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Women in the Armed Forces "EMPOWER IAS"

Women in the Armed Forces "EMPOWER IAS"

 

In news:

  • The Supreme Court has held that the Army’s “selective” evaluation process discriminates against and disproportionately affects women short service commission officers seeking a permanent commission.

A brief history of Women in Indian Navy

  • Prior to 1992, women officers were inducted in the Navy only in the medical stream from the Armed Forces Medical Service.
  • From July 1992, the Navy started inducting women, initially through a special entry scheme and later through the Short Service Commission, in only select branches of the Navy.
  • Over the years, various branches were added to the list, and currently women officers can join the Navy in the streams of Air Traffic Control, Observers, Law, Logistics, Education, Naval Architecture, Pilots in Maritime Reconnaissance Stream only and the Naval Armament Inspectorate.
  • It needs to be noted like in the Army and the Air Force, women are currently only inducted as Commissioned Officers and not in Other Ranks which are of categories of Junior Commissioned Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers.
  • In the early 2000s women officers from the Medical and Logistics stream were deployed on board Naval ships. While these deployments went on only for four-five years, they were discontinued for various reasons.

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What did the Court say?

  • The Court held the view that the evaluation criteria set by the Army constituted systemic discrimination against the petitioners (women officers).
  • The evaluation pattern of women officers has caused them economic and psychological harm.
  • In a series of directions, the court ordered that the cases of women officers who have applied for the permanent commission should be reconsidered in a month and the decision on them should be given in two months.

 

Asks for permanent commission

  • They would be considered for permanent commission subject to disciplinary and vigilance clearance.
  • The court said physical standards should be kept at a premium during selection.
  • The court highlighted how one of the Army’s “administrative requirements” was to benchmark women officers, under consideration for permanent commission, with male officers who are lowest in merit.
  • This is arbitrary and irrational, said Justice Chandrachud.

 

Women in Armed Forces

India’s women in uniform: A timeline

  • In 1888, the role of women in the Indian army began when the “Indian Military Nursing Service” was formed during the British Raj.
  • During 1914-45, British Indian Army nurses fought in World War I (1914–18) and World War II (1939-45), where 350 nurses either died or were taken prisoner of war or declared missing in action.
  • Today, all wings of the Indian Armed Forces allow women in combat roles (junior ranks) and combat supervisory roles (officers), except Indian Army (support roles only) and Special Forces of India (trainer role only) (c. 2017).
  • Since 1993, the government has progressively opened up the three services for WOs in selected branches.