Lok Sabha Question No. 2922 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-17
Subject: Women in Defence Services
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: Queen Oja, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2922

TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 th  March, 2023

## WOMEN IN DEFENCE SERVICES

2922. SHRIMATI QUEEN OJA:

SHRI T.R. BAALU:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the number of women serving in various Defence forces across the country at present, service-wise;
- (b)  whether the women have to face adverse working conditions in Defence postings, if so, the details thereof;
- (c)    whether  the  Government  has  formulated  any  rules  to  deploy  them  as  per  their convenience, if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether there is any provision for timely leave for women working in Defence services, if so, the details thereof;
- (e)  whether the armed forces have yet to fully accept women as equals in their ranks, if so, the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (f)  the other steps being taken by the Government for the betterment of women soldiers and accommodate more women cadets in the forces?

## A  N  S  W  E  R

MINISTER OF STATE

(SHRI AJAY BHATT)

IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

- (a):  Indian Army:  The total number of women serving in Indian Army, category-wise is as under:-

| Sl No.   | Category                                                                                                           | Held Strength of Women   |
|----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|
| (a)      | Officers (including Army Medical Corps (AMC)/ Army Dental Corps (ADC) and Military Nursing Service (MNS) officers) | 6993                     |
| (b)      | Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs)                                                                                | -                        |
| (c)      | Other Ranks (OR)                                                                                                   | 100                      |
| Total    | Total                                                                                                              | 7,093                    |

Indian Air Force: At present,  women are serving  in  Officer's cadre only in the Indian Air Force  (IAF).    The  strength  of  women  officers,  as  on  01.03.2023,  in  the  IAF  (excluding Medical and Dental branches) is 1636.

Indian Navy: As on date, women are employed in the Navy in the officer's rank. The strength of women officers in the Indian Navy, as on 09.03.2023, is 748 including Medical and Dental officers.

(b):    Employment in Indian Armed Forces is gender neutral. There is no distinction in the deployment and working conditions of male and female soldiers in the arms and services in which they serve. The postings are as per organizational requirements and employment is as per qualifications and service qualitative requirements.

(c):    Indian  Army:  Consequent  to  grant  of  Permanent  Commission  to  Women  Officers (WOs), a  gender  neutral  Career  Progression  policy  covering  employment  and  promotional aspects was promulgated on 23.11.2021, providing equal opportunities to women officers in the Arms/Services where they are commissioned.

Indian  Air  Force:    Women  officers  are  empowered  to  tenate  key  appointments  including Commanding Officers in Combat Units of various field units. The rules in this regard are gender  neutral  and  provide  them  equal  opportunities.  Their  medical  fitness  and  medical conditions are also factored prior to their effective utilization.

Indian Navy:  Officers are given opportunities for spouse co-location, re-settlement posting and compassionate grounds posting in a gender neutral manner.

(d):    Women  are  granted  Maternity  Leave  and  Child  Care  Leave  etc.  in  addition  to  other leave applicable to their male counterparts.

(e) & (f):  Indian Army:

Officers: Indian Army is encouraging women to join the force by adopting enabling policies for their inclusion. Recent major initiatives underway are as under:-

(i) Grant  of  Permanent  Commission  (PC)  to  Women  Serving  Personnel.  PC  is  being granted  to  Women  Officers  (WOs)  in  11  Arms  &  Services  (in  addition  to  Army  Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps and Military Nursing Service) viz. Army Service Corps (ASC), Army  Ordnance  Corps  (AOC),  Army  Education  Corps  (AEC),  Judge  Advocate  General Branch  (JAG  Br),  Corps  of  Engineers  (ENGRS),  Corps  of  Signals  (SIGS),  Corps  of Electronics  and  Mechanical  Engineers  (EME),  Intelligence  Corps  (Int  Corps),  Army  Air Defence (AAD), Army Aviation, Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC).

(ii) Women in National Defence Academy (NDA). Armed Forces have opened entry for women candidates in NDA with 19 cadets including 10 for Indian Army joining the academy every six months. First batch of women cadets has started training in NDA with effect from July  2022  and  second  batch  has  commenced  training  with  effect  from  January  2023.  The organization is ensuring inclusive measures to carry out all necessary administrative, training and policy changes to enable the same.

