Number of women officers stands at more than 1700: Army Chief

Army Chief General Manoj Pande on Tuesday said that the number of women officers in army stands at more than 1700 personnel.

He said that 740 women officers have been granted permanent commission while 114 officers have been approved for command assignments.

“In other ranks, we have 100 plus in the regular cadre in the Corps of Military Police and 100 new entrants have joined as Agniveers,” the Army Chief said.

On Tuesday, in memory of late General Sunith Francis Rodrigues -- the former Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and Governor of Punjab on the occasion of his 90th birthday -- the army organised ‘General SF Rodrigues Memorial Lecture’ in Manekshaw Centre.

The lecture was attended by Army Chief General Manoj Pande who delivered the keynote address and other senior serving and veteran officers of the Army were also present on the occasion.

The Army Chief said that the recent Russia-Ukraine conflicts has brought to fore certain key indicators that have enabled the Indian Army to appreciate the contemporary character of war and the relevance of firepower in accruing a decisive advantage in the battlefield.

He said that the primacy of technology in the modern battlefield has been amply demonstrated in this conflict.

He reminded the audience of the major initiatives undertaken by Gen Rodrigues as the army chief. He also highlighted that the induction of women officers in streams other than Medical Corps, commenced for the first time in 1992 when General Rodrigues was the COAS.

He also recalled how General Rodrigues gave impetus to the footprints of Indian Army in various assignments under the United Nations.

“It was a result of his efforts that the subscription of Indian Army personnel in United Nations missions increased from a mere eight personnel in 1991 to 1000 in 1992 and 6300 in 1993. Today, Indian ‘Blue Helmets’ are almost 6000 strong, deployed across 11 missions,” the Army Chief said.

He said that the General Rodrigues was an exemplary military leader and a strategic thinker who practiced military ethics, ethos and values to the core.

“He also played a crucial role in fast-pacing the modernisation plan of the Indian Army. Today’s event is an apt tribute to commemorate the contributions made by General Rodrigues to the Indian army and the nation,” the Army Chief said.

The event started with memoirs of the former COAS followed by a lecture on “Changing Character of War and Firepower” delivered by Lieutenant General Raj Shukla (Retired), former General Officer Commanding in Chief, Army Training Command (ARTRAC).

General SF Rodrigues was born in 1933 in Mumbai and did his schooling from St Xavier’s School.  He joined the first course in Joint Services Wing in 1949 and was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery (9 Field Regiment) on 28th December 1952. 

The General Officer served in various Field and Self-Propelled Artillery units, and subsequently became an Artillery Aviation Pilot in 1960, wherein he actively participated in 1962 and 1965 wars.

He has tenanted the appointments of Vice Chief of the Army Staff, General Officer Commanding in Chief of Central and Western Commands before taking over as the COAS. He served as the COAS from 1st July 1990 till 30th June 1993.