Women in Indian Armed Forces

In 1888, the role of women in the Indian army began when the "Indian Military Nursing Service" was formed during the British Raj.[3] During 1914-45, British Indian Army nurses fought in World War I (1914–18) and World War II (1939-45), where 350 British Indian Army nurses either died or were taken prisoner of war or declared missing in action.[3] This includes nurses who died when SS Kuala was sunk by the Japanese bombers in 1942.[3] Women's Auxiliary Corps (India) was formed in May 1942.[4] Noor Inayat Khan, George Cross (2 January 1914 – 13 September 1944), of Indian and American descent, was a British heroine of World War II renowned for her service in the Special Operations Executive.[5] Kalyani Sen, a second officer and first Indian service woman who visited the UK, served in the Women's Royal Indian Naval Service of The Royal Indian Navy during World War II.[6]

A female officer in the Indian Army briefing Russian soldiers during a joint exercise in 2015.

Women are not allowed to serve in combat units like the Infantry, the Armoured corps and Mechanised infantry (c. 2017).

On 27 August 1976, Gertrude Alice Ram, the military nursing service Matron-in-Chief, became the first woman officer in the Indian Army to attain the rank of major-general, and the first female officer in the Indian Armed Forces to attain two-star rank. With Ram's promotion, India became only the third nation in the world to promote a woman to flag rank, behind the United States and France.[7]

In 1992, the Indian Army began inducting women officers in non-medical roles.[8] On 19 January 2007, the United Nations first all female peacekeeping force made up of 105 Indian policewomen was deployed to Liberia.[9]

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.[10][11][12][13][14] Sapper Shanti Tigga is the first female jawan (private rank) in the Indian Army who joined in 2011.[15] Priya Semwal's husband had fallen in a counter-insurgency operation in Arunachal Pradesh in 2012; she went onto join as an officer in the Indian Army Corps of EME, the first wife of a jawan whose husband had fallen in a counter-insurgency operation to do so.[15]

Lieutenant Colonel Mitali Madhumita, commissioned in 2000, is the first woman officer in India to receive a gallantry award, who received the Sena Medal in 2011 for exemplary courage shown during the attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul by terrorists in Kabul, Afghanistan on 26 February 2010,[16] and operations in Jammu-Kashmir[17] and the northeast states.[16][18][19]

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. Including her and Priya Jhingan, the first batch of women officers of the Indian Army was commissioned in March 1993.[20][15] Divya Ajith Kumar, commissioned in 2010, is the first female officer to receive the Sword of Honor.[21][22] She led all women contingent of 154 women officers and cadets during the Republic Day parade of 2015.[22]

Ganeve Lalji, Corps of Military intelligence, is the first woman to be an attache to an Army Commander.[15]

Captain Swati Singh, an engineer and then only female officer in her 63 Brigade of the Indian Army, is the first female officer to be deployed at Nathu La pass as Signals in-charge.[15] In February 2020 Madhuri Kanitkar became the third woman to become a Lieutenant General in the Indian Army. Along with her husband who is also a Lieutenant General they will be the first couple to both reach the rank.[23]

On 17 February 2020 the Supreme Court of India said that women officers in Indian Army can get command positions at par with male officers. The court said that the government's arguments against it were discriminatory, disturbing and based on stereotype. The court also said that permanent commission should be available to all women, regardless of years of service, and that this order must be implemented in 3 months.[24] The government had earlier said troops would not accept women as commanding officers.[25]

Women Pilots of the Indian Air Force

Indian Air Force inducts women in all roles, including combat and support roles.

In August 1966, Flight Lieutenant Kanta Handa, an IAF medical officer, became the first female IAF officer to receive a commendation for her service during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war.[26] In 1994, women joined the air force as pilots in support role, among them Gunjan Saxena (Flight Officer) was the first women to fly support sorties in a combat zone during Kargil War (May–July 1999).[15]
In 2006, Deepika Misra was the first IAF woman pilot to train for the Sarang display team.[15] In 2012, Nivedita Choudhary (Flight Lieutenant), a Jat from Rajasthan, became the first woman from the Indian Air Force to summit the Mount Everest.[15]
In 2015, there were 1,500 women, including 94 pilots and 14 navigators, in the air force.[27]
In 2015, Indian Air Force opened new combat air force roles for women as fighter pilots, adding to their role as helicopter pilots in the Indian Air Force.[28]
On 22 May 2019, Bhawana Kanth became the first woman fighter pilot to qualify to undertake combat missions.[29] Women are now taking up combat roles in Indian Air Force with Avani Chaturvedi, Mohana Singh Jitarwal, and Bhawana Kanth being the first 3 women fighter pilots[30] Marking International Women's Day on 8 March 8, 2020 all 3 fighter pilots were awarded Nari Shakti Puraskar.[31]

