Officials acquainted with the matter stated on Sunday that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) wants to establish four women-led road construction companies (RCC) to undertake projects in forward regions along the India-China border. The defence ministry stated in a statement that two women-led RCCs will be established in each of the western and north-eastern regions.
The news came just weeks after BRO named Major Aaina Rana as the commanding commander of the 75 RCC in Pipalkoti, Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. She would be in charge of ensuring forward connectivity between India and China. Rana's RCC is the BRO's first women-led RCC, with three female platoon commanders reporting to her.
The statement said, “As India celebrates 75 years of Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, it also celebrates the ongoing efforts of our nation towards women empowerment…By empowering them with the tools of authority, responsibility and respect, BRO firmly believes that women will always be active participants in the endeavour of nation building.”
Vaishali S Hiwase, a BRO employee, became the first woman to command an RCC responsible for providing advance connection along the India-China border in the northern sector in April.
BRO is building strategic roads in Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim, to complete all 61 strategic roads along the China border by December 2022.
The decision to establish women-led RCCs comes at a time when new opportunities for women in the military and those interested in joining the military are becoming available.
After completing the requisite 26 years of service, the Indian Army promoted five women officers to the time-scale rank of colonel last month. Women officers were elevated to the rank for the first time outside of the army's medical, legal, and education branches.
The result occurred 18 months after the Supreme Court determined that women officers who entered the Indian Army through a short service commission (SSC) were eligible for permanent commissions and command positions.
The National Defence Academy (NDA), which has traditionally been a male-dominated institution, is now welcoming female students. Almost three decades ago, women were authorised to serve as SSC officers in chosen branches of the three militaries. Over the last six years, the number of women serving in the military has nearly tripled, with more opportunities opening up all the time. 9,118 women were serving in the army, navy, and air force as of February 2021.
In 2015, the Indian Air Force chose to induct women into the fighter stream, marking a watershed moment for women in the military. Women are now assigned to warships as well, but tanks and infantry combat positions are still off limits to them.