Women in the Indian Armed Forces
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Private_Begum_Pasha_Shah_of_the_WAC_%281%29_on_duty_in_the_Orderly_Room_of_an_RAF_station_in_India%2C_August_1943.jpg/170px-Private_Begum_Pasha_Shah_of_the_WAC_%281%29_on_duty_in_the_Orderly_Room_of_an_RAF_station_in_India%2C_August_1943.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Commonwealth_Forces_in_India_IND4410.jpg/170px-Commonwealth_Forces_in_India_IND4410.jpg)
All wings of the Indian Armed Forces allow women in combat roles (junior ranks) and combat supervisory roles (officers), except Indian Army (support roles only) and Special Forces of India (trainer role only) (c. 2017). Indian Air Force had 13.09% and 8.5%, Indian Navy 6% and 2.8% women, and Indian Army 3.80% and 3% in December 2018 and December 2014 respectively.[1][better source needed][2][better source needed]
As of 2020, three officers have been granted the rank of three star general of above, all of whom are from the Medical Services.
History
In 1888, the role of women in the Indian army began when the "Indian Military Nursing Service" was formed during the British Raj.[3] During 1914-45, British Indian Army nurses fought in World War I (1914–18) and World War II (1939-45), where 350 British Indian Army nurses either died or were taken prisoner of war or declared missing in action.[3] This includes nurses who died when SS Kuala was sunk by the Japanese bombers in 1942.[3] Women's Auxiliary Corps (India) was formed in May 1942.[4] Noor Inayat Khan, George Cross (2 January 1914 – 13 September 1944), of Indian and American descent, was a British heroine of World War II renowned for her service in the Special Operations Executive.[5] Kalyani Sen, a second officer and first Indian service woman who visited the UK, served in the Women's Royal Indian Naval Service of The Royal Indian Navy during World War II.[6]There was a woman's regiment under Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose 's Indian National Army called the Rani of Jhansi Regiment was one of that kind during World War II.
Indian Army
Summary table of commission by corps
Since 1992, women were first inducted in to various branches of Indian Army only in short service commission.[7] In 2008, women were first inducted as permanent comissioned officers in Legal and Education corps, in 2020 they were first inducted in 8 more corps as permanent comissioned officers.[8] As of 2020, women are not yet allowed as combatant in the Parachute Regiment of Indian Army or other specialist forces, but they can join paratroopers wings of their respective arms like para EME, para signals, para ASC, etc.
Here is the status of women's induction in various branches of army in any role as well as in coveted permanent commissioned officers role.[9][7]
Sr No | Name of branch | Women commissioned | Since | Kommentare |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Army Aviation Corps | ![]() |
2020[9] | |
2 | Army Corps of Signals | ![]() |
1992[7] | Since 2020 in permanent commission.[9] |
3 | Army Dental Corps | ![]() |
1888 or earlier[3] | |
4 | Army Education Corps | ![]() |
1992[7] | Since 2008 in permanent commission.[9] |
5 | Army Medical Corps | ![]() |
1888 or earlier[3] | |
6 | Army Ordnance Corps | ![]() |
1992[7] | Since 2020 in permanent commission.[9] |
7 | Army Postal Service Corps | ![]() |
1992[7] | |
8 | Army Service Corps | ![]() |
2020[9] | Since 2020 in permanent commission. |
9 | Corps of Army Air Defence | ![]() |
2020[9] | Since 2020 in permanent commission. |
10 | Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers | ![]() |
1992[7] | Since 2020 in permanent commission.[9] |
11 | Corps of Engineers | ![]() |
2020[9] | Since 2020 in permanent commission. |
12 | Corps of Military Police | ![]() |
2020[10] | First inducted since 2020.[10] |
13 | Defence Security Corps | ![]() |
Since 2020 in permanent commission. | |
14 | Intelligence Corps | ![]() |
2020[9] | Ganeve Lalji is first woman attache to Army Commander.[11] |
15 | Judge Advocate General's Department | ![]() |
1992[7] | Since 2008 in permanent commission.[8] |
16 | Military Nursing Service | ![]() |
1888[3] | Major General Joyce Gladys Roach is present commander.[12] |
17 | Pioneer Corps | ![]() |
NA | |
18 | Regiments (Armoured) | ![]() |
