Women in the Indian Armed Forces

Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck inspects Women's Auxiliary Corps (India) personnel, c. 1947
A Women's Auxiliary Corps private on duty in the orderly room of a Royal Air Force station in India, August 1943
Women of the Women's Auxiliary Corps Naval Wing, 1945

In the Indian Armed Forces women are allowed to join mainly in combat service support branches and in non combatant roles. The Indian Air Force had 13.09% female officers in 2018 and 8.50% female officers in 2014; the Indian Navy had 6% female officers in 2018 and 3% female officers in 2014 and the Indian Army had 3.80% female officers in 2018 and 3% female officers in 2014.[1][2] In 2020, three officers had the rank of lieutenant-general or equivalent, all in the Medical Services. In May 2021, 83 women were inducted as sepoys for the first time in the Indian Army's Corps of Military Police.[3] On 30 March 2023, 273 women were inducted in the Indian Navy as sailos for the first time in the history of the Indian Navy, total 2,585 agniveers passed out after successful completion of training from INS Chilka.[4] The Indian Air Force got airwomen for the first time in its history on 7 March 2024 as 153 female agniveers passed out from the Airmen Training School, Belagavi with 2,127 male agniveers.[5]

  1. ^ "Indian Army's shameful treatment of women recruits". NDTV.
  2. ^ Women to comprise 20% of Military Police, The Tribune, 18 Jan 2019.
  3. ^ "Army inducts 1st batch of women in military police". Hindustan Times. 9 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Indian Navy gets first-ever batch of women sailors as 2,585 Agniveers pass out at INS Chilka". Indian Express. 30 March 2023.
  5. ^ Archana Masih (7 March 2024). "Meet IAF's Women Agniveers". rediff.com.

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