More Than Half Of Women Officers Selected As Colonel Are Commanding Units In Field Areas

Officials reported that 55 per cent of women officers chosen for the rank of colonel are leading units in field or operational zones.

Half of these units are situated in the northern and eastern commands, which include Jammu and Kashmir and the North East.

As many as 108 out of 244 women officers from the 1992-2006 batches were promoted to colonel rank by a selection board in January. They now hold command roles in Army units across India.

Around 60 per cent of the 108 women officers empanelled for command roles have been assigned to appointments previously held by colonels, officials said, as reported by the Indian Express.

The women officers approved for command positions will have the same seniority date in colonel rank as their male counterparts, while also considering their original batch and tenure of service.

A common gender-neutral colonel selection board will be established to review all batches starting from 2010. The board will assess both male and female officers equally for the selection of brigadier rank, considering their qualifications and performance.

A senior command course is being held to prepare women officers for operational, intelligence, logistics, and administrative aspects.

For the first time, around 10 women officers will be commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery this year. The first group of five officers from Officers Training Academy, Chennai, are set to join on 29 April.

Over the next two to three years, around 40 women officers will be promoted to the rank of colonel (selection grade) in phases.

Moreover, 150 additional vacancies have been made available exclusively for women officers up to the 2009 batch without any impact on the vacancies for male officers.