NA | |
19 | Regiments (Artillery) | ![]() |
1992[7] | Women can serve only in non-combat staff appointments of artillery regiments; Women can't get regular and permanent commission in artillery units.[13] |
20 | Regiments (Infantry) | ![]() |
NA | |
21 | Regiments (Mechanised) | ![]() |
NA | |
22 | Remount and Veterinary Corps | ![]() |
NA | Only men are allowed. |
23 | Territorial Army | ![]() |
2018[14] |
Notable women
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Indian_army_lady_officer.jpg/220px-Indian_army_lady_officer.jpg)
As of 2020, women are not allowed to serve in combat units such as Infantry, Mechanised infantry, Armoured corps, and Artillery.[9]
On 27 August 1976, Gertrude Alice Ram, the military nursing service Matron-in-Chief, became the first woman officer in the Indian Army to attain the rank of major-general, and the first female officer in the Indian Armed Forces to attain two-star rank. With Ram's promotion, India became only the third nation in the world to promote a woman to flag rank, behind the United States and France.[15]
In 1992, the Indian Army began inducting women officers in non-medical roles.[16] On 19 January 2007, the United Nations first all female peacekeeping force made up of 105 Indian policewomen was deployed to Liberia.[17] Ruchi Sharma became the first operational paratrooper in the Indian Army, joining in 1996.[18]
Priya Jhingan, commissioned in 1993, is one of the first 25 women to join the Indian Army as an officer. Alka Khurana, also commissioned in 1993, is the first woman from Indian Army to participate in Republic Day Parade and Army Day Parade in 1994.[19][20][21][22][23] Sapper Shanti Tigga is the first female jawan (private rank) in the Indian Army who joined in 2011.[11] Priya Semwal's husband had fallen in a counter-insurgency operation in Arunachal Pradesh in 2012; she went onto join as an officer in the Indian Army Corps of EME, the first wife of a jawan whose husband had fallen in a counter-insurgency operation to do so.[11]
Lieutenant Colonel Mitali Madhumita, commissioned in 2000, is the first woman officer in India to receive a gallantry award, who received the Sena Medal in 2011 for exemplary courage shown during the attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul by terrorists in Kabul, Afghanistan on 26 February 2010,[24] and operations in Jammu-Kashmir[25] and the northeast states.[24][26][27]
Anjana Bhaduria, who joined the first-ever batch of female cadets in 1992 at the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, is the first female officer in the Indian Army to win the Gold Medal. Including her and Priya Jhingan, the first batch of women officers of the Indian Army was commissioned in March 1993.[28][11] Divya Ajith Kumar, commissioned in 2010, is the first female officer to receive the Sword of Honor.[29][30] She led all women contingent of 154 women officers and cadets during the Republic Day parade of 2015.[30]
Captain Swati Singh, an engineer and then only female officer in her 63 Brigade of the Indian Army, is the first female officer to be deployed at Nathu La pass as Signals in-charge.[11] In February 2020 Madhuri Kanitkar became the third woman to become a Lieutenant General in the Indian Army. Along with her husband who is also a Lieutenant General they will be the first couple to both reach the rank.[31]
On 17 February 2020 the Supreme Court of India said that women officers in Indian Army can get command positions at par with male officers. The court said that the government's arguments against it were discriminatory, disturbing and based on stereotype. The court also said that permanent commission should be available to all women, regardless of years of service, and that this order must be implemented in 3 months.[32] The government had earlier said troops would not accept women as commanding officers.[33] Consequenty, 8 more corps or branches started to induct women as commissioned officers.[9]
Ganeve Lalji, Corps of Military intelligence, is the first woman to be an attache to an Army Commander.[11]
Indian Air Force
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Women_Pilots_of_the_Indian_Air_Force.jpg/220px-Women_Pilots_of_the_Indian_Air_Force.jpg)
Indian Air Force inducts women in all roles, including combat and support roles.
