New Delhi: After more than a decade of recruiting women as commissioned officers, the Army is going ahead with inducting women in its police corps. Talking to journalists here today, Adjutant-General Lt-General Ashwani Kumar said the Army has given green signal to recruit women in the police corps. The proposal is being finalised for induction of about 800 women with a yearly intake of to begin with 52 per year in the corps of military police.
Women have been part and parcel of the Indian Army over the years, albeit in Army Medical Establishments as well as Officers from 1992. A decision has been now taken to introduce women in ranks starting from Corps of Military Police. With pressing needs for investigation against gender specific allegations and crime, a necessity was felt to introduce Women in Corps of Military Police.
Defence analysts say that it is the first step towards inducting women in combat roles. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had recently said the army was considering recruiting women in combat roles. The decision comes a day after Ms Nirmala Sitharaman took over as the country's first full-time woman Defence Minister.
Army's service headquarter's proposal of upgradation of rank structure which will benefit about 1.45 lakh junior commissioner officers and other ranks has also been approved and is in the final stages of being issued by the Defence Ministry. The last cadre review for the Army was undertaken in 1984. The upgradation will take place over a span of five years and will endow higher career progression of JCOs and other ranks. (UNI)