60% Of Indian Army's Women Commanding Officers Serving in Operational Border Areas

By: WE staff | Thursday, 20 February 2025

• 60% of the Indian Army’s women commanding officers are leading units in operational areas.
• They are posted in forward locations in the Northern and Eastern Commands, responsible for guarding India’s borders.
• 145 women have been promoted to the rank of colonel since the Army opened

Approximately 60% of the Indian Army’s women commanding officers are leading units in operational areas including forward posts in the Northern and Eastern Commands responsible for securing India’s borders, officials familiar with this said on Wednesday.

"Over 145 women have been promoted to the rank of colonel since the Army opened command roles to them two years ago. Of these, 115 women officers are currently leading their units, with 60% of them serving in operational areas," said one of the officers. Around 15 more women officers are expected to be assigned roles soon, the officials added.

This development comes amid an ongoing investigation into the leak of an internal communication by a three-star officer regarding the performance of eight women officers. The letter highlighted several issues allegedly affecting units led by women in the eastern sector.

The communication raised concerns about women Commanding Officers, citing issues such as officer management, a perceived sense of entitlement, lack of empathy, excessive complaining, and conflicting traits of over-ambition and lack of ambition.

The unprecedented five-page letter on "command by women officers," written last October by then 17 Corps Commander Lieutenant General Rajeev Puri to Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Ram Chander Tiwari, referred to an "in-house review" conducted by the Panagarh-based Mountain Strike Corps.

Following a Supreme Court order in 2023, the Army began assigning women officers to command roles outside the medical stream for the first time. At that time several exceptions were made in appointing women officers to these roles, as previously reported by HT.

In February 2023, the Army conducted a special selection board to promote 108 women officers to the rank of select-grade colonel. The promotion aimed at achieving gender parity, offering women officers command assignments in select branches and providing them with new hard-earned identities.