In August 1966, Flight Lieutenant Kanta Handa, an IAF medical officer, became the first female IAF officer to receive a commendation for her service during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war.[34] In 1994, women joined the air force as pilots in support role; Gunjan Saxena (Flight Officer) and Sreevidya Rajan[35] were among the first women to fly in a combat zone during Kargil War (May–July 1999).[11]
In 2006, Deepika Misra was the first IAF woman pilot to train for the Sarang display team.[11] In 2012, Nivedita Choudhary (Flight Lieutenant), a Jat from Rajasthan, became the first woman from the Indian Air Force to summit the Mount Everest.[11]
In 2015, there were 1,500 women, including 94 pilots and 14 navigators, in the air force.[36]
In 2015, Indian Air Force opened new combat air force roles for women as fighter pilots, adding to their role as helicopter pilots in the Indian Air Force.[37]
On 22 May 2019, Bhawana Kanth became the first woman fighter pilot to qualify to undertake combat missions.[38]
Women are now taking up combat roles in Indian Air Force with Avani Chaturvedi, Mohana Singh Jitarwal, and Bhawana Kanth being the first 3 women fighter pilots[39] Marking International Women's Day on 8 March 8, 2020 all 3 fighter pilots were awarded Nari Shakti Puraskar.[40]
Wing Commander Shaliza Dhami became the first woman officer to be given permanent commission with the Indian Air Force.[41][41] Squadron Leader Minty Agarwal became the first woman to receive a Yudh Seva Medal.[42]
Indian Navy
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/The_President%2C_Shri_Ram_Nath_Kovind_with_the_all-women_crew_of_INSV_Tarini_on_completion_of_their_voyage_of_circumnavigation_of_the_globe%2C_at_Rashtrapati_Bhavan%2C_in_New_Delhi.JPG/220px-thumbnail.jpg)
In October 1976, Dr. Barbara Ghosh became the first woman officer in the Indian Navy to attain the rank of commander. Having joined the navy in 1961, she was also the first woman medical officer to receive a permanent naval commission.[43]
Dr. Punita Arora, commissioned in 1968, is the first woman in the India Navy to reach the second highest rank as the Lieutenant General,[44] and the first female Vice admiral.[45] Padmavathy Bandopadhyay is the first woman Air Marshal of the IAF and the second woman in the Indian armed forces to be promoted to a three-star rank after Lt. General Punita Arora.[11] Despite this Indian Navy is still against the idea of putting women in warship as sailor, eventhough they fly on maritime patrol aircraft like P8I and IL 38 [46]
On 8 March 2018, International Women's Day the 6 member crew of INSV Tarini that took part in Navika Sagar Parikrama namely Lt Cdr Vartika Joshi, Lt Cdr P Swathi, Lt Cdr Pratibha Jamwal, Lt Payal Gupta, Lt Aishwarya Boddapati, and Lt Shourgrakpam Vijaya Devi were conferred Nari Shakti Puraskar for outstanding contribution towards women empowerment. The award was received by Lieutenant S Vijaya Devi, who is Northeast India's first woman sailor on behalf of team.[47]
On 2 December 2019, Sub-lieutenant Shubhangi Swaroop became the first woman pilot for the Indian Navy. She will be flying the Dornier survelliance aircraft.[48]
Special Forces of India
As of 2020, Women are not yet allowed as combatant in the combat specialist forces, such as Ghatak Force, Garud Commando Force, MARCOS, para commandos, etc.
Dr. Seema Rao, also known as "India's Wonder Woman",[49][50][51] is India's first woman commando trainer,[52][53] having trained over 15,000 Special Forces of India[54][55] (including the NSG Black Cats, MARCOS, GARUD)[56] as full-time guest trainer for 20 years without compensation[56][57] as a pioneer in close quarter battle (CQB).[58][59]
Paramilitary forces of India
Women in Indian Coast Guard, Assam Rifles and Special Frontier Force.
