Rekha Singh, the widow of one of many 20 braves killed in a skirmish with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Galwan Valley in June 2020, was on Monday commissioned into the Indian Army as a lieutenant and is about to affix a unit deployed in japanese Ladakh the place India and China have been locked in a standoff for nearly three years, officers aware of the matter mentioned.

“Woman Cadet Rekha Singh, wife of Late Naik (Nursing Assistant) Deepak Singh, #VirChakra (Posthumous) got commissioned into #IndianArmy after completing her training from #OTA #Chennai. Nk Deepak made the supreme sacrifice during the #Galwan Clashes,” Indian Army wrote on Twitter.

Rekha was married to Naik Deepak Singh of the sixteenth Battalion of Bihar Regiment who was killed in motion within the distant valley whereas combating numerically superior Chinese troopers on June 15, 2020 and was posthumously awarded Vir Chakra for his heroism in November 2021. Vir Chakra is India’s third-highest wartime navy honour after Param Vir Chakra (PVC) and Maha Vir Chakra (MVC).

Also Read: Indian Army commissions 5 woman officers into Regiment of Artillery

The infantry battalion’s commanding officer, Colonel B Santosh Babu, who was awarded MVC, was among the many 20 Indian troopers killed within the seven-hour lethal battle close to Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley.

According to India’s evaluation, PLA’s casualties have been twice as many as Indian Army’s although Beijing formally claimed that solely 4 Chinese troopers have been killed.

Five feminine cadets, among the many 200-odd cadets who handed out move out from Chennai-based Officers Training Academy, have been additionally commissioned into the regiment of artillery for the primary time, mentioned one of many officers cited above, on the situation of anonymity.

Out of the 5, three have been posted to models guarding the China border, he mentioned.

Lieutenant Mehak Saini was commissioned right into a SATA (surveillance and goal acquisition) regiment, lieutenant Sakshi Dubey and lieutenant Aditi Yadav into discipline regiments, lieutenant Pious Mudgil right into a medium regiment, and lieutenant Akanksha right into a rocket regiment.

The ladies officers commissioned into the regiment of artillery can be supplied with the identical alternatives and face the identical challenges as their male counterparts (19 male officers have been additionally commissioned into artillery), mentioned one other official, who additionally requested to not be named.

The ladies officers are being posted to completely different artillery models, the place they are going to get coaching and publicity to deal with a raft of weapons and programs in difficult circumstances, mentioned the official.

A rising variety of military wives whose husbands have been killed in fight or within the line of responsibility are selecting to pursue a profession within the armed forces to hold ahead the legacy of the courageous males, soldiering on within the aftermath of upheaval of their lives and provoking others to comply with go well with.

The military is encouraging ladies eligible of turning into officers to comply with within the footsteps of their late husbands and likewise offering them steering to make a contemporary begin.

Also Read: China again seeks to de-link standoff at LAC with bilateral relations

The wives of troopers killed in motion are granted exemption from showing for the Combined Defence Services Examination, performed by Union Public Service Commission (USPC), to qualify for the Services Selection Board interview. They are additionally entitled to age leisure.

The commissioning of ladies into artillery is the most recent in a collection of steps taken by the armed forces to open extra doorways for ladies.

Women in uniform are now not on the fringes however are being assigned central roles on a par with their male counterparts throughout the three companies – 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 be certain, tanks and fight positions within the infantry are restricted zones for ladies.