Tuesday, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar said that they have asked the Defense Ministry for permission to change the names of different ranks because they now have women soldiers as well.
He also said that he hoped the Indian Navy would have a woman as its chief in 30 to 35 years now that gender equality had been put in place.
When he spoke to the reporters, the Naval War College (NWC) in Verem, North Goa, had just opened a new administrative building.
“We follow all ranks and roles.” “In 30 to 35 years, I hope to be able to talk to you all as chief of the naval staff,” Admiral Kumar said.
He said that the Navy already has a woman in charge of a ship based in Goa.
“Recently, we have got a consensus from all the people concerned and we have taken it with the ministry for approval for changing the rank nomenclature, like leading seamen, seamen class I, seamen class II, because now we have got women sailors also,” he told me.
“Women can’t work at sea.” We are thinking about calling them nausainik class I or nausainik class II. This will not depend on their gender because we are following the rules set by the Indian government, he said.
“We have women in the ranks for the first time since last year, and within a year and a half, we have 1,124 women sailors; they are going to board ships soon,” Admiral Kumar said. The idea of “nari shakti,” or “women power,” is also being brought into the force. Women can now be in every branch of the Navy. They can even be naval commandos.
“We are looking at capability, confidence, competence and ability to deliver the task of the Navy,” he stated.
“The effort is to move all the old things that we have inherited, the colonial stuff, and bring in pride based upon our viraasat (heritage),” he stated.
The College of Naval Warfare was set up at INS Karanja in Mumbai in 1988 to give middle and upper level officers in the Indian Navy advanced professional military training.
In 2010, it changed its name to the Naval War College, and in 2011, it moved to its new site in Goa.
The college also offers a course on marine security. Military officers from India’s maritime neighbors take part and work together to make the Indian Ocean Region open, safe, and welcoming, in line with the prime minister’s vision of “SAGAR,” which stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region.
A Navy spokesperson earlier said that the college has taught 2,000 defense officers and 40 officers from other countries since it opened in 1988.
There are officers from all three services at the college who are ready to take on leading roles in the future.
