A significant step is the Ministry of Defence’s Department of Military Affairs’ approval of changes to the Territorial Army (TA) Women Officers’ existing cadre management requirements. Since 2019, the Territorial Army has started commissioning female officers. These female officers have so far been allowed to work with the TA Railway Engineer Regiment, TA Oil sector units, and Ecological Task Force Units. Based on the knowledge obtained during this time, a thoughtful proposal was made to increase the employment opportunities for female officers in TA, and the Hon. Raksha Mantri accepted it in April of this year.
According to organisational requirements, female officers of the Territorial Army are presently assigned to Engineer Regiments of the Territorial Army serving along the Line of Control and as staff officers at TA Group Headquarters/Directorate General of the Territorial Army in New Delhi. 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 difficult field conditions and in key staff appointments—this progressive policy measure aims to increase the scope of employment of Women Officers as well as meet their professional aspirations. Officers in the Territorial Army, which is built on the idea of Citizen Soldiers’ Army, get annual training in fundamental military abilities while continuing to work for pay in the civilian world.
