Centre grants permanent commission to women Army officers in eight more streams at defence forces

The Selection Board for the new incumbents for PC will be scheduled as soon as all affected SSC Women Officers exercise their option and complete requisite documentation.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday gave the final go-ahead to permanent induction of women Army officers in eight more streams. 

The Army said in a statement: “The government has issued the formal sanction letter for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers in the Indian Army, paving the way for empowering women officers to shoulder larger roles in the organisation.”

The order specifies grant of PC to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) women officers in eight more streams of the Indian Army — Army Air Defence (AAD), Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Army Service Corps (ASC), Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), and Intelligence Corps.

These streams come under combat support and services.

Women are not commissioned in the combat stream. The women officers have already been getting PC in streams of Judge and Advocate General (JAG) and Army Educational Corps (AEC) since September 26, 2008. 

“The Indian Army is committed to providing equal opportunities to all personnel, including women officers to serve the nation,” said the Army.

Welcoming the decision, a woman officer said it is better late than never.

“It is a big day for me as I have waited for 10 years to get Permanent Commission. Soon we will have our Selection Board.” 

The decision has come after the Supreme Court in February ordered the Army to grant PC to women. As per Major General Dev Chaturvedi (Retd), the women officers will be an asset to the Army.

“Women officers have proved themselves and are valuable as they come with their core competencies.”

The Selection Board for the new incumbents for PC will be scheduled as soon as all SSC women officers exercise their option and complete requisite documentation.

PM Narendra Modi had on August 15, 2018, indicated such a move.

Women are currently inducted through Short Service Commission (Technical) and Short Service Commission (Non-Technical) entries. Short Service Commission for women for five years started in 1992.

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