NB Explains | A Huge Opportunity for Women Officers of the Territorial Army

New Delhi, May 13: The defence ministry announced that women officers of the Territorial Army will be eligible to serve with Territorial Army engineer regiments along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan for the first time.

This aim is to be a huge boost for women empowerment coming against the backdrop of a series of measures taken by the central government to give them equal roles as their male counterparts in Indian Armed Forces.

 

"In a major development, the Ministry of Defence, Department of Military Affairs, has approved amendment to existing cadre management provisions for Women Officers of the Territorial Army (TA)," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

 

The Territorial Army is based on a Citizen Soldiers’ army concept and officers undergo Annual Training on basic military skills while remaining gainfully employed in civilian life.

 

Employed graduates aged between 18 and 42 years are eligible to join the Territorial Army, which is a part of the regular army, and don the army uniform. Under the part-time serving model, the reservists are required to serve for at least two months every year, though most of them end up serving full-time because of the organisation’s requirements.

 

Territorial Army units have taken part in all post-Independence wars and operations.

 

 

Territorial Army had commenced Commissioning of Women Officers in TA since 2019. Thus far these Woman Officers were able to serve Ecological Task Force Units, TA Oil sector units and TA Railway Engineer Regiment. And, Territorial Army engineer regiments are responsible for the maintenance of the LoC fence, an important security feature to check infiltration attempts by Pakistan-backed terrorists.

 

Based on the experience gained during this period, a considered proposal was prepared to extend the employment scope further for women officers in TA which has now been approved by the Defence Minister in April this year.

 

Women Officers of the Territorial Army will now be posted with Engineer Regiments of the Territorial Army serving along the Line of Control and as staff officers at Territorial Army Group Headquarters/ Directorate General of Territorial Army at New Delhi, as per organizational requirement.

 

 

It is aimed at enhancing the scope of employment of Women Officers and also meeting their professional aspirations since 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 important staff appointments.