(iii) Women  in  Army  Aviation.    Indian  Army  has  also  opened  avenues  for  Women Officers to serve as pilots in the Corps of Army Aviation since year 2021.

(iv) Women  Officers  in  Remount  and  Veterinary  Corps  (RVC).      Government  has approved Women Officers in RVC on 01.03.2023 and four out of 20 officers into RVC in 2023 are women.

(v) Colonel  (Select  Grade).    Women  Officers  are  also  being  considered  for  Colonel (Select Grade) ranks and are being given command appointments. Certain waivers have also been given to WOs to rule out any impediment in career progression of those who could not undergo mandatory career courses during the transition period.

Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs)/ Other Ranks (OR).  Provision for enrolment of women as Other Ranks in Corps of Military Police in the Indian Army has been introduced in 2019.  Under  the  scheme,  1700  women  are  targeted  to  be  inducted  in  a  phased  manner (approximately 100 per year). The induction of women has commenced from 2020. The first batch of 100 women in Other Ranks passed out in first week of May 2021, after completion of  61  weeks  of  training.    Another  100  women  soldiers  have  been  inducted  through  the Agnipath  Scheme.  100  vacancies  each  have  been  catered  for  in  Agnipath  Scheme  for  the Recruiting Years 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Indian Air Force:

(i) Women officers are inducted in all branches and streams of Indian Air Force. Gender neutral approach is facilitating the employment of women officers of Indian Air Force in all combat roles without any restrictions. They are flying fighter aircraft and operating from the length and breadth of the country in all branches of the IAF with pride.

(ii) Opportunities for a career in IAF are widely publicized through print/electronic media and special publicity drives. An opening has also been provided through NCC Special Entry for flying SSC (Women) from July 2017 onwards.

- (iii) 'DISHA' cell at Air HQ conducts various Induction Publicity programmes across the country  related  to  induction/  career  of  Officer  Cadre  in  the  IAF.  Women  candidates  are encouraged during such publicity drives to join the IAF as a preferred career option.
- (iv) Conduct of motivational talks by women officers give opportunity to female students to interact with them and clear their apprehensions. The scope of choosing IAF as a career is covered in terms of prospects, facilities, work profile, benefits etc. during these sessions.

Indian Navy:

Indian Navy (IN) ensures gender neutrality in almost all aspects. The steps taken by IN to give equal opportunities to women akin to their male counterparts and to accommodate more women into the Indian Navy are as follows:-

(i) Permanent Commission to Women Officers  SSC women officers in the Indian Navy are  eligible  for  consideration  towards  grant  of  Permanent  Commission.  As  on  date,  59 women officers (excluding Medical and Dental officers) have been granted PC.

(ii) Women Officers Onboard Ships. Women  officers  are  being  appointed  onboard warships. Currently, 33 women officers are deployed on afloat billets.

(iii) Naval  Air  Operations  (NAO)  Officers  on  Helicopters.  Women  NAO  officers  have been appointed as specialist NAO officers to ship borne helicopters.

(iv) RPA Stream. Women officers can join the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) stream and the first woman officer joined RPA squadron in March 2021.

(v) Diplomatic Assignment.  A woman officer has been appointed ADA, Moscow since January 2020.

(vi) Overseas  Assignments.  Women  NAO  officers  have  been  deputed  overseas  to Maldives, as part of Dornier aircrew for a period of one year w.e.f. September 2020 onwards. In addition, women officers are also deputed abroad for shorter durations as part of Mobile Training Teams and other foreign cooperation engagements.

(vii) Entry of Women into NDA. Entry of women candidates into NDA has been permitted from 2022 wherein women officers are being inducted as PC officers. Three vacancies per batch  have  been  allocated  at  NDA  for  women  candidates  of  Navy  and  the  first  batch  has joined in July 2022.

(viii) Women in all Branches/ Cadres/ Specialisations.  Entry of women in all Branches/ Cadres/  Specialisations  (except  Submarine  specialization)  is  targeted  to  commence  w.e.f. June, 2023.

(ix) Women as Agniveers. As part of the Agnipath Scheme, women have been enrolled as Agniveers commencing from the first batch itself. They are subjected to the same training curriculum, professional courses and retention criteria as compared to their male counterparts.

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