Indian Army, one of the biggest in the world, is “moving fast” to allow women in combat roles which has so far been the exclusive domain of the men.
The head of the Indian Army General Bipin Rawat said the process to allow women in combat roles was on and women will be initially recruited in the Military Police.
“I am looking at women coming as jawans. I am going to start it soon. Firstly, we will start with women as military police jawans,” news agency PTI quoted Gen Rawat as saying.
He said the matter had been taken up with the government of India.
The roles of military police include policing the cantonments and Army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required.
Women are currently allowed in a number of areas, including medical, legal, education, engineering etc. in the Indian Army.
The issue of allowing women in combat roles in the India’s armed forces has been a bone of contention for a very long time.
In 2015, Manohar Parrikar- the Defence Minister at the time said women couldn’t be inducted in combat roles due to “apprehensions about their safety”.
Last year, the Indian Air Force Inducted three women pilots for training as fighter pilots and will evaluate their performance to decide whether to open the stream for more women candidates.
India’s Border Security Force, a paramilitary force guarding India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, started recruiting women personnel a few years ago. The women BSF personnel carry out the duties of border patrolling with their male counterparts.
The Indian Navy is also mulling over a policy on having women on board ships. It currently allows women in legal, logistics, naval architecture and engineering departments.
