagoing  and  serve  onboard ships.    Onboard  ships,  personnel  (both  officers  &  sailors)  stay  in  close  proximity  with  open WC/bathing  systems.    Therefore,  the  induction  of  women  is  limited  to  availability  of  gender exclusive infrastructure.

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