The Indian Army may have a female chief in two decades as the land force is working on a common promotion of officers policy to make it gender-neutral.

Addressing the annual press conference on Thursday, Army Chief General Manoj Pande said 120 women officers have been promoted to the selection grade rank of Colonel. Describing the move as a “major step,” he said they had been designated as Commanding Officers (COs) of units deployed in peace stations and in challenging areas of forward locations in Baramulla of Jammu and Kashmir and Leh.

“The next step what we intend to do is to come up with a common promotion policy and guidelines which would give women officers opportunities alongside their male counterparts to graduate to next ranks, the Army Chief of Staff told reporters.

The Army Chief also stated that the force is giving them all opportunities and exposure, and even in United Nations appointments, 101 peacekeepers are women. “Twenty two percent of officers deployed in UN assignments again are women officers,” he observed.

Considering that, as of now, a Colonel cleared by subsequent promotion boards takes at least 20 to 22 years to become Army Chief, we can make an informed guess that one of the women officers who are COs now may end up at the highest saddle if she is found fit on all required parameters, a senior officer said. If that does not happen, we will for sure have a woman Army Chief later than that, the officer added.

Last year, the Ministry of Defence opened up higher avenues to overcome gender bias by giving the Army one-time additional vacancies for women. The Army held selection board meetings to promote women officers from the rank of Lieutenant (Lt.) Colonel to Colonel, which gave them COs postings.

A total of 244 women officers were considered for promotion against 108 vacancies in different arms and services from the 1992 batch to the 2006 batch, the businessline reported. After clearing the Women Officers Special No. 3 Selection Board, the Lt. Colonels became eligible for promotion to Colonel in Engineers, Signals, Army Air Defence, Intelligence Corps, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps and Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

But, Army sources said that the one-time special slot created would cease to exist when they either retire or get promoted to the rank of Brigadier. The common promotion policy under work will have to look into this issue. Otherwise, the possibility of MoD giving another waiver for women officers to make them appear for selection board for promotion to the rank of Major General cannot be ruled out either, explained sources aware of promotional avenues.

But the Ministry of Defence will have to look into some of the core issues, such as how long relaxation can be offered to women officers for promotion to the highest rank of Chief of Army Staff, said another Army official since he elaborated that male officers have to do challenging courses for their growth in the force. Some of them lost out on becoming CO since the Army had to promote women Lt Colonels to Colonels, he said.

The inflow of women officers and jawans at the entry-level has started owing to the government’s decision to allow admission of girls in the NDA and have them as Agniveers, too. The Supreme Court verdict, too, has contributed to their upward movement.

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