India continues to invest in health, education, protection, skill-building, including financial literacy, and promoting gender-equitable attitudes and practices among India’s children and youth. This has started showing good results. For the first time since availability of records, India has more females as compared to males. The number of females per 1,000 males has increased from 991 in 2015-16 to 1,020 in 2019-21. The sex ratio at birth has also witnessed an increase from 919 in 2015-16 to 929 in 2019-21. Further, India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has dropped by 10 points, which is a notable achievement. From 113 in 2016-18 to 103 in 2017-19, this ratio is witnessing an 8.8 % decline. Also, the data shows a decline in the crime against women during the year 2020 (3,71,503) as compared to 2019(4,05,326).
Defence is one domain where women have traditionally not been able to break the glass ceiling. Not anymore. Today women are not only working in every wing of the Indian Army, but now they are also getting permanent commissions. The number of women officers has almost tripled in last 6 years. In 2014-15, the number of women officers in the armed forces was around 3,000 in comparison to the 9,118 women officers, who are presently serving in the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.
Notably, apart from flying aircrafts in the Navy and Air Force, Indian Army has also paved the way for women pilots by starting the ‘Army Aviation course’. Till recently, women were only part of ground duty in the Indian Army. To recruit women officers in Army Aviation, the Indian Army began the course from July 2021. Earlier, In May 2021, the Indian Army inducted its first batch of 83 female soldiers into the Corps of Military Police (CMP). Till November 2021, the Indian Army granted ‘Permanent Commission’ to 577 women officers since the Supreme Court verdict in February 2020. A Permanent Commission gives a full-time career in the Army till an officer retires. It simply means that if an officer gets selected through Permanent Commission entry, he/she can serve the nation up to the age of retirement (60).
For the first time in history, NDA will recruit women officers, a total of 20, including 10 for army, 3 for navy and 6 for airforce. It is noteworthy that the total number of applicants for the exam was 5,75,856, of which 1,77,654 women appeared for the exam. Earlier, In October last year, the Union Cabinet approved the affiliation of 100 Schools in the Government and private sector with Sainik School Society, which will provide an opportunity for girls to join the Armed Forces and contribute to national security.
Since, the Vedic times, women play a crucial role in the upliftment of society, and by paving way for more & more avenues for women, in not just defence but also in other sectors would lead to a ‘New India’ where men & women are making equal contribution in the overall development of the nation.
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