The government has directed the armed forces to examine granting permanent commission (PC) to women officers in additional streams other than the legal and education wings they are already eligible for.
Defence minister on Friday said he had asked the three Service chiefs, P V Naik, Admiral Nirmal Verma and General V K Singh, in a recent meeting to "open their services more" for women officers.
"Now, they are processing the possibility of opening more streams in Army, Navy and IAF for lady officers. So, the momentum will gather in the years to come," he said.
Speaking at a function to flag in the IAF team of women officers and other personnel, which has returned after successfully climbing the 8,848-metre Mt Everest, Antony hoped the "historic feat and achievement" would be yet another step in giving "more representation to women in more streams" of our armed forces.
Women officers have been serving in the armed forces in wings like legal, education, engineering, ordnance, intelligence, signals, air traffic control and the like since the early-1990s but could serve only as short-service commission officers for a maximum of 14 years.
In 2009, after a lot of struggle, the government decided to give PC to women officers but only in the legal and education branches, as also the 'naval constructor' department.
In line with this, women being inducted into the armed forces from the 2009 batch onwards will be given the option, a year or two before they complete 10 years in these wings, to opt for PC.
As of now, women constitute barely 2.5% to 6% of the officer cadre in the predominantly male environs of the armed forces. They are, of course, are not allowed to serve in combat arms like infantry, artillery or armoured corps, nor serve on board operational warships or fly fighter jets. Incidentally, IAF has over 50 woman helicopter and transport aircraft pilots.
The military brass have long contended that granting PC to women officers across the board is not feasible due to "operational, practical and cultural problems". The legal and education wings, incidentally, do not involve command of men or battalions.
Defence minister on Friday said he had asked the three Service chiefs, P V Naik, Admiral Nirmal Verma and General V K Singh, in a recent meeting to "open their services more" for women officers.
"Now, they are processing the possibility of opening more streams in Army, Navy and IAF for lady officers. So, the momentum will gather in the years to come," he said.
Speaking at a function to flag in the IAF team of women officers and other personnel, which has returned after successfully climbing the 8,848-metre Mt Everest, Antony hoped the "historic feat and achievement" would be yet another step in giving "more representation to women in more streams" of our armed forces.
Women officers have been serving in the armed forces in wings like legal, education, engineering, ordnance, intelligence, signals, air traffic control and the like since the early-1990s but could serve only as short-service commission officers for a maximum of 14 years.
In 2009, after a lot of struggle, the government decided to give PC to women officers but only in the legal and education branches, as also the 'naval constructor' department.
In line with this, women being inducted into the armed forces from the 2009 batch onwards will be given the option, a year or two before they complete 10 years in these wings, to opt for PC.
As of now, women constitute barely 2.5% to 6% of the officer cadre in the predominantly male environs of the armed forces. They are, of course, are not allowed to serve in combat arms like infantry, artillery or armoured corps, nor serve on board operational warships or fly fighter jets. Incidentally, IAF has over 50 woman helicopter and transport aircraft pilots.
The military brass have long contended that granting PC to women officers across the board is not feasible due to "operational, practical and cultural problems". The legal and education wings, incidentally, do not involve command of men or battalions.
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