Command postings for women officers in the Army

Subject: Governance

Concept:

The Army has stated that the process for selection of women officers to command assignments in the rank of Colonel.
This follows the Supreme Court judgement of 2020 upholding an earlier judgement granting permanent commission (PC) as well as command postings to women officers in all arms and services other than combat.
As many as 108 women officers in the Army were cleared for the rank of Colonel (selection grade) till January 22,2023 by a special selection board, which made them eligible to command units and troops in their respective arms and services for the first time.
A total of 244 women officers are being considered for promotion against the vacancies from the batch of 1992 to 2006 in arms and services including Engineers, Signals, Army Air Defence, Intelligence Corps, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps and Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
Additionally, Army Chief General Manoj Pande announced that women officers would soon be inducted into the Corps of Artillery as well.
Women are being inducted in the ranks of sailors by the Navy under the Agnipath scheme and will soon be deployed onboard warships while the Army has inducted women as soldiers in the Corps of Military Police.

Significance of Command Postings

A Commanding Officer (CO) is a very coveted position in the Army. Its opening to women is a significant move.
All major countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, and Israel, allow women in command positions of their national armed forces.
Since 2008 the Army has granted PC for women officers in the Education Corps and Judge Advocate General (JAG) branches along with medical and dental streams.
In contrast to the regular arms and services, where colonels command officers and troops and lead them from the front, they are primarily administrative positions.
In the past, women could only be selected on short-term contracts, which required them to leave the service after just 14 years of service—much less time than the 20 years required for pension eligibility.
The Supreme Court in the BabitaPuniya case in February 2020,directed that women officers in the Army be granted PC as well as command postings in all services other than combat.
Further, on March 25, 2021 the Supreme Court in Lt. Col. Nitisha versus Union of India held that the Army’s selective evaluation process discriminated against and disproportionately affected women officers seeking PC.
An officer now becomes a Colonel after roughly 16–18 years of service due to the drop in the average age of COs over time.
All women officers who were granted PC are undergoing special training courses and assignments to empower them for higher leadership roles.