Army to have over 2,000 women officers; need them as 'Kali Ma ka roop': Gen Upendra Dwivedi

New Delhi: The Indian Army looks at having over 2,000 women officers in near future, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwidevi said here on Monday, noting that the force would also go for a change in the law to recruit women as ordinary soldiers.

Gen Dwivedi said currently there were 1,732 women officers whose numbers would be increased to 2,037 within a few years with branches like the Territorial Army opening its doors to women.

“As far as the Indian Army is concerned we want strong women officers. So what does it mean? Kali Mata ka roop (embodiment of Goddess Kali)’, may be. We have to have a gender neutral approach in the conduct. The physical parameters (for recruitment) will be nearly the same (as men).”

Sixty women cadets are being trained at the National Defence Academy, Pune and the army was looking at recruiting at least 20 of them. Also the two Officers Training Academy at Chennai and Gaya will churn out 120 women officers each year.

The Army Chief said the force would approach the government for amending the Army Act, 1950 that forbids entry of women troops. Once the legal changes take place, the army would look at recruiting initially 1,200 women each year by 2032 and the number will later slowly be raised to 1,700.

“We have Vishakha guidelines, but we don’t have similar guidelines for men. We have to slowly prepare the military and society for gender neutrality. Once we get there, the number of women in the army will increase,” he said.

On the sensational letter by a senior officer criticising women army officers in command positions, Gen Dwivedi said one example could not be a yardstick. “It was his personal opinion and an internal communication to the army.”

Former 17 Corps Commander Lt Gen Rajeev Puri in October wrote to the Eastern Army Commander flagging "ego issues", "frequent complaints", and "lack of empathy" among women commanding officers.

The letter was on the basis of an analysis of challenges observed in units led by women COs within the 17 Corps in the past one year. It triggered a debate on the Indian Army’s efforts to integrate women into leadership roles.

Gen Dwivedi said women commanding officers were given the task following a Supreme Court order and certain processes were accelerated due to which “contact and bonding with the troops was less.”

“So when you have these kinds of situations, you may have some kind of surprise. But you will always find all types of officers. Currently there are 115 women commanding officers and 18 more are ready. Sixteen officers are doing staff college and women officers are there in aviation and artillery,” he added.

“Moreover, nearly 1700 women are students of Sainik Schools and Rashtriya Military Schools and they will join the Indian Army and tri-services,” Gen Dwivedi said.