The Indian Army has determined to introduce a typical choice board for its female and male officers for promotion to the rank of colonel from 2024-25, in a transfer aimed toward advancing gender equality within the power, officers accustomed to the matter stated on Saturday.

A typical, gender-neutral choice board might be carried out for all officers from the 2009 batch onwards for promotion from the rank of lieutenant colonel to colonel, stated one of many officers cited above, asking to not be named.

The improvement comes on the again of the military conducting a particular choice board to advertise 108 girls officers to the rank of select-grade colonel and providing them command assignments in choose branches for the primary time.

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The girls officers assessed by the particular choice board have been from the 1992 to 2006 batch and have been commissioned in varied arms and providers, together with Engineers, Signals, Army Air Defence, Intelligence Corps, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps, and Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

“When the special selection board was conducted (for the first time in January) for considering the women officers for command assignments, multiple policy waivers were granted for mandatory qualification, the requirement to earn reports in command of a company, and no reports earned for up to seven years by officers who had exited service and rejoined after a gap,” stated a second officer, who additionally requested to not be named.

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There was no benchmarking of advantage with their male batchmates, and equal promotion ratios have been ensured, although for many batches it was greater than the corresponding batch of male officers, he stated.

“With the common selection board in place from 2024-25, men and women officers will compete on merit for the same vacancies,” he added.

“Conducting a common selection board is a progressive move as women officers have been demanding that they be treated on a par with their male counterparts,” stated Captain Shalini Singh, a former lady officer.

Also, girls officers might be thought-about for choice as brigadiers together with their male batchmates with fast impact, and they are going to be graded primarily based upon their eligibility and comparative profile, the officers stated.

The opening of command roles to girls turned doable solely after the military started granting them everlasting fee (PC) in 2020. With the grant of PC, girls officers are gearing as much as assume difficult management roles akin to their male counterparts, stated the primary official. “The army has initiated a series of concurrent actions at multiple levels to ensure that the force swiftly transits towards inclusivity by empowering women officers for leadership roles,” he stated.

A particular senior command course has been organised to arrange the ladies officers for the rigours of command by orienting them to operational, intelligence, logistics and administrative features of the brand new roles, the officers stated. Also, a rising variety of girls is now competing for employees course on the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington in Tamil Nadu, a career-advancing course that may empower them for command appointments, the officers stated.

Women officers chosen for command appointments are being supplied the identical profession alternatives as their male counterparts, the officers stated. “The army is a gender-neutral force which provides equal opportunities to everyone. The women officers’ cadre has shown steady growth over the last three decades. Concurrent actions by the force will ensure that the future holds bright prospects for women joining the army,” stated one other officer.

The upcoming commissioning of ladies into the regiment of artillery is the most recent in a sequence of steps taken by the military to open extra doorways for them. In a primary, 5 woman cadets, who might be among the many 200-odd officers passing out from the Chennai-based Officers’ Training Academy on April 29, are anticipated to get commissioned into the regiment of artillery.

Women officers being commissioned from OTA Chennai will now move out together with their male batchmates with frequent advantage, the officers stated. Also, the method of granting PC to girls officers from junior batches has commenced, and they’re being thought-about for it by gender-neutral choice boards within the tenth 12 months of service.

Women in uniform are not on the fringes however are being assigned central roles on a par with their male counterparts throughout the three providers – they’re flying fighter planes, serving on board warships, being inducted within the personnel beneath officer rank (PBOR) cadre, eligible for everlasting fee, being assigned command roles, and present process coaching on the National Defence Academy.

To make sure, tanks and fight positions in infantry are nonetheless no-go zones for girls.