KOCHI: Indian Navy has prepared a detailed roadmap for inducting women officers into service, Southern Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Vice-Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla said here on Tuesday. “We will have women-friendly facilities in our new vessels including the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (Vikrant) which is under construction.
There will be separate bunkers, toilets and other facilities in these vessels for women,” he said while interacting with media on the eve of Navy on board INS Tir, a training vessel of the Navy at Kochi Naval Base. “We started inducting women from 1992 itself. There are women officers in law, logistics and other branches. In the combat branch, which includes warships, submarines and aircraft, there are certain requirements like ergonomics. We have to provide separate accommodation, which is being taken care of. Legal issues have to be sorted out before deploying women on combat duty,” he said.
The Vice-Admiral’s statement came in the backdrop of Sub-Lieutenant Shivangi joining operational duties as the first woman pilot of the Navy on Monday.
Chawla said the sea trials of India’s Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (Vikrant) will begin in 2020. Aircraft trials will begin in 2021 after which the vessel will be commissioned. “Building an aircraft carrier is a complex endeavour. The design is complex and the availability of equipment also causes delay. Certain parts need to be customised. We have entered the final phase and the Navy is providing administrative support,” he said. Regarding the theft in the aircraft carrier, the Vice-Admiral said the case was being probed by the NIA and Navy will have control over the vessel only after it is inducted into the force.