MoD Grants Entry to Women Officers for Permanent Commission in Various Branches of Indian Armed Forces

NEW DELHI; MARCH 6: Ministry of Defence has implemented steps to grant Permanent Commission to women officers in the Armed Forces - Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.

The move has been implemented in light of the announcement made by the Prime Minister on August 15, 2018 to induct women as Permanent Commissioned officers in Indian Armed Forces.

The Ministry of Defence will now grant Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers in all ten streams of Indian Army where women are inducted as Short Service Commissioned (SSC) officers. Earlier, women officers were eligible for PC only in two branches of Indian Army – Judge Advocate General (JAG) and Army Education Corps.

The newly announced branches of PC for women officers include Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Army Ordinance Corps and Intelligence.

Women officers serving as SSC can exercise the option for grant of PC including choice of specialisation before completing four years of SSC. Such officers will be considered for induction as Permanent Commissioned officers as per suitability, merit and will be recruited in various staff appointment.

The Ministry has also opened all branches under Indian Air Force including Fighter Pilots for women officers.

Furthermore, all non-sea going branches/cadre/specialisation in Indian Navy has been opened for induction of women officers to Permanent Commission through SSC. As per the latest statement, SSC women officers are now eligible for PC in Naval Armament branch in addition to Education, Law and Naval Constructor branch/cadre which is at par with male officers.

In light of these developments, the ministry has proposed to induct three new ships to provide training facilities to both men and women officers. Induction of women to all branches of Indian Navy will be implemented after the training ships are ready.