Women are inducted in Armed Forces as Officers. The strength of women officers in the three Services of the Armed Forces during the last three years and the current year (Service-wise), is as under:

There is no separate fixed sanctioned strength for recruitment of Women officers in the Armed Forces and they are recruited within the overall authorised strength of officers in the respective Service. They are inducted as Short Service Commissioned Officers (SSCOs) in various Services/Branches of the three Service as indicated below:-

Women officers are inducted as SSC officers in following Branches/Cadres of the three Services viz. Army, Navy and Air Force:

ARMY:Signals; Engineers; Army Aviation; Army Air Defence; Electronics & Mechanical Engineers; Army Service Corps; Army Ordnance Corps; Intelligence; Army Education Corps; Judge Advocate General.

NAVY:JAG; Logistics; Observer; Air Traffic Controller; Naval Constructor; Education.

AIR FORCE:In all branches and Streams except Fighter Stream of flying branch.

The Armed Forces have submitted a comprehensive policy paper on induction and employment of Women. The Ministry after considering the policy paper keeping in view the role and responsibility of the Armed Forces in defending the nation and protecting the territorial integrity of the country have issued a Government letter on 11th November 2011 inter-alia laying down policy on induction and employment of women in Armed Forces including grant of Permanent Commission to women SSCOs, as under:

(i)                 Women Officers may continue to be inducted as Short Service Commission officers(SSCOs) in Branches/Cadres where they are being inducted presently in the three Services;

(ii)               Women SSCOs will be eligible for consideration for grant of permanent commission alongwith men SSCOs in specific Branches in the three Services viz. Judge Advocate General(JAG) and Army Education Corps (AEC) of Army and their corresponding branches in Navy and Air Force; Naval constructor in Navy and Accounts branch in Air Force, as specified in Ministry's letter No. 12(1)/2004-D(AG) Pt-II dated 26th September, 2008;

(iii)             In addition to the above, in the Air Force, women SSCOs will be eligible alongwith men SSCOs, for consideration for grant of permanent commission in Technical, Administration, Logistics and Meteorology Branches.

The grant of permanent commission will be subject to willingness of the candidate and service specific requirements, availability of vacancies, suitability, merit of the candidate as decided by each Service.

Further, a matter regarding grant of permanent commission to women officers in Army is sub-judice before the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in written reply to Shri Sanjay Bhoi and others in Lok Sabha today.

PK /NN