A powerful force of strength, courage, and unflinching determination stands tall in the heart of the world's second-largest standing army-the women of the Indian Army. These fearless and courageous soldiers, dressed in olive green, not only embody the act of bravery, but also rewrite the story of service and sacrifice selflessly. With each step, these proud daughters of India smash down barriers, shatter prejudices, and carve a path of inspiration for future generations and especially females. On this Army Day, we recognize the unshakeable pride and undying dedication of these remarkable women, whose bravery knows no bounds and whose service to the nation serves as witness to their steadfast pride and unyielding dedication.

On February 17, 2020, the Supreme Court of India upheld the right of serving Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers to be granted Permanent Commissions (PC) alongside their male colleagues. This decision was based on a complaint filed by 17 SSC officers who had been refused a permanent commission after having served for 14 years. Although women have been accepted in auxiliary services in the Indian Armed Forces since its inception, the issue of including them in combat duties or granting them permanent commissions has been a long-standing one.

This article will go into greater detail about the role of women in the Indian Armed Forces from years and continuing today. This Army Day 2024 let us celebrate our women of the Indian army and admire their courage.

Before we look into the status of women in the Indian Army firstly let us know about the History of women in the Indian Army.

History of Women in Indian Armed Forces

The "Indian Military Nursing Service" was established in 1888, and the position of women in the Indian Armed Forces began to take shape. The Indian Army nurses performed well during World War I. The founding of the Women's Auxiliary Corps enhanced the role of women in the Indian Armed Forces by allowing them to serve in mostly non-combatant areas such as communications, accounting, and administration.

Noor Inayat Khan, a member of the corps, distinguished herself as a spy, earning a legendary reputation for her work during World War II. Although women were restricted to non-combatant roles in the British Indian Army, this was not the case with Subhash Chandra Bose's Azad Hind Fauj. The Rani of Jhansi Regiment was a women's regiment that experienced active combat alongside the Imperial Japanese Army in Burma.

Current Role of Women in Indian Armed Forces

The Army Act of 1950 declared women ineligible for regular commissions, with limited exceptions granted by the central government. The Army Medical Corps became the first Indian Army corps to issue permanent commissions to women on November 1, 1958. Following that, women were made eligible for short service commissions in the Indian Army throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Women can join the signal corps, engineers, and other non-combat wings of the parachutists, but they are not allowed to serve as combat personnel in these units as of 2023.

The Indian Army Corps that have issued permanent commissions to women are listed below.

Induction of Women In the Indian Army Corps

• Army Aviation Corps- 2020
• Army Service Corps- 2020
• Corps of Army Defence- 2020
• Corps of Military Police- 2020
• Corps of Engineers- 2020
• Intelligence Corps- 2020
• Territorial Army- 2018
• Regiments (Artillery)- 1992 (Non-combatant roles)
• Army Ordnance Corps- 1992
• Army Postal Service Corps - 1992
• Army Education Corps- 1992
• Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers- 1992
• Judge Advocate General's Department- 1992
• Army Dental Corps- 1888
• Military Nursing Service- 1888

Significance of the Supreme Court Ruling

The Supreme Court issued a decision in February 2020 on Short Service Commission officers being granted Permanent Service in the Indian Armed Forces. First, let us distinguish between a Short Service Commission Officer and a Permanent Commissioned Officer.

An SSC is an officer whose career in the Indian Armed Forces is typically limited to 14 years, whereas a PC can serve until retirement. At the end of the SSC's tenth year, three alternatives will be available:

Elect for a Permanent Commission

Resign from service

Opt for extending for four more years

On this premise, the Supreme Court issued a decision allowing women to serve as PC officers in the Indian Armed Forces. The significance of this verdict is that it allows women officers to serve in some branches of the Indian Armed Forces.

The Indian Army and specialist brigades such as the Parachute and Artillery regiments are the sole exceptions, however non-combatant roles are still open to women.

The following branches of the Indian armed forces have a percentage of serving women personnel:

• Indian Air Force: 13.09%
• Indian Navy: 6%
• Indian Army 3.80%

The Indian government has been relentless in its efforts to increase women's presence in the Indian Army. The Armed Forces have begun admitting female candidates to the National Defence Academy (NDA), with 19 cadets joining the academy every six months, including ten from the Indian Army. The NDA's first, second, and third batches of female cadets began training in July 2022, January 2023, and July 2023, respectively. To assist this considerable development, the organization is aggressively implementing inclusive initiatives that include administrative, training, and policy improvements.

According to government data presented to the Lok Sabha, there are a total of 11,414 women serving in the three services, with the Indian Army having the most at 7,054. Officers, other ranks, and those in medical, dental, and nursing services are all included in the total. The total number of female professionals in the three categories, excluding medical, dental, and nursing services, is 4,948.

Admiral R. Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff, celebrated a historic milestone on December 1st, announcing that over 1,000 women agniveers have been integrated into the Indian Navy.

The following are some major initiatives to encourage women to join the military:

(i) With effect from July 20, 2022, 20 slots for Women Army cadets have been given at the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune.

(ii) The Short Service Commission (SSC) has 90 openings for women, with 10 further vacancies added in June 2023.

(iii) Since March 20, 2023, approval has been granted for the entrance of women officers into the following branches: -

(aa) Artillery units.

(ab) Remount and Veterinary Corps.

(iv) Beginning in June 2021, women officers will be allowed to fly in Army Aviation.

(v) Since 2019, women have been enrolled as Other Ranks in the Indian Army's Corps of Military Police.

Official Data presented by Ministry of Defence:

Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence Shri Ajay Bhatt presented this data in the LokSabha recently which outlines the following details:

• There is no separate Women Wing in the Indian Army. Women Officers are currently being commissioned in the Indian Army in 10 different Arms/Services. Presently 100 Women soldiers are enrolled in the Corps of Military Police.
• 557 Women Officers have been granted Permanent Commission in the Indian Army after the Hon'ble Supreme Court judgment dated 17th February, 2020.
• 63 eligible Women Officers have been granted permanent commission as on 07 December, 2021 in compliance with the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court.
• Directions of Hon'ble Supreme Court that have been implemented by the Indian Army are follows:

Strength of Women Officers in Indian Army as on 01st January, 2023 are as under: -

(i) Strength of women officers {excluding Army Medical Corps (AMC), Army Dental Corps (ADC) & Military Nursing Service (MNS)}: 1733.
(ii) Strength of other rank women in the Indian Army: 100.
(iii) Strength of women personnel in Armed Forces Medical Service (AFMS) as on 01st February, 2023: -
(aa) AMC - 1200
(ab) ADC - 173
(ac) MNS - 3887

Armed Forces Medical Services:

Women in the Armed Forces Medical Services include:

(i) 1637 Lady Doctor Officers out of a held strength of 7350 (22.3%).
(ii) 183 Lady Dental Officers out of a held strength of 716 (25.6%).
(iii) 4646 Lady Nursing Officers in an all-women cadre (100%).

Indian Navy: Women were first admitted to the Indian Navy as officers in 1991. Since then, the Indian Navy has steadily expanded all branches to female officers, including NDA induction. Furthermore, with effect from 2022, women can be recruited for the first time for sailor entry under the Agnipath Scheme, with 20% of openings earmarked for women.

Air Force: Officers in the Indian Air Force (IAF) are recruited on a gender-neutral basis.

Women are accepted into all sections and streams of the IAF. Career opportunities in the IAF are actively marketed through print/electronic media and special publicity initiatives. The IAF's trial strategy to induct women officers in all combat roles, which began in 2015, has now been formalized as a permanent policy.