Indian Army To Induct Women Officers Into Combat Regiment, Artillery

In a bid to ensure a larger role for women officers especially in combat roles, the Indian Army will soon be inducting women into the Artillery, one of the critical parts of the defence body. The Ministry of Defence has revealed that the combat employment philosophy of women in the Armed Forces is being regularly reviewed and will continue to evolve with the times.

Sources reportedly suggest that the decision to induct women officers in Artillery—which has 300 regiments, each with 18 guns and a total of 5,000 officers—is part of an effort to provide women officers with more opportunities. Women officers are already part of the combat support arms like the Army Air Defence (AAD), the Army Signals Corps, the Army Aviation Corps and the Engineers.

The regiment of Artillery is the second-largest arm of the Indian Army; the Infantry is the largest arm. Also known as the Arm of Decision, the Artillery has missiles, guns, mortars, rocket launchers and unscrewed aerial vehicle. There are currently 1,705 women officers in the 10 arms of the Indian Army and Services. Data shared by the Ministry of Defence in March 2022 suggests that including the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, the Indian Armed Forces have a total number of 10,493 women serving currently. This number includes the Medical, Dental and Nursing Corps of the services.

*Image used for representative purpose only.