If a girl joins Officers Training Academy immediately after her graduation, she can rise to become a Lieutenant at a very young age of even 21years. With that starts the rigorous process of getting coached to conduct oneself as an officer and acquire not only core professional skills but also leadership and team handling skills. Seniors are much vested in the training and coaching of a youngster joining the team. Senior Officers whether from immediate unit or not, takes it as a personal responsibility to polish young officers'soft skills and teach them the ethos of the Indian Army.

It is pertinent to also discuss what women specifically can gain from joining as an officer in Indian Army. Army essentially teaches us to be independent, decisive, mentally and physically robust and encourages in to challenge, to take risk, to deliver result and above all to have your own independent identity apart from your identity of being a daughter, mother, wife or sister. Display of courage and character under extreme conditions is what you are trained to handle. Irrespective of your career choices post retirement, the lessons learnt in military go a long way in making you an extraordinary leader.

Women Officers in Indian Army were first inducted in non-medical roles in 1992 when they joined under the Women Special Entry Scheme as short service commissioned officers in various noncombatant corps. In the year 2008, first permanent commissioned women officers were inducted in Legal and Education Corps. On 17th Feb 2020, in a landmark judgement, Supreme Court of India ruled that SSC women officers in the Army are entitled to permanent commission and they have to be considered irrespective of their service length. Since then eight more Corps were brought under the ambit of permanent commission opportunities for Women Officers. As on date Corps of Signals, Intelligence Corps, Army Education Corps (AEC), Judge Advocate General (JAG), Corps of Electronic & Mechanical Engineering (EME), Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), Army Service Corps (ASC), Corps of Army Air Defence (AAD), Corps of Engineers and Corps of Military Police (CMP) are allowed to have women in permanent commission role. However as on date women are yet not allowed to serve in combat units.

Despite not being given the opportunity to serve in a combatant role, women officers have brought laurels to their fraternity and to the nation on many occasions. Lt Gen Punita Arora became the first woman in India to be both Lt. General of the Armed Forces as well as Vice Admiral in the Indian Navy. She was chosen as the Commandant of the Armed Forces Medical College in 2004. Based on need, when she migrated to the Navy, allowed by special procedure, she was accorded the rank of Vice Admiral based on her position in the army. She earned 15 or so awards and medals during her military tenure.

Priya Jhingan, commissioned in 1993, is one of the first 25 women to join the Indian Army as an officer. Alka Khurana, also commissioned in 1993, is the first woman from Indian Army to participate in Republic Day Parade and Army Day Parade in 1994. Sapper Shanti Tigga is the first female jawan (private rank) in the Indian Army who joined in 2011. Priya Semwal became the first wife of a jawan to join as an officer in the Indian Army after her husband had fallen in a counter-insurgency operation in Arunachal Pradesh in 2012.

Lt. Col Mitali Madhumita, commissioned in 2000, is the first woman officer in India to receive a gallantry award. She received the Sena Medal in 2011 for exemplary courage shown during the attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan by terrorists, on 26 February 2010. Anjana Bhaduria, who joined the first-ever batch of female cadets in 1992 at the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, is the first female officer in the Indian Army to win the Gold Medal. She and Priya Jhingan were from the first batch of women officers of the Indian Army commissioned in March 1993.

Divya Ajith Kumar, commissioned in 2010, is the first female officer to receive the Sword of Honor. She led all women contingent of 154 women officers and cadets during the Republic Day Parade of 2015. Captain Swati Singh, an engineer and then only female officer in 63 Brigade of the Indian Army, is the first female officer to be deployed at Nathu La pass as Signals in-charge.

In February 2020 Lt. Gen. Madhuri Kanitkar became the third woman to become a Lieutenant General in the Indian Army. Lt Col Sophia Qureshi achieved the rare distinction of leading a training contingent of the Indian Army at Force 18, the ASEAN Plus Multinational field training exercise held in 2016. She was selected from a pool of peacekeeping trainers who were part of an exercise conducted for a week in Pune, that included India, Japan, China, Russia, United States, Korea, New Zealand and Australia.

