Ministry of Defence

Women Personnel in Army

07 MAR 2018

Held strength of women officers (excluding Medical, Dental and Nursing) in the Indian Army for the last three years are as under:

Year	Number of officers
2015 (as on 1st July)	1466
2016 (as on 1st July)	1512
2017 (as on 1st July)	1548

The borne strength of women officers (excluding Medical and Dental) in the Indian Navy as on 1st January from 2015 onwards is as follows

Year	Borne strength of women officers
2015	382
2016	409
2017	469

The strength of women officers (except Medical and Dental branch) in Indian Air Force in the last three years is as follows:

Year	Strength of women officers
2015	1428
2016	1584
2017	1598

Details of women officers (excluding Medical, Dental and Nursing) in different Arms and Service of Indian Army as on 1st January, 2018 are as under:

Arm / Service	Women officers
AAD	63
Engrs	195
Sigs	220
ASC	265
AOC	292
EME	263
Int	73
Army Avn	20
AEC	85
RVC	0
JAG	85
Total	1561

Current held strength of women officers in Armed Forces Medical Services as on 1st January, 2018 is as under:

Services	Number of Officers
AMC (Medical Officers)	975
AD Corps (Dental Officers)	127
MNS (Military Nursing Service)	3730

There are no non-commissioned women officers in the Army. As on 27 February 2018, the total strength of women officers in the Indian Navy (including Medical and Dental) is 639.

The branch wise breakdown is as follows:

Branch /Cadre / Specialisation	Strength
Education	132
Logistics	144
Law	04
ATC	67
Naval Constructor	64
Observer	70
Pilot	02
Naval Armament	10
Medical	144
Dental	02
Total:	639

Branch wise details of women officers (except Medical and Dental branch) in the Indian Air Force (IAF) as on 1st February, 2018 is as follows:

Branch	No. of women officers
F(P)	104
F(N)	16
AE(M)	48
AE(L)	569
ADM	430
LGS	162
ACCTS	116
EDN	83
MET	70
Total:	1598

There are no non-commissioned women officers in the IAF.

The complaints of discrimination received from women officers at work place in the armed forces are investigated and necessary action taken against defaulting officers, in accordance with the prevailing Acts and rules in force.

This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Smt Kamla Devi Paatle in Lok Sabha today.

PIB

Women Personnel in Defence Forces

Women Personnel in Defence Forces 

Presently, women are recruited in Indian Army as Officers through Short Service Commission (SSC) on all India merit basis along with men candidates.  Women Officers are inducted in Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps, Army Education Corps, Judge Advocate General Branch including Engineers, Signals, Intelligence and Electrical & Mechanical Engineering branches.  In addition, they are also commissioned in Medical Branch Army Medical Corps (AMC), Army Dental Corps (ADC) and Military Nursing Service (MNS).  Further, Women Officers are eligible for grant of Permanent Commission in Judge Advocate General (JAG) Department and in Army Education Corps (AEC) of Army.

The IAF has pioneered the entry of women as officers in flying and ground duty.

In Indian Navy, women officers are inducted through Short Service Commission, in Logistics, Law, Observers, Air Traffic Control (ATC), Pilots (Maritime Reconnaissance Stream), Naval Armament Inspectorate cadre (NAIC), Naval Architecture and Education Branch.

The details of women officers in Army (excluding Medical, Dental & Nursing Branch), in Indian Air Force (excluding Medical and Dental Branch) and in Indian Navy recruited during the last three years, Service-wise, are as under:-

Year	Army	Navy	Air Force
2014	104	57	155
2015	72	35	223
2016	69	43	108

The percentage of women officers in the three services of armed forces are as under:-

Percentage of women officers
Army	Navy	Air Force
3.64% (as on 1.1.2017)	4.49% (as on June 2017)	13% (as on July 2017)

In 2011, the Government approved consideration of women Short Service Commission Officers (SSCOs) for grant of permanent commission along with men SSCOs in specific branches in the three services viz. Judge Advocate General (JAG), and Army Education Corps (AEC) of the Army and their corresponding branches in Navy and Air Force, Naval Constructor in Navy and Accounts Branch in Air Force.

 In March 2016, approval has been accorded for induction of women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers as Pilots in Maritime Reconnaissance (MR) stream and in the Naval Armament Inspectorate (NAI) cadre.  The inductions are planned commencing from mid 2017.

 In the Indian Air Force since 1993, women officers have been inducted in all branches and stream as Short Service Commissioned Officers except in the fighter stream.  However, IAF has revised Short Service Commission scheme to induct women into the fighter stream on experimental basis for five years.  The first batch of three women officers was commissioned in the fighter stream on June 18, 2016.

In addition, steps like increasing tenure of women officers and improving promotional prospects in Army have been taken to increase participation of women in the Army.

This information was given by Minister of state for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Harish Chandra alias Harish Dwivedi in Lok Sabha today.

 Source : PIB

Women Personnel of the Armed Forces

Women Personnel of the Armed Forces

The number of women officer's (excluding medical and dental branch) in all the three wings of defence forces is as under:

Army (as on 1.1.2017)	Navy (as on 16.3.2017)	Air Force (as on 1.3.2017)
1528	469	1581

The details of women officers (excluding medical and dental branch) recruited during the last four years and the current year, Service-wise, are as under:-

Year	Army	Navy	Air Force
2013	127	50	144
2014	104	57	155
2015	72	35	223
2016	69	43	108
2017 (till March)	35	01	14

In 2011, the Government  approved consideration of women Short Service Commission Officers (SSCOs) for grant of permanent commission along with men SSCOs in specific branches in the three services viz. Judge Advocate General (JAG), and Army Education Corps (AEC) of the Army and their corresponding branches in Navy and Air Force, Naval Constructor in Navy and Accounts Branch in Air Force.

In March 2016, approval has been accorded for induction of women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers as Pilots in Maritime Reconnaissance (MR) stream and in the Naval Armament Inspectorate (NAI) cadre.  The inductions are planned commencing from mid-2017.

The IAF has revised Short Service Commission (SSC) scheme to induct women into the fighter stream on an experimental basis for a period of five years.  The first batch of three women officers were commissioned into the fighter stream on June 18, 2016.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Tiruchi Siva in Rajya Sabha today.

PIB