Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande said on Thursday that the Army has decided to put women in charge of artillery regiments and has sent a proposal to the government about it.
Gen. Pande talked about the change at a press conference before Army Day on January 15. He called it “significant” and said that women in the Army have done “exceedingly well.”
“We’ve decided to let women join the artillery, which is a big deal, because we think they’ll be able to not only keep up, but also do a good job in all of their roles,” he said.
“The government has been told about the idea. We hope it will be agreed to, “he added.
The Army has about 280 artillery regiments that handle guns like Bofors howitzers, Dhanush, M-777 howitzers, and K-9 Vajra self-propelled guns.
The Army chief also talked about the decision to let women join the Army for good.
“You know that we have given women officers a permanent commission, which will prepare them for major leadership roles in charge of many different places and units,” he said.
“Those who have been given permanent commission are now getting training in other fields. They will then be able to be chosen for jobs in the future “he added.
In 2019, the Army began the process of letting women join the military police. This was a big change.
The military police are in charge of keeping order in cantonments and army bases, making sure soldiers don’t break the rules, making sure logistics run smoothly during peace and war, and helping the civilian police when they need it.
Captain Shiva Chauhan of the Army’s Corps of Engineers was sent to a frontline post in Siachen Glacier earlier this month. This was the first time that an Army officer woman had been sent to the world’s highest battlefield in an operational role.
Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said last month that the Indian Navy is thinking about letting women join all of its branches by 2023.