These women have been exceptional inspiration for many others to join the forces. For women who want to learn more about how to join the Indian Army, here are some details including eligibility criteria for the various entries for women. Graduate women, who meet the eligibility criteria and age limit, can apply for joining Indian Army as Officers. The Officers' Training Academy (OTA) inducts women trainees (Lady Cadets) twice a year to undergo a 49 weeks basic military training on completion of which they are commissioned as Officers in Indian Army. The following are the four ways for women to join Indian army:

1. Graduate UPSC Entry: Women graduate who are unmarried and are between 19 to 25 years of age can apply under this category. They need to clear the written CDSE examination which is conducted twice a year around June and November. Under this criterion, women are selected on the basis of merit list which go for training at Officers' Training Academy, Chennai.

2. Graduate Non UPSC Entry:

a) NCC Special Entry: Women who have secured a 'C' certificate with at least B grade can apply for this special entry. They need to have a minimum of 50% marks in their graduation degree. The age limit is between 19-25 years of age. Four unmarried women are selected every 6 months for training at OTA in Chennai center.

b) Judge Advocate General Entry: Any women LLB graduate between 21-27 years of age can apply under the JAG entry. Unmarried women can apply with a minimum of 55% in LLB degree. There is no requirement for them to have attended CEE. Under this entry mode 4 women are selected every 6 months for 49 weeks of training at OTA.

3. Technical Entry for Engineering Graduate: Women who have graduated in any of the engineering courses can apply under this criterion. Generally, there is no such requirement to have attended CEE. The age limit for women to apply under technical entries is between 20-27 years of age. Only unmarried women can apply. The minimum marks required in graduation changes every year but still it is never less than 50%. There are 20 women who are selected every 6 months for further 49 weeks training at the OTA Chennai.

4. Direct entries for women: Indian Army also appoints women based on their skills. Such types of entries are not based upon any written exams or cut offs. It totally depends upon the requirement and availability of posts in the Indian Army. Women can be appointed in Army Medical Corps, Army Education Corps and Military Nursing Service. Even under these entries, women are required to go through the training process.

The selection process of officers in Indian Army is unbiased. Indian Army doesn't partially discriminate on the grounds of caste, colour or religion. Any woman who meets any of the above mentioned criteria and qualifies the SSB and medical test go straight for the training at Officers' Training Academy, Chennai. SSB interviewis a five day selection procedure wherein candidates are assessed for 15 officer like qualities to get recommended.

Qualities are as follows: Effective Intelligence, Reasoning Ability, Organizing Ability, Power of Expression, Social Adaptability, Cooperation, Sense of Responsibility, Initiative, Self Confidence, Speed of Decision, Influencing Power, Liveliness, Determin-ation, Courage and Stamina. These qualities can not be developed overnight hence I feel the best way to face the SSB interview is to just be yourself!

With the permanent commission being offered to Women Officers in ten different field of Army, its no longer a short term option but a full time career with prospects of unlimited professional growth in Army. With the grant of permanent commission, the Women Officers will also be able to appear for selection boards for Command appointments. For final selection, they need to be high in merit and display throughout their career a very high level of commitment, competence, professional skill sets, leadership and knowledge. Women Officers need to be focused right from the beginning of the career. Right from getting best grades in their courses to getting awards and commendations to getting known for their work, they have to work with sincerity, plan well and maintain their focus. Physical fitness as per Army standards is another important criteria they have to focus on. Managing family and professional responsibilities in tandem can sometimes become overwhelming but planning well can ensure that their career ambitions do not get impacted. The same has been illustrated already by above mentioned stalwarts. New roles and larger responsibilities await women officers in Indian Army now. Joining Indian Army as one of the finest career choices for those women who passionately want to serve their country! Its time to prove your mettle Ladies!

- Major Harsha Pandey (Retd.)
Employment News
15-08-2020