'If approved it will be a voluntary engagement and there will be no dilution in selection criteria'
Twenty-seven months after she lost her husband in an anti-insurgency operation in south Kashmir's Pulwama, 29-year-old Nitika Kaul on Saturday donned the army uniform after completing a one-year rigorous training in Tamil Nadu.
The Indian Navy Invites unmarried men to join The Indian Navy as Short Service Commissioned Officers in Executive Branch (General Service) Jul 2008 Course.
The scheme is aimed at slashing the salary and pension bills of the three services, which have been increasing rapidly.
While we seem to want soldiers on short-term engagement, warfare itself is getting more technical and needs skilled manpower. The world has seen the dismal performance of armies that rely on short tour of duty soldiers or have outsourced war to 'contractors' in Afghanistan and now in Ukraine, points out Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
The top court which recorded its appreciation for all the concerned authorities including Chief of Army Staff for acting fair and objective manner to resolve the issue directed that 12 WSSCOs, who have been released from service during the pendency of proceedings, shall be deemed to continue in service and be granted the Permanent Commission (PC).
In a relief to some Women Short Service Commission Officers (WSSCO) in the Army, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to issue orders granting Permanent Commission (PC) to 39 such officers in seven working days and furnish the details of 25 officers with reasons, who were not considered.
Advocate Meenakshi Lekhi, who appeared for women officers, said the apex court judgment has given equal rights to the women officers as their male counterparts. She said a long-pending right has been given to women officers through this order.
Threatened with contempt action against the Indian Army and its chief Manoj Mukund Naravane by the Supreme Court over non-compliance of its earlier orders, the defence force agreed on Friday to grant permanent commission to all of its eligible women officers.
A bench headed by Justice R M Lodha passed the order on a plea filed by the 14 officers seeking direction to the government to grant them permanent commission.
"The Air Force and Navy have acted in a more liberal way. However, in the Army, you kept giving them a five-five year's job and never gave permanent commission till the verdict of the Supreme Court. If you are introducing women in the Army then why do you create a bar in NDA," the SC said.
"There is no issue of gender discrimination," Dhowan said responding to queries on alleged gender bias in Indian Navy.
The 11 officers were relieved from the service during the pendency of the petition in the high court in 2009-10.
The apex court said the Annual Confidential Report evaluation criteria for grant of permanent commission to women officers ignored the achievement and laurels brought by them to the Indian Army.
Indian Army's 108th Technical Graduates Course (Jan 2009) and 32nd Short Service Commission (Tech) Course (April 2009).
The top court had on March 17, maintaining that women and men officers should be treated equally, cleared PC for women in the Navy and asked the Centre to complete the modalities within three months.
In a path-breaking move, the government on Friday decided to grant permanent commission to future batches of women officers in the armed forces, but restricted it to non-combat arms of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
President Pratibha Patil accorded sanction to the defence ministry's proposal, which was agreed to by the three services, hitherto an exclusive domain of men.
A higher intake of Short Service Commissioned officers, picking up potential recruits who have just passed out from schools and payment of monthly stipends to cadets in military academies are some of the suggestions made to government to make up the shortage of officers in the army.
The Indian Navy is set to open the doors soon for increased role of women on its rolls but has made it clear that there will be no combat positions yet.
A message board on the women officers in the Army.
Under the new scheme, women enrollees in the army will be eligible to attain the rank of Captain after two years, Major after a tenure of six years and can aspire to rise to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 13 years
By extending the benefit to Air Force women personnel, the government has now brought in uniformity to women officers serving in armed forces.
The Indian Navy invites applications from unmarried male Indian citizens for the Short Service Commission (SSC) in the Executive Branch (General Service) for the July 2005 course.
Alert: A Short Service Commission with the Army Medical Corps.
It also proposes to increase the number of women cadets from the present 75 per batch to 200, says Lt Gen B S Takhar.
'Putting your life at stake defending your motherland is the best feeling you can get.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the nation for the seventh time from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day on Saturday and it will be his second speech of the second term in office.
The bench said denying permanent commission to women officers who have served the nation would result in serious miscarriage of justice.
The 7th Pay Commission has recommended more than doubling the 'Military Service Pay' to defence personnel, and suggested that Short Service Commissioned Officers should be allowed to exit the Armed Forces at any point in time between 7 and 10 years of service.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort in New Delhi as India celebrates the 72nd Independence Day. This is Modi's fifth and final address as PM in the current tenure. During his speech, Modi reflected on the achievements of the National Democratic Alliance government and presented a report card of his four-year tenure. Here are the main takeaways from his address:
There is 17 per cent shortage of officers in armed forces and government has set a target of 10 years to fill all the vacancies, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Friday.
Recalling the 2016 surgical strikes, he said Indian troops gave a befitting reply to the "audacity of a proxy war" under the "garb of terrorism".
We have a generation of youth in our country with fire in their bellies and the 'tamanna' to emulate the Indian soldier. Such is the image that has been created by our soldiers over time. The proposal for civilians into the Military fray for a short stint must be considered favourably keeping the national interests foremost, says Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
He cautioned people against forces inside and outside India which are working against the country by targeting it and its constitutional values.
'I have only one life and that is enough.'
The recommendations will benefit 47 lakh central government employees and 52 lakh pensioners.
In a permanent commission, women officers get an opportunity to rise to the rank of Lieutenant General and retire at 60 with full benefits like the men do. Sources say it is given to women on a case-to-case basis.
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