highlights
- The training of the first batch will commence in December.
- The training period of women soldiers will be of 61 weeks.
- Batches comprising similar number of soldiers will be trained and commissioned every year.
New Delhi:
In a transformational move, the Indian Army is all set to commission the first batch of 100 women soldiers. According to reports, the batch will be commissioned by March 2021. Sources privy to the development said that training of the first batch will commence in December and commissioning will begin soon after its completion. The women soldiers will be commissioned into the Corps of Military Police of the Indian Army.
"The training period - of 61 weeks - is similar to that of male soldiers. Batches comprising similar number of soldiers will be trained and commissioned every year," a senior Army official was quoted saying by IANS.
Officials said the cadre of women soldiers in the Corps of Military Police will be maintained at a fixed number of 1,700 corps. This number will be achieved by filling in the corps in batches.
Once commissioned, India will join the list of a few countries where women are allowed to combat roles. These countries are - Germany, Australia, Canada, the US, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden, and Israel have allowed
Currently, women are allowed in a number of select areas including in medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army but combat roles are kept off limit for them due to operational concerns and logistical issues.
The roles of military police include policing the cantonments and army establishments, prevent breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required.
Creating history, the Indian Air Force, last year, had inducted three women as fighter pilots, less than a year after the government decided to open the fighter stream for women on an experimental basis
A decision on having women as fighter pilots will be taken after evaluating performance of the three women -- Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh who are now part of IAF's fighter squadron
The Indian Navy is currently deliberating on a policy on having women onboard the ships. The Navy allows women in various other segments including in legal, logistics, naval architecture and engineering departments.
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