Women Officers to Serve Along LoC as Territorial Army Cadre Management Amended

The Department of Military Affairs and Defence Ministry has approved amendments to existing cadre management provisions allowing women officers of the Territorial Army to be posted along the Line of Control (LoC). This policy measure aims to enhance the scope of employment for women officers and fulfil their professional aspirations, according to a statement by the defence ministry.

The women officers will be posted with Engineer Regiments of the Territorial Army serving along the LoC and as staff officers at TA Group Headquarters/Directorate General of Territorial Army in New Delhi, based on the organizational requirement. They will now serve and train under the same conditions as their male counterparts, in a wider range of units and appointments, including serving in challenging field conditions and in critical staff appointments.

The Territorial Army began commissioning women officers in 2019. However, until now, they were only able to serve in Ecological Task Force Units, TA Oil sector units, and TA Railway Engineer Regiment. Based on the experience gained during this period, a proposal was prepared to extend the employment scope for women officers in TA, which has been approved by the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri in April this year.

Re-reported from the story originally published in The Week