The Union Ministry of Defence intends to boost the involvement of women in next year’s Republic Day parade, as the defence services have recently opened up additional pathways and senior command responsibilities for them while also preparing them for leadership roles.
All-Women Republic Day Parade
In March, the Defence Ministry informed the military services and other government ministries and departments involved in the parade that the marching contingents, band, and tableaux would be made up entirely of women. However, the letter has caused astonishment and consternation in military circles because so many women may be unavailable for the positions envisioned, and certain marching contingents can only have men. According to one of the authorities cited above, who requested anonymity, the letter’s gist is that steps should be done to improve the representation of women in the march.
For the first time this year, the military services have taken significant steps to promote gender equality, including assigning women to command positions, preparing them for future leadership roles, and allowing them to join the artillery unit. “The Republic Day-2024 parade will reflect the growing contribution of women to national service.” “More women will march in the parade next year than ever before,” claimed a second official.
According to the first official, the decision to assure maximum female participation was made following a debrief meeting conducted days after this year’s Republic Day parade. The meeting, held on February 7, was presided over by defense secretary Giridhar Aramane and attended by senior representatives from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as the ministries of Home Affairs, housing and Urban Affairs, culture, education, the Central Public Works Department, and the National Cadet Corps.
Women’s Empowerment in Armed Forces
To be sure, as part of the government’s focus on Nari Shakti, women officers have started marching in the parade and leading marching contingents in recent years. Women in uniform are no longer on the periphery, but are being assigned central roles on par with their male counterparts across the three services: they fly fighter planes, serve on warships, are inducted into the PBOR cadre, are eligible for permanent commission, are assigned command roles, and are undergoing training at the National Defence Academy. Tanks and infantry combat positions, on the other hand, remain off-limits to women.
Colonel Geeta Rana became the first woman army officer to command an autonomous battalion in the sensitive Ladakh sector, where India and China have been involved in a three-year border dispute. Captain Shiva Chouhan, the army’s first female officer, was posted to Siachen, the world’s highest and coldest conflict, in early January. It also sent its largest deployment of 27 women troops to Sudan’s disputed region of Abyei, where they are doing security-related responsibilities as part of the UN Interim Security Force (UNISFA). On April 29, five female cadets were commissioned as lieutenants into the artillery unit for the first time.
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