According to information given by the government in Lok Sabha on Friday, there are over 7,000 women serving in the Indian Army, 1,636 in the Indian Air Force, and 748 in the Navy.
Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said in response to a question that there are 7,093 women in the Army. Of those, 6,993 are in the Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps, and Military Nursing Service (MNS). There are 100 women in other ranks.
Bhatt said that at the moment, women only serve as officers in the Indian Air Force (IAF), and as of March 1, there were 1,636 of them (excluding the medical and dental branches).
“As of right now, women can work as officers in the Navy. As of March 9, 748 women, including medical and dental officers, are officers in the Indian Navy “he said
Bhatt said that both men and women can work in the Indian armed forces. “In the arms and services they serve in, there is no difference between how male and female soldiers are sent out and how they work,” he said.
“The postings are based on the needs of the organisation, and employment is based on qualifications and quality of service needs,” he said.
Referring to the Army, the minister said that because permanent commissions were given to women officers, on November 23, 2021, a gender-neutral career progression policy was put into place. This policy covers employment and promotions and gives women officers the same chances as men.
He said that women officers are allowed to hold key positions in the IAF, such as commanding officers in combat units of different field units.
“In this way, the rules are the same for both men and women and give them the same chances. Their health and medical conditions are also taken into account before they can be used effectively “he said.
Bhatt said that officers have opportunities for spouse co-location, re-settlement posting, and compassionate grounds posting in a way that does not depend on their gender.
In response to a different question, he said that the Ministry of Defense is thinking about a plan to set up a Non-Lapsable Defense Modernization Fund (DMF).
“The DMF will be available for modernising the military, and it will add to the regular yearly budget allocations by making sure that there are enough funds for different projects to improve the military’s capabilities and infrastructure,” he said.
“Work is being done with the Ministry of Finance to come up with a good way to make the fund work,” he said.
Several parliamentary committees also said that the DMF should be set up so that the budgeted money for the three services could be kept even after the end of the fiscal year.
-
-
-
-
