Commanding posts for women in Army

Commanding posts for women in Army
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Commanding posts for women in Army, Woman officers joining the Indian Army five months from now will be considered for permanent commission and even command in non-combat position.

New Delhi: Woman officers joining the Indian Army five months from now will be considered for permanent commission and even command in non-combat position.
Girls trained at a Civic Action Training Camp organised by BSF at Attari on Monday
The newly-formed BJP government has taken forward the decisions of the previous government and has cleared the proposal. One of India's top-most military commanders, who did not want to be named, confirmed that woman joining the military next year will be considered for permanent commission and command.

"Like men officers they will be also be empowered through routine courses like staff college, Junior and Higher Command Courses. This will bring them at par with men officers. They will then be considered for permanent commission and command subject to fitness," the officer said.

However, given the nature of the job there will be no positive discrimination for woman. "There cannot be woman commanders at the cost of men officers," he added.

As per the existing norms woman officers do get permanent commission except in the education and medical corps of the military. The current decision would mean other arms of the military hitherto declared as "out of bounds" for woman officers will be opened up.

Woman officers will, however, still be kept away from active combat duty. "Till we build our infrastructure we cannot post women officers in field areas where soldiers primarily operate out of Bunkers and Sangers - temporary fortifications built stones or snow," the officer said. Even today, although woman officers fly in the aviation wing of the Indian military, they are not allowed to fly close to the borders. Earlier, woman officers had even moved the court seeking permanent commission and command. The previous government had set up a high-level committee to examine the possibilities of allowing woman officers permanent commission and command.

The major fear of the Indian military in allowing woman into active combat is hostage situations involving woman officers. It is learnt that the committee had concluded that whether or not to allow woman in active combat is a as much a political decision as it is for the nation as whole to take a call.

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