The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has urged the government to increase the intake of women short-service commission (SSC) officers in the army to address a long-term officer shortfall.
The army had 1,648 female officers as of January 2020, accounting for 4% of the total number of commissioned officers. According to government data, the army now has a shortage of about 7,700 officers.
In his report titled "Selection and Training of Officers in the Indian Army," the national auditor notified Parliament, “There was almost full subscription in all entry courses for women and the meritorious women candidates who were found medically fit were approximately twice the number of those finally selected based on vacancies.”
The report comes at a time when the military has opened new doors for women: an experiment allowing women to fly fighter planes has now become permanent, the navy is planning to give them more opportunities to serve aboard warships alongside male counterparts, and the army has allowed women to fly helicopters.
Permanent commission is now open to women as well. For the first time, a group of female candidates will be taught at the elite National Defence Academy beginning in June 2022.
Women's entry for Judge Advocate General (JAG) posts fell from 16 percent to 8% in the technical entry scheme during the same period, according to the CAG report. While the ratio of women to men releasing vacancies increased steadily from 29 percent in 2015 to 50 percent in 2019, women's entry for JAG posts fell from 16 percent to 8 percent in the technical entry scheme during the same period.
According to the survey, the results indicate that there is a need to increase the number of slots for women applying for SSC positions. The defence ministry should keep a careful eye on attempts to expand the number of female officers in the army, according to the report.
Captain Shalini Singh, a former female SSC officer, shared this viewpoint, “CAG has made a valid point. Women have tremendous potential and should be given equal opportunities in the army. Increasing the vacancies for them will help make up for the shortage of officers.”
“The number of prospective women candidates aspiring to join the services was far larger than the vacancies available to them,” the report continued.
The CAG further stated that the institutional system for tapping the potential of personnel below officer rank (PBOR) and grooming them to become army officers should be reviewed.
Soldiers are trained for three years at the Army Cadet College before being sent to the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun for a one-year training that produces newly minted lieutenants.
The suggestions of the CAG report will be evaluated, according to a spokesperson for the military ministry, and appropriate action will be taken.
