Indian Navy Will Soon Begin Induction Of Women Sailors

Recently, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba revealed that the Indian Navy has commissioned a study that will aim to find ways of inducting women sailors into the service. He added that based on the outcome of the study, they will decide the way forward, as per the Agnipath scheme which recruits the youth in the armed forces of India.

While currently there are no women navy officers on the ship or ashore, Lanba says the Navy should be gender-neutral and it’s high time women were enrolled.

At present, women do not serve as sailors in the Indian Navy. Women Navy officers aren’t permitted on ships either and are posted ashore on duties.

There are over 600 women working in the Indian navy otherwise, and in indirect combat roles. However, Lanba said that new ships are being constructed to accommodate female Navy officers. “The issue highlighted here was our training ships. They (the women) have to be trained to go to the sea,” Lanba said. “So once we have our training ships, which can accommodate and have facilities for our women officers, we will take women officers and put them at sea,” Lanba added.

While the word is that many Navy experts are of the opinion that it may come as a cultural shock to male officers, but that’s no reason women should be giving up their right to equal opportunities.