No Female Officers Cleared The Criteria For Joining Special Forces, Yet: Government Tells Parliament

Despite the Indian Armed Forces allowing women officers to volunteer for induction into its elite special forces, no woman has yet qualified for these units, the government told Parliament on Friday.

Minister of State in the Defence, Ajay Bhatt, stated in a written reply to the Lok Sabha that women officers in the Indian Armed Forces are eligible to volunteer for induction into the special forces if they meet the selection Qualitative Requirements (QRs) and successfully complete the rigorous training.

However, so far, no woman has been able to pass the specialised training to become a member of a special forces unit.

In the Indian Air Force, two women officers volunteered for special forces training but were unable to pass the rigorous course. Similarly, in the Indian Navy, 20 women sailors appeared for the aptitude test for induction into special forces, but none of them qualified.

The special forces of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, including Para-Special Forces, Marine Commandos, and Garud Commandos, undergo months of grueling probation and must maintain exceptionally high standards of physical and mental fitness to qualify for these elite units.

Once qualified, they receive specialised training for specific tasks, such as desert, jungle, mountain, and counter-terrorism operations.

While women serve in parachute units in the Army, they have not yet been able to join the special forces units. Despite efforts to open several arms of the armed forces for women, including the recent inclusion of Agniveers, none have yet made it into the elite special forces units.

Among the three services, the Army has the largest number of women officers at 1,705 and continues to explore avenues for enhancing diversity and inclusion within its ranks.

However, breaking into the elite special forces remains an aspiration that no woman has yet achieved.