Indian Coast Guard
Women can join the Indian Coast Guard in officer ranks as general duty, pilot or law officers.[60] In January 2017, Indian Coast Guard became the first force to deploy four female officers, assistant commandants Anuradha Shukla, Sneha Kathyat, Shirin Chandran and Vasundhara Chouksey, in combat roles on board KV Kuber hovercraft ship patrolling the Indian maritime zone bordering Pakistan and Bangladesh.[61]
Assam Rifles
In April 2016, Assam Rifles inducted a first batch of 100 female soldiers who had undergone year-long training programme and graduated in the passing-out parade at the Assam Rifles Training Centre and School in Shokhuvi in Dimapur district of Nagaland. They will be deployed at Cordon And Search Operation (CASO), Mobile Check Posts (MCP) and road opening operations in various battalions for search, frisking and interrogation of women, crowd control and dispersal of female agitators.[62][63]
In August 2020, around 30 rifle-women from Assam Rifles were deployed along the LoC for the first time. They are led by Captain Gursimran Kaur of the Army Service Corps.[64][65]
Special Frontier Force
Special Frontier Force, created in 1962 as a most covert and elite Special Force unit as the armed wing of RAW to conduct covert operations behind the Chinese Lines in the event of another Sino-Indian War,[66] inducted 500 female in 1972 for the first time in medical, signals and clerical roles.[67]
Central Armed Police Forces
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Women_personnel_of_India%27s_Border_Security_Force.jpg/220px-Women_personnel_of_India%27s_Border_Security_Force.jpg)
In 1992 Asha Sinha a 1982 Batch IPS Officer became the First Woman Commandant in the Paramilitary forces of India when she was posted as Commandant, Central Industrial Security Force in Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and after 34 years of service she retired as Director General of Police(DGP). In 2018 an IPS Officer Archana Ramasundram of 1980 Batch became the first Woman to become the Director General of Police of a Paramilitary Force as DG, Sashastra Seema Bal, she retired after serving for 37 years. In March 2016, govt allowed direct-entry women officers in all five Central Armed Police Forces, namely Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), allow direct entery to women in junior rank via direct recruitment and also to women officer via Union Public Service Commission in supervisory combat roles.[68] In March 2016, Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced that women will be inducted in 33% constable-rank personnel in CRPF and CISF and 15% in the border guarding forces BSF, SSB and ITBP.[68]
Central Reserve Police Force
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) allows women officers in supervisory combat roles since a long time via UPSC route.[68]
Central Industrial Security Force
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) allows women officers in supervisory combat roles since a long time via UPSC route.[68]
Border Security Force
Border Security Force (BSF) allowed women officers in supervisory combat roles in 2013.[68]
Sashastra Seema Bal
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) allowed women officers in supervisory combat roles in 2014.[68]
Indo-Tibetan Border Police
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) allowed women officers in supervisory combat roles in 2016.[68] About 1.75% (1,500) of 80,000 ITBP personnel are women, mostly in the rank of constables (c. March 2016).[68]
Other Forces
Women also serve in the National Security Guard (NSG), Special Protection Group (SPG), Railway Protection Force (RPF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
National Security Guard
National Security Guard (NSG) (Black Cat Commandos) inducted female commandos for the first in 2011-12, however the first discrimination they faced was from the then female Chief Minister, Mayawati who refused to be guarded by the female commandos.[69] In 2015, govt announced that the female NSG Black Cat Commandos, who undergo the same training as their male counterpart, will be deployed in counter-terrorism operations as they also perform VIP protection duties.[70]
Special Protection Group
Special Protection Group (SPG) inducted female commandos in 2013, and then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur became the first SPG protectee to have women commandos.[71][72]
Railway Protection Force
Railway Protection Force (RPF) has female unit, Shakti Squad. In 2015, 25-year-old Debashmita Chattopadhyay became first female Assistant Security Commissioner (ASC) in RPF who took charge of the Shakti squad of RPF women constables.[73]
National Disaster Response Force
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) got its first woman commander in 2015 when 40-years old senior Commandant Rekha Nambiar joined the 4th Battalion based in Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu to lead 1,000 personnel-strong all-men battalion.[74]
Three star generals
All three women, to be the first ones to be promoted to three-star rank in the Indian Armed Forces, are from the Medical Corps and graduate medical doctors of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC).
In 2004, Punita Arora was the first woman to be elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Indian Army. In 2005, she moved from the Army to the Navy as the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has a common pool which allows officers to move from one service to another depending on the requirement. In the Indian Navy, she also held the rank of Vice Admiral.[75]
In late 2004, Padma Bandopadhyay became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of Air Marshal in the Indian Air Force's Medical Services. She was the second woman officer to be promoted to a Three Star rank.[76]
In early 2020, Madhuri Kanitkar was elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General in Indian Army's Medical Corp.[77]
In popular culture
- Aarohan (1996–97), tele serial showcasing women officers serving in the Indian Navy.
- The Test Case (2007), web series on the fictional story of the first woman training to serve in a combat role within the Indian Armed Forces.[78]
- Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020–21), biographical film starring Janhvi Kapoor as real life Indian Air Force pilot Gunjan Saxena who was the first Indian female airforce pilot in combat.[79][80]
See also
- Serving generals of the Indian Army
- National Commission for Women
- Welfare schemes for women in India
- Women in agriculture in India
- Women in India
- Women's suffrage in India
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External links
- Indian Army – Official website
- Indian Air Force - Official website
- Indian Navy - Official website