Govt. to induct more women in armed forces: Parrikar

[Hindustani78]

Updated: July 26, 2015 05:43 IST
Govt. to induct more women in armed forces: Parrikar - The Hindu

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal presenting a memento to Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar during a function to inaugurate Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute for girls while (right) ex-Servicemen protesting against the delay in implementation of one rank one pension in Mohali on Saturday.- Photos: Akhilesh Kumar
Inaugurates Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute to offer specialised training for girls
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday expressed concern over the low participation of women in armed forces, saying the Centre will take “a lot of decisions” in next couple of months for improving their numbers.

“I am bit pained as only 3,298 ladies are in the armed forces (in the country),” Mr. Parrikar said addressing a gathering after inaugurating ‘Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute’.

The institute has been set up by the Punjab Government to impart specialized training exclusively to women aspirants across the State to join armed forces in the country.

“In next one or two months, a lot of decisions regarding participation of women or girls in the armed forced will be taken,” Mr. Parrikar, who visited Punjab for the first time as Defence Minister, said here.

He said the government was examining the restrictions faced by women in joining the army and added that it would do everything to increase their participation.

“I want women should join armed forces in a big way. We will take a decision with regard to whatever restrictions are there after examining the same in next few days,” Mr. Parrikar

“The government has decided that in the wake of low participation of women in the armed forces, it will do everything, whatever it requires to improve their strength,” he asserted.

Mr. Parrikar noted that women had also made big sacrifices in protecting the country.

“It has been a tradition of this country that women had also made sacrifices for protecting the nation. It is not that only men had sacrificed their lives (in protecting the borders). At some places, their sacrifices will be more than that of men,” he said.

The Defence Minister, who made a short speech, further said there were a lot of misunderstandings about those serving in Supply corps and Education corps that they do not perform their duties at border. “They also face as much danger as other soldiers face,” he said.

Mr. Parrikar also congratulated Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for setting up the institute for women. “I consider myself lucky to have come here. This function is also about women empowerment,” he said.

Mr. Parrikar said he shared Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision on women empowerment.

He also asked Mr. Badal to raise the intake capacity from 25 in the Mai Bhago Institute.

On this occasion, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, State ministers Ajit Singh Kohar, Chunni Lal Bhagat, Daljeet Singh Chhema, Madan Mohan Mittal, Praminder Singh Dhindsa, MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, BJP Punjab unit chief Kamal Sharma, ex-Army Chiefs V. P. Malik and Deepak Kapoor, GOC-in-C Western Command, Lt.-General K. J. Singh were also present on this occasion. - PT

 

[opruh]

Those women are not safe there!

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
30-July, 2015 16:49 IST
Promotion Policy for Women Officers in the Armed Forces

The details of the extant promotion policy for women officers in the armed forces, service-wise is as follows:

Army: Presently,Women Short Service Commissioned Officers (SSCOs) of all Arms / Services are eligible for substantive promotion to non-select ranks of Captain, Major and Lieutenant Colonel on completion of 2, 6, and 13 years of reckonable commissioned service respectively, at par with Men SSCOs. Women officers granted Permanent Commission are eligible for promotion in the Select Ranks (Colonel & above) based on the same criteria as applicable to Male officers.

Navy: In the Indian Navy, officers are eligible for substantive promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander and Captain (Time Scale) after completion of 2 years as Sub Lieutenant, 4 years from the date of promotion of Substantive Lieutenant, 11 years from the date of promotion of Substantive Lieutenant and 26 years of reckonable commissioned service respectively. Promotions on these lines are subject to officers fulfilling other criteria as per extant rules. This policy is equally applicable to both men and women officers.

Air Force: The promotion policy for men and women officers in IAF is same. Promotion upto the non-select rank of Wing Commander and Group Captain (TS) is based on the years of service and minimum performance criteria and the same is applicable for men and women officers. Officers are eligible for substantive promotion to the rank of Flt. Lieutenant, Squadron Leader, Wing Commander and Group Captain (Time Scale) after completion of 2 years, 6 years, 13 years, and 26 years of reckonable commissioned service respectively. Promotions on these lines are subject to officers fulfilling other criteria as per extant rules. From the rank of Group Captain (Select) and above the promotion is based on selection process as per the promotion policy in vogue which is common for both men and women.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri Shadi Lal Batra in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, 30 July 2015.

 

[Hindustani78]

Those women are not safe there!

Big leap: 340 women officers get permanent commission in Indian armed forces - The Economic Times

NEW DELHI: Women are slowly managing to pierce the glass ceiling of getting permanent commission as officers in the Indian armed forces, even though combat roles still do not figure anywhere on the horizon for them.

As per latest figures provided by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in Parliament on Friday, the armed forces have granted permanent commission (PC) to 340 women officers till now.

The number is miniscule considering there are over 60,000 officers in the 1.3 million strong armed forces. But it does represent a hard-won victory for women, who for long have fought legal battles and entrenched mind-sets in the predominantly male environs of the Army, Navy and IAF ever since they began donning military uniforms in the early-1990s.

The country's civilian leadership and military brass, of course, still consider combat roles for women a strictly no-go area due to "operational, practical and cultural problems". So, even if some women have managed to wrangle PC instead of being allowed to serve a maximum of 14/15 years as short-service commission (SSC) officers, they cannot fly fighters, serve on warships or join the infantry, armoured corps and artillery.

Technology is increasingly making characteristics like physical hardiness redundant but in India, women find it tough to get PC even in "non-combatant or combat-support arms". PC for them remains largely restricted to the judge advocate general (JAG) wing and Army Education Corps of the Army, and their corresponding branches in Navy and IAF.

The other specific wings open for them to get PC in IAF are accounts, technical, administration, logistics and meteorology branches, while it's the naval constructor department in Navy.

"Consequently, though some women may get SSC as helicopter and transport aircraft pilots in IAF, and perform exceedingly well in flying high-risk missions, they cannot get PC in the flying branch. In fact, PC in other wings is also granted reluctantly," said a senior officer.

The defence establishment uses the logic of "combat employability and PC being interlinked'' to deny women PC across the board. The legal and education wings have been opened for women since they not involve "command and control" of men and battalions.

But the armed forces will have to change their policies in the coming years if gender equality is not to remain mere lip-service in their ranks. "A lot of cultural and operational adjustments had to be made when women were first inducted in the 1990s. Some more are needed now to induct women in greater numbers," said another officer.