Wing Commander Shaliza Dhami became the first woman officer to be given permanent commission with the Indian Air Force.[32][32] Squadron Leader Minty Agarwal became the first woman to receive a Yudh Seva Medal.[33]

All-women crew of INSV Tarini on completion of their voyage of circumnavigation of the globe

In October 1976, Dr. Barbara Ghosh became the first woman officer in the Indian Navy to attain the rank of commander. Having joined the navy in 1961, she was also the first woman medical officer to receive a permanent naval commission.[34]

Dr. Punita Arora, commissioned in 1968, is the first woman in the India Navy to reach the second highest rank as the Lieutenant General,[35] and the first female Vice admiral.[36] Padmavathy Bandopadhyay is the first woman Air Marshal of the IAF and the second woman in the Indian armed forces to be promoted to a three-star rank after Lt. General Punita Arora.[15] Despite this Indian Navy is still against the idea of putting women in warship as sailor, eventhough they fly on maritime patrol aircraft like P8I and IL 38 [37]

On 8 March 2018, International Women's Day the 6 member crew of INSV Tarini that took part in Navika Sagar Parikrama namely Lt Cdr Vartika Joshi, Lt Cdr P Swathi, Lt Cdr Pratibha Jamwal, Lt Payal Gupta, Lt Aishwarya Boddapati, and Lt Shourgrakpam Vijaya Devi were conferred Nari Shakti Puraskar for outstanding contribution towards women empowerment. The award was received by Lieutenant S Vijaya Devi, who is Northeast India's first woman sailor on behalf of team.[38]

On 2 December 2019, Sub-lieutenant Shubhangi Swaroop became the first woman pilot for the Indian Navy. She will be flying the Dornier survelliance aircraft.[39]

Women are not yet allowed as combatant in the combat specialist forces, such as Ghatak Force, Garud Commando Force, MARCOS, para commandos, etc. but they can join paratroopers wings of their respective arms like para EME, para signals, para ASC, etc. (c. 2017).

Dr. Seema Rao, also known as "India's Wonder Woman",[40][41][42] is India's first woman commando trainer,[43][44] having trained over 15,000 Special Forces of India[45][46] (including the NSG Black Cats, MARCOS, GARUD)[47] as full-time guest trainer for 20 years without compensation[47][48] as a pioneer in close quarter battle (CQB).[49][50]

Women in Indian Coast Guard, Assam Rifles and Special Frontier Force.

Women of the Border Security Force at the Indian Pakistan border

In 1992 Asha Sinha a 1982 Batch IPS Officer became the First Woman Commandant in the Paramilitary forces of India when she was posted as Commandant, Central Industrial Security Force in Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and after 34 years of service she retired as Director General of Police(DGP). In 2018 an IPS Officer Archana Ramasundram of 1980 Batch became the first Woman to become the Director General of Police of a Paramilitary Force as DG, Sashastra Seema Bal, she retired after serving for 37 years. In March 2016, govt allowed direct-entry women officers in all five Central Armed Police Forces, namely Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), allow direct entery to women in junior rank via direct recruitment and also to women officer via Union Public Service Commission in supervisory combat roles.[57] In March 2016, Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced that women will be inducted in 33% constable-rank personnel in CRPF and CISF and 15% in the border guarding forces BSF, SSB and ITBP.[57]

Women in National Security Guard (NSG), Special Protection Group (SPG), Railway Protection Force (RPF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

• Aarohan, a tele serial, was broadcast on Doordarshan from 1996 to 1997. It show cased women officers serving in the Indian Navy.
• In April 2017, a web series titled The Test Case was released featuring the fictional story of the first woman training to serve in a combat role within the Indian Armed Forces.[64]

Three women have been promoted to the Three-star rank in the Indian Armed Forces. All three women are Doctors and graduates of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC).

In 2004, Punita Arora was the first woman to be elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Indian Army. In 2005, she moved from the Army to the Navy as the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has a common pool which allows officers to move from one service to another depending on the requirement. In the Indian Navy, she also held the rank of Vice Admiral.[65]

In late 2004, Padma Bandopadhyay became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of Air Marshal in the Indian Air Force. She was the second woman officer to be promoted to a Three Star rank.[66]

In early 2020, Madhuri Kanitkar was elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General.[67]

• List of serving generals of the Indian Army

Permanent Commission to women in the Indian Army.https://www.rashtriyadefenceinstitute.com/blog/2020/04/28/permanent-commission-to-women-in-the-indian-army/ The Supreme Court has finally delivered the judgment in favor of the women officers. There was a protracted fight going on for almost two decades for the equal opportunities to the women officers who fulfill the identical criteria as their male counterparts do in Indian Army.

• Indian Army – Official website
• Indian Air Force - Official website
• Indian Navy - Official website